BURLINGTON, Vt. (WCAX) – A wintery walk is thrilling for your four-legged friends, but the salt lining their path 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,” said Goldstein.
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 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,” said Forbes.
Forbes 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,” said Forbes.
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. Post-walk, wipe paws down, and soak them in an Epsom salt bath if they seem irritated.
Forbes says there are lots of dog-safe salt alternatives out there, but many road crews don’t use it.
“If you’re walking on the road, just be aware, like, there is a lot of salt being used. If it’s in your backyard, it’s probably fine,” said Forbes.
Today, Ivan avoids urban walks whenever possible for foot-safe fun for his dogs Apollo and Sally.
“I choose anywhere there isn’t salt,” said Goldstein.
Paw protection, as well as a jacket and limited time outside, are also essential to keep your dog safe from frostbite and hypothermia.