TOLEDO, Ohio — A warning for dog owners; an ingredient used in a variety of items you likely have in your home could be deadly for your pet and that includes a staple holiday treat.
"Thor tends to be your counter-top surfer. He gets into food and things if we leave it out. So we're careful about not leaving things out. I've gotten in the habit of kind of scanning the kitchen before we leave to go anywhere," said Allison Schroeder about her 4-year-old Labrador.
Schroeder said she vaguely remembers seeing a couple packs of gum on the counter Friday night, but it didn't really register as something Thor would want to eat. Unfortunately it was and he did.
"When I woke up, he had been ill all over the house. I thought that was a good thing. I thought he'd gotten the gum out," she said.
What she didn't know was the sugar-free gum contained xylitol, an artificial sweetener. It's safe for humans, but quite the opposite for dogs. Schroeder posted about Thor's illness on Facebook and said she's thankful a couple people commented letting her know about the ingredient.
"I had no idea it was completely toxic and deadly," she said.
Allison got Thor to the emergency vet, where's he's been hooked up to an I.V. since Saturday morning. Experts warn the xylitol gets into a dog's bloodstream very quickly, causing a spike in insulin that results in the animal becoming hypoglycemic.
"The vet is hopeful that we got him on the meds soon enough. Had I not posted it on Facebook soon enough, I wouldn't have known," Schroeder said.
Xylitol isn't just found in chewing gun. Earlier this year, the Food and Drug Administration warned about the ingredient being in some types of peanut butter.
Also, as you gear up for Christmas, know that some sugar-free candy canes also contain xylitol.
Here's a list of other items that could contain xylitol from the FDA:
Breath mints;
Baked goods;
Cough syrup;
Children's and adult chewable vitamins;
Mouthwash;
Toothpaste;
Some peanut and nut butters;
Over-the-counter medicines;
Dietary supplements;
Sugar-free desserts, including "skinny" ice cream;
Schroeder urged dog owners to "be Careful. Look at the ingredients."
For more information from the FDA, click here.
