In March, two New York consumers sued the manufacturer of Safe Melt — a snow and ice melter specifically marketed to pet owners as “pet safe” and “pet friendly.” [See complaint.]
After walking on areas treated with Safe Melt, which is 100% magnesium chloride, their dogs suffered various injuries including paw and skin irritation and lesions, and one dog developed kidney disease and died.
*MOUSE PRINT:
The lawsuit contends:
… Safe Melt is not safe for pets. It is composed entirely of magnesium chloride (“MCL”), which is harmful for pets to ingest and dangerous for them to touch. Safe Melt can cause gastrointestinal irritation, diarrhea, bloody vomiting, respiratory depression, kidney failure, and cardiac arrest to pets that eat it, lick it, or groom their paws after walking over it. It can also cause chemical burns, cracked paw pads, and painful irritation if it gets embedded in pets’ fur or has direct contact with their skin.
Apparently the company contends that the “pet safe” claim refers to the fact that their product comes in round pellets, rather than sharp, jagged crystals which could cut into pets’ paws. And their website says that the product “won’t burn or irritate pets’ paws.”
The consumers say they paid a premium price for this supposedly safe product and want their money back. The lawyers are suing claiming misrepresentation and false advertising.
If you see a claim on ice melter that says “safe for pets,” what do you understand that to mean?
I use a “pure” Magnesium chloride ice melt for which I pay a premium. I havent been interested in how safe it is for pets. I am however interested in how safe it is for the surface it is put on. It has always been a bit confusing…that is the effects of different ice melt ingredients on paver bricks and concrete. I would be interested in such a story in your newsletter.
If I see a claim on ice melter that says “safe for pets,” I understand that to mean that it is NOT harmful for pets to ingest or dangerous for them to touch, eat, lick it, or groom their paws after walking over it. Use sand if you care about pets. Dog owners, try using booties or Musher’s Secret and remove booties/wipe its paws when you get home. I hope the plaintiffs win their lawsuit against the manufacturer of Safe Melt, and the product is removed/relabeled NOT safe for pets. Other manufacturers that claim their product is “safe for pets” should take heed.
I got roped into that claim. We don’t have outdoor pets but I don’t want animals to suffer, so I’ve been using this product. No more, I guess! I hope there’s an actual alternative.
After determining that magnesium chloride is nasty for pets, I would avoid the product and write/text a threatening letter to the manufacturer.
In todays mixed-up world of advertising where just about anything can be claimed on the label, I would assume ” Pet Safe* ” referred to the ability of the packaging to keep pets out of the product. Im too lazy to look the product up online to see what the fine print somewhere on the label explaining the * says and that is exactly what the company expects of Joe Consumer when buying the product.
In a million years, I would never have expected that answer!
First problem I see with their lawsuit is Magnesium Chloride’s chemical name is MgCl2 not MCL, which is a type of knee injury I had.
Second problem is Magnesium Chloride is sold OTC as a dietary supplement.
It goes back to the old saying of all things in moderation.
If I read that a product for melting ice is “safe for pets” and then found out that pets can injure their paws after walking on the product when it was laid out, I would be pretty upset.
I think the definition of “safe for pets” can vary depending on what product we’re talking out. For something like ice melt, I would assuming that “safe for pets” meant something like, “pets can ingest it, come in contact with it, and generally be around it without causing undue harm as a result.”
If what the lawsuit alleges is true, the ice melt clearly doesn’t meet that definition.
Upon seeing the paw prints on the bucket, and the words “pet safe”, one naturally would conclude their dog can safely walk on surfaces treated with this particular ice melter. They’re counting on this so their product gets chosen over a competitor’s. The “Dogs can safely step on them because they’re round!” excuse is weak at best.
With that logic, I can sell “baby safe” chlorine-treated diapers because they use little sticky tabs instead of jagged metallic snaps that naturally would harm baby.
I was looking on Amazon for a cat supplement for my 12 year old cat. I saw one that said it also helped with flea control. I ordered it. The next day something felt off. I looked at the 1 star reviews one of them said it contained Oregano which is poison to cats. I researched Oregano and ALL FORMS AND DOSAGES are toxic to cats. How can they sell this stuff!! I was given a credit by Amazon and threw the supplement away.
I live in Louisiana, so ice melt’s not part of my life, but as a rule, I assume that all corporations are lying all the time, and nothing said about their products can be trusted. It’s served me well.
It means that if a pet come into contact either by ingesting, stepping or lying on the product, that the pet will not be medically or mentally (such as cats & catnip) affected.