What we use is more pet-friendly than other brands; however, absolutely no ice melt on the market is completely safe for animals, no matter what the advertising says.
The Short Answer
Our ice melt is more pet-friendly than most products on the market, but no ice melt is completely safe for animals, regardless of what advertising claims. We recommend rinsing your pet's paws with water after walks when ice melt is present.
What We Use and Why
Our ice melt is custom-blended specifically for our company and is not available to the general public. It contains:
- Calcium Chloride
- Magnesium Chloride
- Propylene Glycol
- Only 1% Sodium Chloride (rock salt)
- Purple dye (non-marking to concrete)
This blend minimizes the amount of rock salt, which is one of the most irritating ingredients to pet paws. We've developed this formula over years of research, working with professional organizations like SIMA (Snow & Ice Management Association) and consulting with veterinarians.
A note on our experience: We provide snow removal services to two large veterinary clinics, and neither allows any ice melt on their property, including brands marketed as "pet safe." They know from firsthand experience that all ice melt products can cause some degree of irritation. For most properties, however, the risk of slip-and-fall injuries outweighs the risk of paw irritation, which is why ice melt remains necessary.
How to Protect Your Pet
Rinse paws after walks. This is the single most effective thing you can do. A quick water rinse removes residue before it can cause irritation or be ingested during grooming.
Consider pet booties. If your pet tolerates them, booties provide a physical barrier.
Request post-storm sweeping. We can have crews return after a storm to sweep up remaining ice melt granules. Contact us if you'd like to add this service.
Why "Pet Safe" Claims Are Misleading
Many products are marketed as "pet-friendly" or even "100% pet safe," but these claims are often unsubstantiated. Here's what we've found:
Safe Paw Ice Melter claims to be 100% pet safe, but this is not endorsed by any professional snow removal organization. Their ingredients are listed as 99% proprietary, meaning they haven't fully disclosed what's in it. In our testing, it melted ice very slowly (3-4 hours for partial melting) and sometimes didn't work at all depending on temperature.
Morton Safe-T-Pet claims to be "safer" for pets but contains the same active ingredients as most other ice melts: Calcium Chloride and salt.
Happy Paws Ice Melter has similar issues with undisclosed or unverified ingredients.
Ice Melt Ingredients Explained
For those who want the technical details, here's what goes into ice melt products and the tradeoffs of each:
| Ingredient | Effective Temperature | Pet Considerations |
|---|---|---|
| Sodium Chloride (rock salt) | Down to 15-20°F | Dries and cracks paws; washes off easily |
| Calcium Chloride | Down to -25°F | Less irritating but can still dry paws; digestive irritation if ingested |
| Magnesium Chloride | Down to 5°F | Can cause skin irritation in larger amounts; digestive issues if ingested |
| Potassium Chloride / Urea | Down to 15°F | Safer for plants; slow to melt; digestive irritation if ingested |
| Propylene Glycol | Down to -75°F | Non-toxic; may cause light paw irritation; slow-acting |
| Sodium/Calcium Magnesium Acetate | Down to 0°F | Can irritate paws quickly; should be rinsed off promptly |
Note: Ethylene Glycol is extremely effective but is poisonous to humans and pets. It is only used in airplane deicers and is never included in consumer or commercial ice melt products.
Still Have Questions?
Contact us if you'd like to discuss ice melt options for your property or learn more about our post-storm sweeping service.