NORTH COUNTY — LuLu, a 2-year-old teacup Yorkshire terrier, ate sugarless gum that she pilfered from a purse that was left on a recliner in her Solana Beach home.
It almost killed her. What probably saved LuLu was owner Dorit Hanein seeing a gum wrapper on the stairs and remembering a poster listing toxic substances for dogs weeks earlier at a veterinarian's office.
“I don't know why I would make that connection, but it took about three seconds,” Hanein said.
With the little dog vomiting and shivering, Hanein raced her to the veterinarian, who successfully treated 4-pound LuLu for xylitol toxicosis.
Veterinarians want pet owners to know they are seeing an increasing number of dogs that have ingested xylitol, through gum and other sugar-free sources. If the pet is left untreated, it will likely die, they say.
Symptoms are vomiting, weak and wobbly appearance or extreme lethargy. A dog's blood sugar can bottom out in 30 minutes, and a pet can fall into a coma, veterinarians say.
These symptoms can be observed from 30 minutes to 12 hours. The longer the pet goes without help, the more grave the condition becomes.
“They can go into liver failure, and it's a pretty bad, life-threatening toxicity,” said Dr. Monica Clare, critical care specialist at Veterinary Specialty Hospital in San Diego, where LuLu was treated.
Clare said she has seen at least one or two cases per week during the past two to three months in their offices in San Diego and San Marcos.
Clare said a dog that has eaten sugarless gum should be taken to the vet immediately.
“We can induce vomiting if soon enough and save a lot of heartache later,” Clare said. “Then we will want to monitor the pet for 12 to 24 hours to see what their blood sugar does and check the pet's liver two or three days after ingestion.”
Xylitol is found in fruits, and the human body also produces it. In sugar-free gum, xylitol has been shown to inhibit the growth of plaque and help prevent tooth decay.
In humans, xylitol is absorbed slowly and has little or no effect on blood sugar or insulin levels. With dogs, it is quickly absorbed into the blood stream, causing an insulin release and sudden dip in blood sugar that can lead to liver failure, bleeding and death, said Dr. Ashley Weinberg of the Melrose Veterinary Clinic in Vista.
Weinberg said she began hearing about dogs being poisoned by xylitol about two years ago and has seen an increase in cases.
“Two pieces of sugarless gum can be harmful or fatal for a 20-pound dog,” Weinberg said.
Xylitol can be found in just about anything advertised as sugar-free, including candy, baked goods, energy bars, muffins, brownies, cookies, Jell-O, pudding, ice cream and toothpaste.
“It's amazing how many products contain xylitol, and I think it's getting to be more and more,” said Dr. Valerie Caskey of Pacific Animal Hospital in Oceanside. “One pudding cup can cause harm to a 90-pound Rottweiler.”
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