Case of the Month (also published in the NY POST )

Chewing Gum Poisons Dog!

One great fear of many pet owners is that something innocuous in our houses can be poisonous to our pets. Now, again, that fear has been realized in the form of something that used to be totally safe, for people and pets. Chewing gum!

Many pet owners are already aware of certain items you should never let your pet get a hold of. If you don't know already, some of the things that may be toxic to our pets include chocolate, many plants, raisins, grapes, some nuts (macadamia particularly) and even onions. This brief list doesn't even include all the treasures they can find on the street. But until now, chewing gum was not on the list of dangerous things for pets. Our first experience with this new toxic substance came in the form of a 21 month old American Pit Bull named Brooklyn (see photo)

One night Brooklyn got a hold of a pack of sugarless chewing gum. Her guardians thought quickly and called the ASPCA poison control hotline. (888 426-4435). The learned that the sugarless gum was indeed a problem, because it contains a sugar substitute called XYLITOL. This sugar substitute is not toxic for humans because it does not get absorbed from the intestines and therefore does not affect us. But it is absorbed from the intestine and goes into the blood stream of our pets. And that is where the toxicity comes in.

The affect of Xylitol is to cause the secretion of insulin, which dangerously lowers blood sugar . In addition, it can cause liver failure depending on the quantity ingested. The amount that needs to be consumed to be toxic depends on the substance eaten and the weight of the pet. There is still no hard fast data concerning lethal dose of this substance. .

Low blood sugar can cause lethargy (low energy), weakness, and loss of coordination, seizures, and coma. These signs may present themselves soon after the product is ingested.

Fortunately Brooklyn's owners were astute, called poison control and watched her carefully throughout night. In the morning, she seemed to act like herself. To be safe, they brought her to Riverside Animal Hospital for an exam. The doctors at Riverside knew about Xylitol ingestion toxicity and knew the possible dangers of ingesting it..... and treated her even though she appeared normal.

Sure enough, even without symptoms, Brooklyn's blood sugar was low. If her blood sugar had gone any lower, she could have begun hypoglycemic convulsions. She was kept in the hospital on I.V. fluids with dextrose (sugar) for two days, to maintain her sugar levels at near normal levels. Even 48 hours later,when we slowed the intravenous glucose administration, her blood sugar dropped. Of course, while she was here we checked her for liver problems and fortunately found none.

We are happy to say that her sugar eventually stabilized, she recovered beautifully, and was released from the hospital without any long lasting ill affects from the chewing gum.

The moral of the story is that it pays to become aware of everyday products that can poison your pets. If you are ever unsure about the potential toxicity of a product your pet has ingested, call your veterinarian or the ASPCA poison control center. There is a fee to use the Poison Control Service, but it's worth it.

As veterinarians, we often come across new information either as a result of patient's experience, or through research. What we hope to share with you is some of our more interesting cases so that you may learn about potential hazards and clinical signs before they become critical.

Sincerely,

Steven Kasanofsky, D.V.M., C.V.A.
Phillip Raclyn, D.V.M., C.V.A.

Directors,
Riverside Animal Hospital
Riverside Veterinary Group
Yorktown Animal Hospital

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