Pet Warning
Most artificial sweeteners are dangerous if not deadly to all dogs.
This IS true… it checks out on these websites:
http://www.usatoday.com/news/health/2007-03-18-xylitol-sweetener_N.htm
http://xylitol-facts.blogspot.com/2008/05/xylitol-and-dogs.html
http://www.snopes.com/critters/crusader/xylitol.asp
Warning to all dog owners – pass this on to everyone you can. 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 would 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 poison control for 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
function.
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 have
known why.
My vet 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.
Spread the Word:
