Overview
- Met Office yellow ice alerts and increased gritting have prompted fresh Dogs Trust advisories across the UK this week.
- Rock salt and grit can dry, crack or burn paw pads, and licking residues may cause vomiting, diarrhoea, excessive thirst, tremors or seizures, with large exposures risking kidney damage or coma.
- Owners are urged to wipe or rinse paws after every walk, including between toes, and to keep de‑icing products securely stored away from pets.
- Antifreeze containing ethylene glycol is highly toxic even in small amounts, with early signs such as lethargy, unsteadiness, vomiting, rapid breathing and excessive thirst requiring immediate veterinary care.
- Medivet’s Dr Rhian Littlehales and Poole Holes Bay Vets for Pets’ Dr Dan Makin reinforce the guidance, highlighting hypothermia risks and recommending warm‑water paw cleaning and shorter outdoor stints for vulnerable animals.