Our pets need a warm, safe place to stay when the thermometer dips way down – but did you know the cold weather also brings other dangers?

Some deicers, for example, can make pets sick. The most dangerous varieties are petroleum-based or contain other toxic chemicals. Even plain rock salt, however, can make a pet sick if they eat too much of it.

Rock salt can also irritate your pet’s paws, causing them to become dry and chapped. To prevent that, veterinarians recommend washing their feed with a warm, wet cloth when they come back inside.

Balls of ice can also collect between the pads of your dog’s paws. Those can be painful and cause them to limp, but is especially problematic for dogs with longer hair.

Keeping the hairs between their pads trimmed can help reduce that problem.

Dogs, like humans, can also develop frostbite and hypothermia. The oldest, youngest and smallest are most at risk.

Even indoors, pets can find themselves in danger – especially if they’re in the garage.

Cats, for example, may climb onto an engine because of the heat it radiates. Knocking on the hood of your car before starting it can help avoid tragedy.

Another garage danger is anti-freeze. It can be very enticing to pets, but just a few licks can be deadly.

Heaters or heat lamps can also pose a danger to pets indoors, because pets can get too close and be burned by those heat sources.