Watch your puppy’s paws, guys. Ice melt/salt that’s used on sidewalks and stairs can seriously hurt your furry friend in more than one way.

According to AccuWeather.com, the main ingredient in most ice melts is either sodium chloride or calcium chloride, both of which can irritate paws and be harmful or toxic upon ingestion. If a pet were to ingest about 4 grams — less than one ounce — of sodium chloride per 2.3 pounds of body weight, they could die, so a 4-pound dog would only need to ingest about two ounces of sodium chloride ice melt before death. Yikes.

Dogs can ingest ice melt in a variety of ways like eating snow or drinking from a puddle. Another way of possible ingestion that most people wouldn’t think of is by a dog licking its paws once its been taken inside. Dogs that lick ice melt off their paws could start vomiting or experiencing harsh diarrhea.

As previously mentioned, the main ingredient in most ice melts irritates paws. It’s common to see dogs tenderfoot their way up ice melt-covered stairs after having been let outside on leashes by their owners. If your dog is walking weird, do your pooch a favor and give him a lift up to your place. 

There are different ways to prevent this from happening. If you have your own house, you can use non-toxic ice melts that don’t contain salt or chloride. Another alternative is putting some dog socks or boots on your pup, which may look strange and your dog probably won’t like it. 

Apartment pets pose a different problem. Landlords are in charge of snow removal and ice care, so chances are most landlords aren’t thinking of pet safety when they pour the ice melt on the walkways. You can fix this by using dog boots or trying to carry your pet to a “clean” area for him/her to do their business. This can be a pain, but think of your pet and keep in mind how miserable it would be to see your pooch sicker than a dog, “wink wink.”