Gum stuck in paw! Question about Xylitol.

[Christine & Shelby]

Shelby and I are on a road trip, we just got settled in our hotel and I noticed that she was chewing at new paw - I thought she was pulling out a burr. Then a few minutes later I noticed a long string of gum and it was all stuck in her paw fur. I had to cut it out.

My concern is I don't know what kind of gum it was and I don't know if it contained Xylitol. Does anyone know if ABC (already been chewed) gum is less risky for Xylitol poisoning? What signs should I look for and how long might it take to show up. I honestly don't think she consumed much if any.... But I can't be 100% certain. Any advice from our DK family?

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

Xylitol toxicity in dogs

Does your dog have a sweet tooth? Does he drool at the thought of sharing that deliciously sweet snack with you? Now there is one more reason to keep the sweets all to yourself. The sweetener xylitol is toxic to dogs. It has been known to cause hypoglycemia (low blood sugar) in dogs for years, but recently it has been discovered that it can cause acute liver disease and a coagulopathy (inability to clot the blood). A study found that 0.5g/kg or more of ingested xylitol can cause liver failure.

What does this mean in the real world?

One piece of sugar free gum with xylitol has around 0.3g of xylitol in it. Some gums can have as much as 1g of xylitol per piece. If you bake with the xylitol powder one cup has 190g of xylitol. If a recipe calls for 1 cups of xylitol to make 24 cup cakes, it will only take 2 cupcakes to cause acute liver disease in a 50lb dog.

What are the signs of xylitol toxicity?

Vomiting is usually the first sign of toxicity and then in 30-60 minutes hypoglycemia can occur. The signs of hypoglycemia can be lethargy, ataxia (stumbling around), collapse, and seizure. In cases where gum with xylitol was ingested the hypoglycemia may be delayed for up to 12 hours. In severe over doses some dogs do not display the signs of hypoglycemia prior to the onset of liver failure. Instead lethargy and vomiting occurred 9-72 hours after exposure. They developed petechia (small spots of bleeding on the skin and mucus membranes like gums), echymosis (larger spots of bleeding seen on the skin and mucus membranes), and gastric hemorrhage (bleeding in the stomach).

What can you do if your dog does ingest xylitol?

Immediately bring him into your veterinarian and let her know which items contained xylitol. Remember how much you pet consumed (always estimate on the high side because it is always better to be overly cautious when it comes to the health and wellbeing of your faithful friend). Your veterinarian will want to treat your dog with dextrose (a type of sugar) so that they do not go into hypoglycemic shock. They will also treat the pet for liver disease if enough xylitol is ingested.

The moral of the story is to keep the sweets up and away from your furry friend. Xylitol may help you watch your waist line, but it can be deadly to your furry friend.

http://www.healthypet.com/PetCare/PetCareArticle.aspx?title=Xylitol...

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

It doesn't sound like she got much if any, as you say. But other than locating an emergency vet, I don't know if there's much you can do other than watch for the signs mentioned. I really think and hope she'll be fine.

[Christine & Shelby]

Thanks for the info...

[Jen and Paddington]

Xylitol gum is recommended as a caries-protective measure.  Therefore, the xylitol must be uptaken by the chewer of the gum in order to have the anti-cavity effect on human teeth that it does... So ABC gum should be more or less devoid of residual xylitol. 

Additionally if xylitol is not listed as the first ingredient, there is not enough xylitol content to make it worthwhile as an anti-cavity gum... meaning the company puts xylitol in the gum in a teeny amount to say it is "sweetened with xylitol."  Basically a marketing ploy.  Most chewing gums on the market (I've turned over literally all of them at the grocery store checkout) do not have xylitol as the number one ingredient= most gums don't have much xylitol to start with. 

All that being said, I'm not sure what the toxic dose is for dogs.  Monitor your pup and watch for GI problems such as farting, diarrhea, etc.

Not a vet, but a doodle mama and a human dentist. 

Best of wishes to you and Shelby!

[Christine & Shelby]

Thank you.... Fortunately we will be together all night - so I will watch her closely... It's been about an hour now and we've played ball and now she is napping on the bed by my side!

[F, Calla & Luca]

It sounds to me that she could not have ingested a toxic dose.

[Christine & Shelby]

I agree F. It's now morning and 13 hours post gum in paw incident and Shelby is just fine.... Phew!!!

[F, Calla & Luca]

I am so glad to hear that!

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

Yeah, I was rereading that info I posted and it doesn't seem like one piece of sugarless gum could cause much of a problem, even if it wasn't ABC gum, lol.

I'm glad Shelby is fine this a.m.