Guest JillT Posted June 1, 2008 Share Posted June 1, 2008 Within the last 20-30 minutes, my 63 lb. female Grey, Sabine, ate most of a pack of Orbit gum that she found in my daughter's purse, which she accidentally left open a little bit. I know the artificially-sweetened gums can be harmful. Ingredients contain Sorbito, then it also says "less than 2% Xylitol," which I think is the really bad ingredient. I called the e-vet, they said she should be OK, just to observe and bring her in immediately if she acts "odd" in any way. I tried calling Poison Control, and keep getting the message that "due to network issues, call cannot go through." Has anyone else had their Grey eat sugarless gum???????? Thanks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest LynnM Posted June 1, 2008 Share Posted June 1, 2008 Don't worry about it unless she starts farting bubbles. Just kidding. She's big enough that it shouldn't be a problem. Lynn Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest JillT Posted June 1, 2008 Share Posted June 1, 2008 Thanks, Lynn! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NHNora Posted June 1, 2008 Share Posted June 1, 2008 "For example, dogs ingesting significant amounts of gum or candies solely or largely sweetened with xylitol may develop a fairly sudden drop in blood sugar, resulting in depression, loss of coordination and seizures. These signs can develop quite rapidly, so it is important that pet owners seek veterinary treatment immediately. According to experts at the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center, some data also appears to point to a possible link between xylitol ingestions and the development of liver failure in dogs." From the ASPCA poison control page Quote "Mrs. Bass was a poor teacher, a phrase which here does not mean "a teacher who doesn't have a lot of money" but "a teacher who is obsessed with the metric system." --Lemony Snicket "Do you want to convert from the hydrocarbon economy to the carbohydrate economy?" --Rep. Jim Oberstar Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest LynnM Posted June 1, 2008 Share Posted June 1, 2008 A quick search for cases with serious side effects- liver failure or death- all involved much smaller dogs eating much larger quantities or large dogs eating truly astronomical quantities, for example a miniature dachshund that ate 100 pieces of sugar free gum or a lab mix that ate 450g of xylitol powder (that would probably put a hurting on a human, too!) Lynn Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest LuvXRacers Posted June 1, 2008 Share Posted June 1, 2008 Don't worry about it unless she starts farting bubbles. Just kidding. She's big enough that it shouldn't be a problem. Lynn Lynn!!! Sabine! Hope she'll be okay. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest JillT Posted June 1, 2008 Share Posted June 1, 2008 I am on the phone right now with the ASPCA poison hotline just to be sure . . . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ahicks51 Posted June 1, 2008 Share Posted June 1, 2008 Liver failure is a concern, if they don't sugar crash. I'm not sure what to think about greys and whether they have "normal" liver function like other breeds. From: http://www.kbvetcenter.com/toxicity_bubblegum.asp On the other hand, popular gums, such as "Orbit" contain about 0.3-0.4 g/piece, so the same weight dog (22 lbs) would need to eat 6-7 pieces to have a similar effect. Since manufacturers are not required to report the exact amount of xylitol that is in their product, it is best to assume ANY ingestion of xylitol by your dog to be potentially toxic. Signs of hypoglycemia can begin as early as 30 minutes after ingestion and can persist for 1-2 days. Some dogs have a delayed onset of hypoglycemia, up to 12-18 hours later. Symptoms of hypoglycemia include: weakness, depression, disorientation, ataxia (unsteady walking), collapse, and seizures. It Gets Worse... Xylitol has also been shown to cause liver failure in dogs. There is much research that needs to be conducted in this area, but it seems that many dogs that do not show symptoms of hypoglycemia can go on to develop problems with their liver if left untreated. Dosages of greater than 1.5-2 g/kg are thought to cause hepatic necrosis (death of liver cells). Quote Coco (Maze Cocodrillo) Minerva (Kid's Snipper) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
greg1229 Posted June 1, 2008 Share Posted June 1, 2008 at least she will be rid of that dirty mouth,.... The little amount should pass right on through, but keep an eye on her and if she starts acting odd, better safe then sorry take her to the vet Quote Isis, Always in my Heart Bijou, My Sweetest Angel Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest JillT Posted June 1, 2008 Share Posted June 1, 2008 OK, I spoke w/the ASPCA poison hotline--they said, based on her size and what she ate, she should be OK (how they phrased it was that, based on their calculations, it was "well below the threshold where toxicity should be a problem." They told me to feed her a small meal now (about 1/4 to 1/2 size of a normal meal) and another one at midnight. She has very happily just scarfed up her first small meal--she will probably think Christmas has come early with all these extra meals, as she is such a food hound. I will of course be watching her closely all evening and will go to the e-vet if anything seems wrong (and will also call them to ask about liver failure . . . ). Thanks to everyone for their responses--I'll keep you posted. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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