Most people know of the danger to dogs of dark chocolate and grapes. I’m sure many people simply aren’t aware of the danger to their dogs of leaving chewing gum lying about.
Do you chew gum?
The Westie I went to yesterday only chewed and swallowed one piece that the lady had left lying around in its wrapper. The dog is now back home from the vet and the couple £300 worse off.
A few months ago a feature by Mia de Graaf appeared in the Daily Mail titled:
Thousands of dogs are dying from eating CHEWING GUM which experts say is 100 times more toxic to canines than chocolate.
To quote:
- Sugarless gum contains xylitol, a natural sweetener lethal to dogs
- It causes rush of insulin, blood sugar levels plummet, possible coma
- More than 3,700 dogs were poisoned by gum last year, up from 300 in 2009
According to experts, it is 100 times more toxic to dogs than milk chocolate.
Last year, 3,700 people called Pet Poison Helpline, resulting in around 12 deaths.
Xylitol is a natural sweetener that can be found in Nicorette, Trident, and Orbit products, as well as toothpaste, gummy vitamins and some types of peanut butter.
Here is what the Pet Poison Helpline has to say about the signs to watch for:
Dancer
- Weakness
- Lethargy
- Collapse
- Vomiting
- Tremoring
- Seizures
- Jaundice
- Malaise
- Black-tarry stool
- Coma
- Death
Here is a pet owner’s cautionary video of her one-year-old Labrador, Dancer, who nearly died. We know how Labradors like eating things. Dancer devoured roughly 25 pieces of sugar-free gum that contained xylitol.
For my main website and stories of many dogs I have been to and their problems, please go to www.dogidog.co.uk
Paws for Thought 