I hope everyone had a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year! In our house, we celebrated with one daughter home from MN (she works at Mayo Clinic), and then we visited our daughter in Marshfield, WI just before the snow hit!

But everyone wants to know, “What do I have to worry about with this weather and my dog?” First: if your dog is used to this—lives outside, or goes outside for a significant portion of the day—their body and coat get used to this weather. Of course, it is critical that they have shelter—the doghouse and water. The water is so important! It is easy for the water bowls to freeze, and then the dogs have no access. They will not “suck on the ice” or “eat the snow”’ to get their water. If you think about it, we don’t like doing that either because it is so cold, and we use up some of our body’s energy to “warm up” the water from snow or ice. It’s great in the summer, but not so fun in the wintertime. :-)  

Ice melts—what kind should you get? It’s the classic “it depends.” There are several types: Sodium Chloride (NaCl, table salt, ‘rock salt’), Potassium Chloride (KCl), Magnesium Chloride (MgCl2), Calcium Chloride (CaCl2), and Urea which is less common and more problematic for cattle, and goats and sheep. Ask your veterinarian if you have any of those animals, as to what to do.

The “salts,” if not ingested, are mostly dermal irritants. That means they irritate the skin and make the skin of your dog uncomfortable. Think about when you get table salt in a paper cut or other skin abrasion. The same issue can happen with our dogs.

The difference comes if your dog decides to take a “liking” to the different salts and decides to eat a large quantity of them. First thing—you need to take them to the emergency clinic right away if the quantity seems to be too much. The signs we can see include: Salivation, drinking more, vomiting, not eating, depression, diarrhea, and disorientation. When in doubt, take your dog to your veterinarian, or to the emergency clinic.

As far as which is safest…it depends on which your dog finds the “least tasty.”  No, seriously. If it is me, I use the regular NaCl ice melts. I know what that does if my dog decides she needs to lick a lot more of it and what to do about it. I do know the others and don’t really have any “‘qualm” with using them. If you find them helpful that is great.

But then make sure your dog does not have access, or you don’t use the salt in an area in your fenced-in yard that your dog has periodic free access to. But dogs will eat anything, so just keep an eye on them. ;-)

Do you have questions? Contact us at: [email protected]. If you call, please be patient, as we strive to help your pets live the best life possible for as long as possible.