With the cold wind, sleet, and snow that comes with winter, so too come frozen sidewalks, parking spaces, and rooftops. The best ice melts can help you in this battle against nature and keep your pet safe from accidental poisoning at the same time. We’ve got everything you need to know about pet-safe ice melts, from why they are so important right down to reviews on some of our favorite products.
Table of Contents
Best Pet-Safe Ice Melt Comparison Table
| PRODUCT | FEATURES | ||
|---|---|---|---|
 | SAFE PAW, DOG & PET SAFE ICE MELT |
| Check The Price! |
 | NATURAL ALTERNATIVE ICE MELT |
| Check The Price! |
 | NATURAL RAPPORT PET FRIENDLY ICE MELT |
| Check The Price! |
 | GREEN GOBBLER PET SAFE ICE MELT |
| Check The Price! |
 | SNOW JOE AZ-50-EB MELT-2-GO |
| Check The Price! |
Why Pet Safe Ice Melt Matters
Pet Safe ice melts are essential for anyone who loves their pet. Regular ice melts contain a horrifying array of chemicals that can harm your pet in two ways:
Poisoning
Ice melts contain multiple substances that can poison your pet if ingested. Even common substances like table salt, sugar or vinegar can be dangerous for pets because their bodies are smaller and need different nutrients than ours.
Burns and other damage to paw pads
Many ice melts use hygroscopic chemicals. These substances absorb moisture and dry out your pet’s paw pads, leading to cracking, bleeding, and pain. One of the major culprits is simple salt. Enough salt will burn the skin, and your cute puppy’s paws are no exception.
Pet-safe ice melts are also likely to be safer for children. Pet-safe ice melts matter because they protect the people, animals and areas you love the most while still melting excess ice.
How Pet Safe Ice Melt Works
Most pet-safe ice melts are made of propylene glycol, which is non-toxic to plants and animals. The active ingredient is urea, which helps to lower the freezing point of water, thus preventing ice from forming and melting existing ice.
Urea is a lot safer for pets when ingested but may still cause gastrointestinal issues. However, symptoms are usually a lot less severe.
Best Pet Safe Ice Melt Products
There are so many products out there; it’s impossible to choose one. But the hard work’s been done for you! These are our favorite pet-safe ice melts
Best Pet-Safe Ice Melt for Paws & Grass
What makes the Safe Paw Ice Melter so useful is its blue color. This way, you can see where you laid the product and whether or not it’s on your dog’s paws or around his mouth. Easy identification of a substance can mean the difference in life and death, so Safe Paw Ice Melter is definitely a good choice.
Safe Paw Ice Melter prides itself on safety. It’s safe for children, pets, and plants. It’s also completely free of salt, so there’s no need to worry about cracked paws, salt burns, or dehydration. You can also apply it in the confidence that it won’t dry out your grass.
Safe Paw, Dog & Pet Safe Ice Melt
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Imagine an ice melt you can put down and never worry about. It won’t harm animals or children, and it won’t damage your property. That’s Safe Paw. Unlike anything else on the market, Safe Paw can change how winter affects our planet. Your grass, plants, and foliage are safe! Safe on eyes, skin and paws. It’s safe around and if ingested. Best of all: 100% salt free.
Best Pet-Safe Ice Melt for Use Near Water
Another colored ice melt, Natural Alternative Ice Melt, is a dull, turquoise color, displaying where it’s been laid. However, the color could be easily lost against the grass.
A 50lb bag covers 12,500 square feet and does not leave a residue. Natural Alternative Ice Melt is non-toxic and safe for fish, aquatic life, and watersheds. So if you’re keen to protect a pond or river, Natural Alternative is the ice melt for you. It is also biodegradable.
Natural Alternative Ice Melt
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This ice melt has been independently tested and has shown not to harm fish or promote algae growth. It is listed with the Pacific Northwest Snowfighters Association (PNS) for reduced corrosion. One pound of this product is equivalent to three pounds of rock salt. Apply this product prior to a snow or ice storm for best results. As soon as it comes into contact with moisture, the product begins to form a brine to melt ice. The brine lowers the freezing point of the ground and effectively minimizes ice and snow accumulations, and thawing and refreezing. Safer for pets and does not harm vegetation or cured concrete when used as directed.
Best Time-Release Pet-Safe Ice Melt
The Natural Rapport Pet-Friendly Ice Melt is a safer product all round, although it is hazy on the specifics. The packaging lists that it is safer than many other products, but this does not imply safe. However, it does not contain hygroscopic chemicals and is, therefore, safer for paws. Natural Rapport is less harmful towards grass and lawns and is made with biodegradable soil compounds. The formula is environmentally-friendly. With 75-Percent less corrosion on concrete, metal, and wood, Natural Rapport is much less likely to damage your property.
Natural Rapport Pet Friendly Ice Melt
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Our fast-acting, time release formula lasts longer and helps prevent re-icing on your driveway, sidewalk or patio. The jug has up to 25% more ice melt than our competitors, so our 10 pound jug will last even longer. Our easy-to-apply cap allows you to use the perfect amount every time. Plus, the green colored crystals won't clump and help you see exactly how much you have applied. Simple and effective, it saves you time and money.
