Winter Remedies for Dry Dog Skin and Ice Melts
During the winter months extra precautions need to be taken to protect your pomsky’s paws and prevent them from dry itchy skin. This post provides details about which ingredients are harmful in common ice melts sold in stores, how to make your own dog friendly ice melting solution, and ways to maintain moisture in your pomsky’s fur coat and skin.
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Problems with Common Ice Melts
A pomsky may be exposed to ice melts during the winter months during their time outdoors, whether they are walking on a sidewalk, road, or neighbor’s driveway. Ice melts typically are made up of different types of salt including potassium chloride, sodium chloride, calcium chloride, or magnesium chloride. All of these ingredients can cause your dog to have an upset stomach or diarrhea if they ingest the salts.
Your pomsky could accidentally ingest the ice melts through daily winter activities. You can prevent your dog from ingesting ice melts by:
Wiping your dog’s paws after each time you walk in areas that could be salted. We recommend using all natural paw wipes such as the Earthbath Hypo-Allergenic Grooming Wipes. These are great for cleaning your dog’s paws, legs, and belly, since they will likely splash slush from the roads.
If possible, attempt to avoid walking in areas that have been salted. If you are unsure of whether or not the roads or sidewalks were recently treated, you can always have your pup wear dog booties. Dog boots protect your pomsky’s paws from any unknown chemicals on the roads and prevent their paws from drying out.
Do not let your pomsky eat, roll around in, or push their snout into snow banks that could potentially have salts pushed into them by a snow plow. Be mindful of where your pomsky is playing in the snow and if the snow is clean or if there is a potential for the harmful salts being mixed in with the snow.
Ice melts reduce the risk of people falling or slipping and getting injured. You may want to use the ice melts outside of a door that you don’t plan on taking your dog out of. Similar to other chemicals, make sure the container of ice melts are out of reach of your pomsky so they do not attempt to eat them or chew through the bag wherever they are stored in your home.
Home Made Ice Melter
If you need to remove ice from outside your home, you can use an all-natural ice melter to ensure you know it is safe for your pomsky and the environment.
Since the ingredients in the recipes below are chemical-free and have liquids, you will want to use these when the temperature is 30° F or above for the best results. We also recommend you have a shovel ready to remove the melted ice after you pour the liquid solution.
Ice Melter with Dish Soap
Combine ½ gallon of hot water, 6 drops of dishwashing soap (Dawn Dish Soap) and 2 Tablespoons of isopropyl alcohol in a pitcher or large container. Slowly pour the mixture over icy patches to start melting the ice.
Ice Melter with Vinegar
Combine 4 cups of water with 6 cups of vinegar in a large container. Pour the mixture over icy patches to begin the ice melting process.
Signs of Dry Skin
During the winter months, pomskies can have dry skin just like humans. Some signs that your pomsky’s skin is dry include:
Dry or cracked paw pads
Chewing on legs or paws
Itching more frequently
Dandruff
Excessive licking
Hair loss
Dry Skin Solutions
Moisturize your dog’s dry skin by adding oils to their fur coat, feeding them nutrients for healthy skin, or applying cream to their paw pads.
Coconut Oil – Massage coconut oil into your pomsky’s fur coat and on their paw pads. Coconut oil is all natural and contains antibacterial and antiviral properties. You can also feed your dog coconut oil in homemade dog treats. The healthy saturated fats in coconut oil make your posmky’s coat shiny and smooth, reduces itchiness, and boosts their immune system.
Vitamin E – Rub Vitamin E oil into your pomsky’s fur coat to add moisture. You can also apply Vitamin E oil directly to dry skin patches as needed.
Oatmeal Bath – Oatmeal has anti-inflammatory properties and helps soothe itchy dry skin. If your pomsky doesn’t mind baths, an Oatmeal bath might be a good remedy for their dry skin. Add ½-1 cup of whole oats to the blender and blend until it is a fine powder. Add the oatmeal powder to a warm bath and let your pomsky soak for 5-10 minutes. Oatmeal baths are a soothing and non-toxic option to soothe your pomsky’s dry skin.
Unsweetened Yogurt – Your dog might have dry skin and itching due to an unbalanced diet or missing certain nutrients in their diet. Yogurt contains probiotics that can balance your dog’s digestive system by providing healthy bacteria. Feed your dog greek yogurt (Nonfat, Plain, No Xylitol, and free of any added sweeteners) by adding 1 teaspoon to their bowl of food 3 times a week, or use our recipe to make healthy yogurt treats for dogs.
Olive Oil – Olive oil can be used to moisturize your pomsky’s fur coat by massaging it directly into their skin and fur. Olive oil can also be used as a diet supplement. Add 1 teaspoon of olive oil to your pomsky’s food bowl 2-3 times each week.
Summary
During the winter months ice melts are often used to melt snow and ice off of the roads and sidewalks. These are harmful to dogs, so it is important to take precautions to prevent your dog from getting sick. Make your own ice melting solution to ensure it is safe for your pomsky. The air is dry in the winter and this may cause a pomsky’s skin to dry out, resulting in dry paw pads, increased itching and doggie dandruff. Use the remedies described in this post to keep your pomsky’s fur coat smooth and silky.
This post may contain Amazon or other affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, The Pomsky Dog Blog LLC earns commission from qualifying purchases.