Xylitol Can Kill

What can a couple sticks of gum do to a 85 lb Shepherd Mix? Bad stuff. Turns out, Xylitol ( a common sweetener in gum, candy, and even toothpaste) is 100x more toxic to dogs than the much-feared chocolate. Sonar and I found this out late on one recent Sunday night. We drove 80mph down I-94 to reach the Emergency Vet (whom we are overly acquainted with by now). They induced vomiting and found at least one stick of gum in Sonar's puke. They began an immediate Dextrose IV and began monitoring blood sugar and liver enzymes. She stayed for about 36 hours. Pretty scary. I'm really glad she's ok. And no, it wasn't cheap. But it was worth it.