For
the past few years the Boston Parks Department has perfectly groomed
the center path of the Commonwealth Avenue Mall with sand.
Sand not
salt is the choice for the mall and the Public Garden according to
Assistant Commissioner of Parks, Bernie Lynch.
The Boston Common
is treated with a salt and sand mixture, as are the heavily-traveled
brick sidewalks along the streets that cross the Mall. “In a few
locations, on the stairways, and the bridge in the public garden, we
use the environmentally-friendly, calcium chloride pellets,” said Lynch.
Decisions
on how to deal with icy surfaces are important to the health of
plantings. “Salt applied on any pavement washes onto the grass and
trees and is damaging to both. The very wise policy of the parks
department to suspend use of a salt mix on the central walkway has
greatly helped the vigor of the trees and turf,” says Margaret Pokorny
from the Commonwealth Avenue Mall Committee.
Salt on Boston
roads and sidewalks is also bad news for city dogs. “The salt can cause
ulcerations and lesions that can become very irritating for the dog and
cause them to lick at their feet and lead to infection. The licking can
result in GI irritation because they are ingesting the salt. It can
result in vomiting or diarrhea,” says Pamela Bendock, VMD, owner of the
Back Bay Veterinary Clinic on Newbury Street.
She has
suggestions to protect your dog’s paws from salt damage. “There are
some dogs whose feet are more sensitive than others. They can wear a
protective boot." When you return from a salty walk you should “…rinse
the dog’s feet off with warm water and dry them very carefully to make
sure the feet don’t stay wet and moist.”
And, there are times
when she thinks you should check in with your vet. This would be if a
paw is bleeding, cracked or ulcerated and in the case of vomiting or
diarrhea since these symptoms may not be related to the salt.
Salt
is also one of the culprits in the stray electrical current that has
killed at least four Boston dogs in past winters. Electrical problems
can occur when salt applied to roads and sidewalks corrodes electrical
equipment. Salty water can serve as a conductor allowing stray current
to spread to metal grates, utility covers, and even to paving material
and bare ground.
For those concerned with the problems caused by
salt, there are alternatives. Pokorny suggests using calcium magnesium
acetate or mixtures with sand, sawdust, and kitty litter. There are
downsides with each of these in terms of expense or the mess they may
track into your home, but these options are less damaging to plants,
pets, and structural elements.
(This is an edited version of an article that ran in the Back Bay Sun and Beacon Hill Times. Photo © 2007 Penny Cherubino)
Boot scrapers near the entrance to your home or building are a
great way to deal with the residue of sand, salt and other de-icing
materials that we track in with us in winter.
Here is a related article we did on our favorite dog boots.
http://www.bostonzest.com/2008/12/maggie-mae-her-boots.html
Details:
Back Bay Veterinary Clinic
Boston Parks Department
Friend of the Public Garden
www.friendsofthepublicgarden.org
Commonwealth Avenue Mall Committee
www.nabbonline.com/committees/commonwealth_avenue_mall
