Posted by lechicpet
Is chewing gum toxic to dogs? The answer is yes - some of it is! It is actually the
sweetener in some chewing gum products that can be toxic. The toxic ingredient is
called xylitol. Many pet owners have no idea about this.
I found out about this recently when customer recounted a story of her dog having gotten
into her purse.There were several different pills with complex combinations
of minerals, herbs and as well as some heart medications that seemed to have been ingested.
The owner thought the dog was acting a little funny so she was on her way to the
clinic. In the mean time, her husband called poison control that handles tons of toxic calls
about dogs and asked about the drug combination and their best recommendation for
treating the dog. Luckily, it ended up the medications were under the toxic level
but in the mean time, the toxicologist asked if was there any chewing gum in the
purse....
He answered, yes, his wife always carried sugar-free gum in her purse. Some sugar free
gum contains an ingredient that can be toxic to dogs - an ingredient called Xylitol.
When the owner arrived at the clinic - the dog was indeed acting a little lethargic.
His blood sugar was checked and it was low. This is a common side effect from the xylitol.
Fortunately, the dog recovered just fine. However, not all dogs are so lucky. Xylitol
cannot only cause a temporary low blood sugar but it can cause liver problems.
"Xylitol" is commonly found in sugar-free gum, candies and some baked goods. It
seems some pets are more sensitive to it than others. The exact amount that needs to
be ingested to cause problems is still being determined. Signs can develop quickly.
So yes, something as simple as your dog eating a piece of your gum can create an emergency
that can cost hundreds of dollars in vet bills.
