Chewing Gum?
 

My 5 month old yorkie decided he would scavenger through a purse and steal a pack of chewing gum. I found the wrappers for 2 pieces, not sure if he ate them or not. If he did, will he be okay?

I would take him to the Vet ASAP!

Was it sugarless gum?

Yeah, it was.

You better get him to the vet sugarfree gun containing Xylitol. Xylitol is a sugar-alcohol sweetener found in sugar-free human food products such as chewing gum, candy, baked goods as well as other products. Dogs that eat significant amounts can develop a sudden drop in blood sugar, which can cause weakness, lethargy, loss of coordination, collapse and seizures.

Symptoms can begin in as little as 30 minutes and last hours. It is recommended that pets that experience symptoms be taken to a veterinarian or local emergency clinic for evaluation. Treatment may include hospitalization and intravenous fluids with dextrose supplementation. Some pets can remain symptomatic and may maintain a low blood sugar for several hours.

Xylitol is very very toxic to dogs if the gum has that in it I would get to the vet as fast as possible!

It only takes a tiny bit of xylitol to be toxic to a dog so definitely go to a vet

Not all sugarless gum contains Xylitol. Here are the brands and how much xylitol they contain:

Dogs ingesting items sweetened with xylitol could develop a fairly sudden drop in blood sugar (hypoglycemia), vomiting, depression, loss of coordination and seizures. These signs can develop quite rapidly, at times less than 30 minutes after ingestion of the product. If an owner suspects that their dog has eaten a product containing xylitol (even just a couple of pieces of sugar-free gum), it is crucial that the owner seek veterinary treatment immediately or contact the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center for immediate assistance. To reach the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center call (888) 426-4435. There also appears to be a strong link between xylitol ingestions and the development of liver failure in dogs. In dogs ingesting smaller amounts of xylitol, the clinical signs could be delayed as much as 12 to 24 hours after ingestion. In cases of mild elevation of liver enzymes the dogs are able to fully recover. Others develop acute liver failure which may lead to jaundice, bleeding under the skin or in the gastrointestinal tract, shock and possible death. It is important to remember that even if your pet doesn't develop signs right away they may develop them later. Since this is such a relatively new problem, it seems that many veterinarians aren't yet aware of xylitol poisoning.

How much xylitol causes toxicity? Studies have shown that greater than 0.22 grams per pound of weight can cause hypoglycemia and greater than 1.1 grams per pound of weight can cause liver damage. Chewing gums that are largely or only sweetened with xylitol contain about 1 to 2 grams per piece of gum. Therefore, one or two pieces of gum could cause symptoms in a dog weighing 22 pounds. One cup of xylitol powder, used in home-baked goods, weighs about 190 grams. There is no known antidote or reversal drug. If your pet ingests any amount of xylitol, contact your veterinarian immediately and be sure to have the label contents available so you can determine the amount of xylitol your dog may have eaten. Because the onset of signs can be very rapid, induction of vomiting is only recommended when the pet is not showing symptoms. http://www.neoesr.org/xylitol.htm

Hope that dog got to the vet in time.

One of my co-workers lost her little Chi last year to Xylitol poisoning:( My DIL is the tech for the vet we both use. It was so sad. I hope this baby got to the vet in time or that it was gum that didn't contain Xylitol.

I was wondering if the pup went to the vet?

I wonder what happened with the pup. I don't allow anything with Xylitol in it into my house.

Ok I looked this up and I have a breath spray for dogs that contains this :(. I haven't used it thank goodness but now it is going in the trash. It is called Petrodex. Why on earth would they put something in a spray meant for dogs that could poison them.

Sorry! I've been at work and couldn't reply. I looked at the ingredients and the gum didn't have that in it! I decided to just watch him real close (well, have my parents do it) and he's been his normal self all day, hyper, ornery and tearing everything up, so I think we're gonna be just fine.

Some CET dental products used to contain it as well but they took it out. Always check the ingredients in what you feed & use for your pups.

Me too ! DH used to chew gum with it but no more.