I received an email today from a dear friend that is part of the Greyhound Rescue effort here in NW Ohio. The message was one that I wanted to share with all of you.
If you have dogs then you should be aware of this issue. It's dangerous and could happen so easily since we have all gone to sugar-free things in our lives.
Only 3 grams of Xylitol (found in sugar free chewing gum) is enough to kill a 65lb dog. And QUICKLY!!!!! Please pass this warning on to everyone you know who has dogs. It may just save a life.
Here is the link to a popular truth or fiction rumor site for further information: Snopes
Warning to all dog owners... pass this on to everyone you can!!! STORY: Last Friday evening, I arrived home from work, fed Chloe, our 24 Lb dachshund, just as I normally do. Ten minutes later I walked into the den just in time to see her head inside the pocket of Katie's friend's purse. She had a guilty look on her face so I looked closer and saw a small package of sugar-free gum. It contained xylitol. I remembered that I had recently read that sugar-free gum can be deadly for dogs so I jumped on line and looked to see if xylitol was the ingredient. I found the first website below and it was the one.
Next, I called our vet. She said to bring her in immediately. Unfortunately, it was still rush hour and it took me almost 1/2 hour to get there. Meanwhile, since this was her first case, our vet found another website to figure out the treatment. She took Chloe and said they wou ld induce her to vomit, give her a charcoal drink to absorb the toxin (even though they don't think it works) then they would start an iv with dextrose. The xylitol causes dogs to secrete insulin so their blood sugar drops very quickly. The second thing that happens is liver failure. If that happens, even with aggressive treatment, it can be difficult to save them. She told us she would call us. Almost two hours later, the vet called and said that contents of her stomach contained 2-3 gum wrappers and that her blood sugar had dropped from 90 to 59 in 30 minutes. She wanted us to take Chloe to another hospital that has a critical care unit operating around the clock.
We picked her up and took her there. They had us call the ASPCA for poison control a case number and for a donation, their doctors would direct Chloe's doctor on treatment. They would continue the iv, monitor her blood every other hour and then in 2 days test her liver functio n. She ended up with a central line in her jugular vein since the one in her leg collapsed, just as our regular vet had feared. Chloe spent almost the entire weekend in the critical care hospital. After her blood sugar was stabilized, she came home yesterday. They ran all the tests again before they released her and so far, no sign of liver damage. Had I not seen her head in the purse, she probably would have died and we wouldn't even had known why.
Three vets told me this weekend, that they were amazed that I even knew about it since they are first learning about it too. Please tell everyone you know about xylitol and dogs. It may save another life.
I don't like to be an alarmist, but I do love my animals. If you feel as though this is valuable information, please share it with friends and family. It's scary to think that something as benign as a piece of gum could cause so much heartache.
Carol Smith
Casmi Photography
Mebane, NC 27302
919-418-6549
casmiphotography@triad.rr.com
That's really scary...I bet not too many know about it! Thanks for posting Carol.
Carol - I didn't know that! Thank you for letting all of us who love our pet especially our dog. I will let everyone know about this too. Boy just thinking about this is scary.
Joan - It's worthwhile information. I know Iwould hate to have one of my animals get sick or die because of this.
Brenda - I was glad to receive and share this info, especially since we have a black lab that thinks she is supposed to eat everything in sight. She's finally growing out of her taste for shoes and furniture....
Cheryl - I don't chew much gum, but I know there are those that have it with them all the time. If this saves an animal anywhere then it was worth it.
Carol, I hadn't heard of this before. I will pass this information along. Thanks for alerting us to this. Great post.
Wow. Thanks for posting this. No gum in our house from this point on with 2 poms and 2 poodles! Actually, I think the poms may really be gremlins since they play and growl with each other so much. I think we fed them at night at that is what turned them from cute liitle fluff balls into gremlins.
Thank you for the post. I am really going to be sure that I put my purse up. More than once I have found the contents of my purse on the living room floor including the gum. I am going to have to watch it.
Gary - You're welcome. I hope as many as possible learn of it so as to avoid a horrible situation.
Fisher & Company - 2 poms and 2 poodles?! Yikes! LOL They (dogs) are instinctive hunters, so it's natural for them to sniff things out and try to devour them. Glad this served as a valuable alert for you.
Brady - I started to put my purse up on the desk instead of in the floor. Just makes me feel better knowing I'm not tempting them.
Thanks so much for the information. It's scary to think it can be so harmful.
Cheryl - Thanks for stopping by! And yes - it can be very scary. Isn't it amazing just how much damage something that we use everyday can do? Makes me shudder to think about it.
Here's a Tip for you:
I always keep a bottle of peroxide in my kitchen cabinet. Once I spilled my pain killers after surgery. My puppy quickly got to them on the floor and consumed them. I could not drive, I called to the 24 hr vet and she said "you don't have much time...give the puppy a tablespoon of perxiode. " Perxoide? Yes...it will induce vomiting. It did, and the puppy was fine.
They are no different than children, they need us in a time of crisis. Are you prepared?
??? Mystery Poster - Thanks - and you're right. It's no different than having children. They always need us.
It is good to know about this potential problem and to take step to prevent anything like that from happening to any other pets. Happy thanksgiving and glad to hear everyone is well!
Joan - It always pays to learn as much as possible. Pets can't tell us if they are hurt or sick, so we need to be super vigilant so as not to put temptation in front of them. Happy Thanksgiving!
Wow I did not know that Carol- Thank you for posting this!
Thanks for the info, I will never let my doggy chew gum!!
Carol: Something every dog owner should know. As for humans, these sugar substitutes aren't deadly, but have been known to cause headaches and even bring on autoimmune disorders. I personally think the world woudl be a much better place if we ate food the way God made it, instead of eating chemicals. And evidently, our animals would be safer too.