Sand is most pet-friendly way to add traction to icy sidewalks

Now that temperatures are set to approach zero degrees in Regina, this weekend can be good for dealing with an icy sidewalk.

The responsibility for clearing residential sidewalks falls to the homeowners. Unlike Saskatoon, there is no bylaw in Regina where residents face a ticket if a sidewalk is not cleared in a timely manner after snowfall. The city just recommends residents clear and sand sidewalks in an effort to keep their neighbourhood safe.

READ MORE: Warmer weather on the way in southern Saskatchewan

That doesn’t mean there aren’t consequences to leaving snow and ice on your sidewalk. According to the Canadian Institute for Health Information, 383 people in Saskatchewan had to go to the emergency room due to falls on ice in the winter of 2015/16.

EMS and Regina’s ER departments don’t track these numbers specifically, but anecdotally report that they haven’t seen any sign of an increase in falls, ice related or otherwise, this year.

To help maintain traction on sidewalks, the City of Regina have nine sandboxes stationed in residential areas throughout the city. Residents are free to come take sand when they need it.

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Dr. Lesley Sawa, Animal Clinic of Regina owner, recommends using sand over salt to take care of your sidewalk for the benefit of your four legged friends.

“The biggest thing with a lot of ice melts is it can be very irritating to the paws. Then once they get it on there if they start licking the paws then it can damage the tongue and that sort of thing,” Sawa explained.

Most of the time the irritation problem can be solved by simply washing your pets’ paws. However, if they lick their salty paws, it can lead to bigger issues.

“The licking is the problem that irritates the skin more and more and can lead to bacterial infection,” Sawa said.