My dogs absolutely love winter, so they were thrilled when it snowed Friday night. They got to snuffle through several inches of fresh snowfall on Saturday morning. Their footfalls were the first to mar the pristine white blanket.
Not so well-loved, however, is the salt people are putting out on their sidewalks and driveways. Businesses especially seem to just dump the stuff, completely covering their walkways in sharp crystals. During our regular walks this weekend, Maxwell started limping twice, and Sadie once, all because of some salt that got stuck in their paws. And I don’t mean favoring one foot a little. I mean they did their best to walk on three legs until I could clean out the offending paw.
Please, please check your dogs’ feet often this winter. Watch their movements on walks, and clear out their paws any time you see a pup walking strangely. Check them mid-walk, just to be safe. Check them after you pass a particularly salty area, in case your dog is just hiding his or her discomfort. Check them before they come inside, regardless of if you think they are fine or not.
If you use salt, look into buying dog-friendly brands. There is salt available commercially that is especially designed to be paw-friendly, like Safe Paw. Yes, it is more expensive… but I think it’s worth it. I am planning to send letters to the condo association that maintains my complex as well as some of the larger local businesses (car dealers, office buildings, etc) requesting the change. Once I draft the letter, I’ll post it here. Feel free to join my paw-friendly winter campaign!
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