Does anyone out there know anything about dog-friendly alternatives to regular, road-type salt for melting ice? A resident has asked about using some type of ice-melt on the outside steps that would be easier on canine paws. I’ve forwarded the request to Cathy but I thought I’d see if anyone else had any suggestions/input.
The NPS Food & Coat Drive at the Visitor’s Center is winding up this weekend. If you’re like me, and have coats you’ve hardly worn cluttering up your closet, now would be a good time to get rid of them.
And while you’re dropping off those coats, there’s a talk and book signing by Paul Marion, author of Mill Power, on Saturday at 1:00 at the Brush Gallery. Book sales start at 12:30
RE: Dogs and Ice
There is really not a highly effective ice melting salt-based compound that is completly safe for dogs, see for example “The Hazards of Ice Melts” at http://www.aspcapro.org/sites/default/files/zg-vettech_0202.pdf. Non-salts alterative typically contain crystalline urea, and while generally safe, are poor ice melting compounds. Pet Smart, Inc. uses a product simlar to Safe Paws (http://www.safepaw.com/product-info.html), a glycol-based compound (glycols lower the freezing point of water).
I should add that rock salt, while cheap, and used in our parking lot, only lowers the melting point of water to 24F; below that it’s just an environmetal contaminant.
Human effort (removing ice/snow) + sand would be best, not only for pets, but for the integrity of the parking lot, our interior carpets, and Lowell’s environment. –Jeff
Cathy replied with pretty much the same answer: pet-friendly ice melt is not as effective and costs significantly more. Both her son and my daughter solve the problem by putting winter booties on their dogs (otherwise my daughter’s dog is not only exposed to road salt but gets ice in the fur between her pads and rips it out with her teeth).