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Ice Melter
Tips for Keeping your Dog Safe in Winter
Never leave your pet outside in temperatures below 20 degrees. Small dogs, short-haired dogs, cats, and puppies should wear coats or sweaters when temperatures drop below 40 degrees.
If you must leave your dog outside for any purpose, make sure you refill their water bowl frequently. Also, use a plastic bowl - your pet's tongue can get stuck to a metal bowl in freezing.
Keep your dogs nails trimmed. Long nails reduce traction and can easily be broken while walking on ice. It is also a good idea to trim the hair in between the pads of your dogs feet. Long hair reduces traction and snow can get impacted here and ice crystals can form.
Never leave your pet in the car during the winter months. Cars hold in cold temperatures, much like refrigerators, and can cause your dog to freeze to death.
Make sure your pet has a nice warm place to sleep off the floor and away from drafts.
Keep your dog well-groomed. Matted fur does not protect your pet from the cold.
Be sure to remove high piles of snow near fences. Dogs can use these to jump the fence.
Keep antifreeze away from pets. It tastes sweet, so they will try to eat it, however, antifreeze is fatal if ingested. It's always a good idea to buy pet safe antifreeze.
Remember that dogs perspire from the pads of their feet. When ice forms there, it can become very painful, Be sure to gently remove these.
Watch out for a blue tongue - it is a sign of hypothermia. Wrap your dog in blankets and place near a heat source. Note that bathing your dog will only keep in moisture and make your pets condition worse. If your dog does not return to normal within a few minutes, immediately call your vet.
Wipe your dogs feet with a damp towel when they come in from outdoors. Ice-melting agents can prove fatal if ingested, and can seriously irritate the pads of your dogs feet if not removed. Safe Paws makes a great pet-safe ice melter.
If you must keep your pet outside for any length of time, make sure he has an elevated, draft-free dog house. It should be small enough to hold in his body heat, but large enough so he can comfortably sit and lay down. Dog houses should be facing away from prevailing winds.
Ears, tails, toes, and the scrotum can easily become frostbitten. If you notice the skin turning slightly pink or ice crystals form on these areas, bring the dog inside immediately and attempt to warm them using human touch. The warming process should be slow. Do not use a heating pad or hot water bottle. Call your vet if the condition does not immediately improve.
This article was taken from My Political Pooch's January Newsletter 2008. If you would like to receive these newsletters via email, visit www.MyPoliticalPooch.com and sign up for our mailing list.
About the Author
My Political Pooch, LLC specializes in shirts and gifts with a message for dogs of all shapes and sizes. A portion of every sale is donated to charity!
Why does my ice melter salt contain this?
My ice melter compound contains a few salts and also Methyl a-D-glucopyranoside (CAS 97-30-3). Why is this in there?
Yes, I'm interested in the glucopyranoside.
Salt lowers the freezing point of water. So, the ice melts. Unless the temperature is very low, the ice with the salt, stays as water.
The Methyl D is an agent that prevents the salt from getting hard. Salt is hygrospic (water loving). Salt takes moisture from the environment and gets lumpy. Methyl D absorbs the moisture first before the salt does. This helps the salt from getting rock hard. This helps the salt to flow better and helps in spreading it over ice.
NaturaLawn of America Ice Melter