Safe Paw Ice Melt - Pet & Kid Friendly, Salt-Free & Chloride-Free, Safe for Concrete, Driveways & Sidewalks | Long-Lasting & Fast- Snow & Ice Melter for Winter Use - 3X Longer Effect

I first bought this product because my dog had to be taken to the vet two winters in a row, when he would accidentally get regular sidewalk salt in his mouth somehow and could not stop drooling for over 24 hours.This brand is my absolute favorite pet-safe ice melter. It is the only one I use, because it is definitely the most consistent one I have tried (a lot of the other ones did not work at all). I love that it is blue, so you can tell where it has been spread. And the design of the container also makes spreading the product easy.One small issue with the melter, if the temperatures are near zero degrees Fahrenheit or below, it does not work as well as regular sidewalk salt. So you have to have a back up plan on those days. (I choose to use those rubber mats with drainage holes, that restaurants use, because of my dogs sensitivity to regular sidewalk salt.) Also, I wish they would keep the price more reasonable. But other than that, it has been super safe for my dog, saved me money on vet's bills, and been effective on most snowy/icy days.

I love the container. It is easy to shake a little or a lot to help melt the snow/ice. I have a cat and a dog and I worry about their paws in bad weather. This is a great solution.

Though this melts the ice well and it doesn't seem to be leaving any bad residue nor is it attracting our cats, the small ball or bead format doesn't spread well. Unlike other products which are crystals or chips, this is in small balls or beads. When spreading it, they bounce and roll far from where I want them. End up having to bend way over and spread very slowly from a low height. I can't just shake from waist-high like I can with other products. I also end up having to use more due to what rolls away.

I currently live with two small-breed senior dogs, so when I say that they can’t go out in the snow to use the bathroom without disappearing into the snow, you know I’m being literal. I mean, they don’t even get up to my knees in terms of their height - that’s how short they are!And let me tell you something that is likely obvious: I hate shoveling snow. I am not, however, going to deny those two old girls their right to use the bathroom outside just because I don’t like doing that task. That’s part of why I am so grateful whatever genius is responsible for making ice melt that is safe for not only plants, but for the paws of animals of all kinds. I’m at ease knowing that I don’t have to worry about this ice melt causing any kind of damage to their paw pads, and I’m -REALLY- glad that I don’t have to do as much shoveling once I’ve got it down. It even makes it easier to get rid of any new snowfall that might accumulate if you put a bit of it down preemptively as it starts to snow.That being said, the only issue I have with this product is the container. They have it so that you can pop the cap and start to shake the ice melt out, but if you shake too hard you can accidentally make the lid snap shut on itself. It’s quite inconvenient to have to reopen it two or three times while spreading it, which is what tends to happen when the amount of ice melt left in the container gets low. At least it can be refilled when you run out, so that’s always a good thing for those who don’t like buying container after container.

Living in the basement of a house, we have a concrete stairwell that we need to go up and down when we take our dog out for potty, which is anywhere from 4-10 times per day. That stairwell gets pretty dangerous during Colorado snow season, so we have to keep it clear -- but also use a de-icer that's safe for our pup's paws. This stuff fits the bill! I laid down a few cups of it in the morning and by evening, the ice had melted away to nothing. No damage to the concrete, and best of all, our puppy's paws remain unharmed!It's definitely much more expensive than regular melting salt. But it's overall still worth it for the reassurance that our dog and other critters in the area will stay safe. (We have some neighborhood stray cats that roam around.)