Best Fast-Acting Pet-Safe Ice Melt
Green Gobbler is made of magnesium chloride harvested from the Dead Sea, so if you’re looking for a salt-free ice melt, this one’s not for you. Nevertheless, Green Gobbler has plenty of other benefits, such as working well with spreaders.
With a safer formula for paws and the unlikelihood of Green Gobbler causing squalling on your driveway, the 10 lb pail is a steal at well under $25. Bigger pails get more expensive, but the product is excellent at melting ice without damaging anything else. It’s safe for plants, properly cured concrete, and plants.
Green Gobbler Pet Safe Ice Melt
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Pet Safe will generate exothermic heat over a short period of time. In a test, our product melted twice as much ice as rock salt in 21°F! Magnesium chloride ice melt has a notoriously low toxicity level making it less toxic than calcium, potassium or sodium chloride. Pet Safe is highly unlikely to burn or irritate the skin or pets paws. Pet Safe won't harm plants or cause spalling on driveways and concrete that's been properly set and cured.
Best Pet-Safe Ice Melt for Thinner Ice and Warmer Temperatures
AZ-50-EB Melt-2-Go by Snow Joe is a CMA blended pet and child-safe ice melter available in 10, 20, 25, and 50 lb bags and buckets. It is both safe for pets and children as well as plants and most building materials. You can use it on the grass as well as the sidewalk too.
Made with an eco-friendly formula, it is not only safe, but it is longer lasting than many pet-safe ice melts. The only downside is that it doesn’t seem to be as powerful as other pet-safe ice melts either, taking longer to melt ice and snow.
Snow Joe AZ-50-EB Melt-2-Go
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Anti-corrosion formula enhanced with cma (calcium magnesium acetate), an Environmentally benign deicing agent, EB Ice melter delivers fast and effective results without damaging metal surfaces. Eco-, pet-, and kid-friendly: formulated from nature own ingredients, provides a greener solution to deicing that is safer for pets, safer for children and safer for the environment. EB leaves no slimy residue behind, making it safer to use on grass, turf, around trees and other vegetation.
What to Consider Before Buying Pet-Safe Ice Melts
It’s so easy to pick up an ice melt with “pet-safe” stamped all over it, but before you do, here are some things to consider.
Coloration
The color of a pet-safe ice melt is crucial for a couple of reasons. Firstly, if it’s white, you can’t see where you left it, and if you find it around your dog or child’s mouth or coating their skin, it could be a multitude of things. On the other hand, if it’s a pretty color, your little ones might find it attractive and think it’s a toy or candy.
Your Property
It’s all very well protecting paws and fingers, but what about your driveway or the perfect lawn you spent so long working on? You might also want to consider how the ice melt will affect ponds and aquatic life.
Price
There are some excellent reasonably-priced pet-safe ice melts out there, so there’s no need to spend a fortune if you don’t want to. If you’re likely to use a lot, it might work out cheaper to buy in bulk, especially if the product is long-lasting.
Spreaders
Some pet-safe ice melts can’t be used in spreaders. If you intend to use a spreader, make sure the product you’re buying is designed to work with them.
FAQs
Searching for the right pet-safe ice melt is no easy task. Here are some frequently asked questions about pet-safe ice melts.
What will happen if my pet ingests regular ice melt?
Ingestion of regular ice melts will cause vomiting, crying/vocalizing, drooling, diarrhea, excessive thirst, loss of appetite, heart abnormalities, stroke, coma, or death. Obviously, none of these side effects are to be taken lightly.
If your children ingest ice melts, even the pet-safe kind, you should seek medical attention immediately. Chances are everything will be fine, but it is better safe than sorry when there is even the slightest chance of a fatality.
Are pet-safe ice melts harmful to the environment?
Most pet-safe ice melts are environmentally-friendly, but it is always worth checking. Keep an eye out for products that are harmful to plants, too; although most pet-safe ice melts are plant safe too, there is no guarantee that they all are.
When should I worry about my concrete surfaces?
Most regular ice melts are corrosive because they contain salt. Pet-safe ice melts are much kinder to your concrete! Uncured or unsealed concrete is particularly at risk of damage from ice melts.
That said, until you see flakes chipping away from the top layers of your concrete surfaces such as driveways and sidewalks, you shouldn’t have much reason to worry.
A Final Word About Pet-Safe Ice Melt
Keeping yourself safe while traversing your wintery driveway and sidewalk is crucial. Keeping your pet safe at the same time is easily achievable by choosing and using one of the best pet-safe ice melts. Hopefully, this article helps you pick the right ice melt for you and your pet this winter.
If you also happen to be searching for a good roof melt, our best roof melts piece may be a great help in finding a suitable product to help keep ice off of your roof.
Do you know about a great ice melt product for sidewalks, driveways, or roofs that you’d like to share with our readers? If so, wed love to hear all about it in the comments section below! Good luck picking out the best ice melt for this winter!