17/11/2024
Protecting Your Pets: The Dangers of Grit and Antifreeze
As colder weather approaches, pet owners face the additional challenge of keeping their animals safe from environmental hazards like road salt (grit) and antifreeze. While these substances help keep roads clear of ice, they can be deadly to pets if ingested. Understanding the dangers, how to limit exposure, and how to respond in an emergency is crucial for every pet owner.
The Dangers of Grit and Antifreeze to Pets
1. Grit (Road Salt)
Grit is commonly used on pavements, car parks and roads to prevent ice buildup. While it’s effective at keeping surfaces safe for humans, it can pose serious risks to pets, particularly dogs who tend to walk through or on treated surfaces.
Ingestion: If your pet licks or eats grit or salt, it can cause stomach upset. Some types of salt, like rock salt, can irritate a dog’s gastrointestinal tract, causing symptoms like vomiting, diarrhoea, and abdominal pain. Ingesting large quantities of rock salt can be toxic and lead to serious health issues, including kidney damage, liver damage, and pancreatitis. High blood sodium - Ingesting rock salt can cause a high blood sodium concentration, leading to extreme thirst, lethargy, and vomiting.
Paw irritation: The salt can cause painful irritation to the pads of a dog’s feet, leading to cracks or sores. The sharp edges of salt crystals can cut a dog’s paw pad, causing bleeding and lacerations. Grit/salt can get trapped between the pads causing skin irritations. Pets may try to lick or bite at their paws to relieve the discomfort, potentially ingesting more of the substance in the process.
Toxicity: If a pet ingests a large amount of grit or salt, it can lead to salt poisoning, which causes symptoms such as excessive thirst, urination, lethargy, and in extreme cases, seizures or death.
2. Antifreeze (Ethylene Glycol)
Antifreeze is a deadly substance for pets, particularly during colder months when it’s more commonly used in vehicles. It has a sweet taste that can attract animals, but even a small amount can be fatal if ingested.
Toxicity: Ethylene glycol, the primary ingredient in most antifreeze, is extremely toxic to animals. Even small amounts (as little as a teaspoon for a small dog) can cause severe damage to the kidneys and other organs.
Symptoms: After ingestion, pets may exhibit signs like vomiting, lethargy, staggering, and drooling. If untreated, antifreeze poisoning can lead to kidney failure, seizures, and death within hours to days.
Delayed onset: Symptoms often don’t appear immediately, which can make diagnosis difficult. Early intervention is critical to preventing irreversible damage.
How to Keep Your Pets Safe
Be aware of where you are leaving your own footwear or items that come in the house that the pets may have access to.
1. Limit Exposure to Grit
Wipe your pet’s paws: Prolonged or repeated exposure to salt can cause the pads to burn, crack or become excessively dry. After walks in areas where grit is used, thoroughly wipe down your pet’s paws, especially between the toes and pads. This will help remove any salt residue and prevent it from being ingested when your pet licks its paws.
Use pet-safe alternatives: Consider using pet-safe ice melt products that are less toxic than traditional road salt. These products are typically made from urea or other non-toxic ingredients, though it's still important to monitor your pet.
Booties for protection: Some pets will tolerate wearing booties, which can protect their paws from salt and ice. If your pet is particularly sensitive, consider outfitting them with a pair of waterproof, salt-resistant boots during walks.
Apply a natural wax to your pet's paws to protect them from irritants.
Clean up spills: If you use grit or salt on your own driveway or pavement, clean up any residue that might be left behind. This reduces the chance that your pet will come into contact with the chemicals when they’re outside.
2. Prevent Access to Antifreeze
Store antifreeze safely: Always store antifreeze in a secure, sealed container that pets cannot access. Consider using antifreeze that contains propylene glycol (which is less toxic than ethylene glycol), although it’s still essential to keep it out of reach of pets.
Clean up spills immediately: If you spill antifreeze, clean it up thoroughly. Its sweet smell and taste can attract animals, and even a small amount left on the ground can be deadly.
Monitor outdoor areas: Keep your pet away from areas where antifreeze might have been spilled, such as driveways, garages, or areas around vehicles. If you are unsure, wash the area down with plenty of water to dilute any potential traces.
How to Respond to a Veterinary Emergency
1. If You Suspect Your Pet Has Ingested Grit:
Act quickly: If your dog has eaten a significant amount of salt or grit, contact your vet immediately. They may recommend bringing your pet in for treatment, which could involve inducing vomiting or administering activated charcoal to prevent further absorption.
Signs to watch for: Keep an eye out for symptoms of salt poisoning, such as excessive thirst, urination, vomiting, diarrhoea, and lethargy. If your pet is showing signs of distress, seek medical attention without delay.
2. If You Suspect Your Pet Has Ingested Antifreeze:
Immediate action required: Time is of the essence. If you suspect that your pet has ingested antifreeze, take them to the vet immediately. Even if they appear normal, antifreeze poisoning can cause irreversible damage if not treated within hours.
Tell your vet about the exposure: Be prepared to provide information about the amount of antifreeze your pet may have consumed and when the exposure occurred. This will help your vet determine the appropriate treatment.
Treatment options: Treatment for antifreeze poisoning usually involves hospitalisation for intravenous fluids, medications to prevent kidney damage, and possibly dialysis if the kidneys have been affected.
Keeping your pets safe during the winter months requires vigilance and proactive measures. Both grit (road salt) and antifreeze are common but dangerous substances that can cause severe harm to animals if ingested. By taking simple steps—like wiping your pet's paws, using pet-safe ice melt products, storing antifreeze securely, and being prepared to act quickly in an emergency—you can help ensure that your furry friends stay safe and healthy.
Always remember, if you're ever in doubt about whether your pet has ingested something harmful, contact your veterinarian or an emergency animal poison control hotline immediately on 01202 509000. The quicker you act, the better the chances for a full recovery.
