BURLINGTON, Vt. (WCAX) – A wintry walk is thrilling for your four-legged friends, but the salt on sidewalks can put them in the doghouse.
Ivan Goldstein of Burlington first noticed the problem with his late dog Luke.
“They can’t really tell you what’s going on but he was a little tender walking,” Goldstein said.
The culprit– road salt. The chunky crystals scraped Luke’s paws and made their way to his belly when he licked his wounds.
“I don’t like that they lick their paws and ingest it. It kind of tears up and gets in there,” said Goldstein.
In Essex, veterinarian Dr. Erin Forbes is well-versed in salty paws. She says it’s mostly new Vermonters and their dogs who don’t know about the danger and get hurt.
“They’ll come in with really inflamed paws. Sometimes they’re bleeding, and so you can just see infections,” Forbes said.
She says salt can dig through the paw’s rough exterior and wound the soft inside. If dogs eat the salt, it can hurt their stomach or even lead to salt toxicity in extreme cases.
“One dog we had was vomiting blood, and they were actually getting an ulcer,” she said.
Luckily, Forbes says there are lots of ways to save your pup’s paws and belly. Pop booties on their paws or coat them in wax products to create a protective barrier. A post-walk wipe down and soaking in an Epsom salt bath can also help the irritation.
Forbes says there are lots of dog-safe salt alternatives out there, but many road crews don’t use them.
“If you’re walking on the road, just be aware, there is a lot of salt being used. If it’s in your backyard, it’s probably fine,” Forbes said.
Today, Goldstein avoids urban walks whenever possible for foot-safe fun for his dogs, Apollo and Sally.
“I choose anywhere there isn’t salt,” Goldstein said.
Paw protection, as well as a jacket and limited time outside, are also essential to keep your dog safe from frostbite and hypothermia.