Xylitol Dangers

Every sweet has its sour

-Ralph Waldo Emerson

Humans are always making resolutions. It's a new year, time to make promises, resolutions they call them. Maybe humans just have toooo many choices. Us dogs, not so much. We don't decide to get up in the morning, or eat, or play, or run.... it just happens. What else is there to worry about? Humans decide what we eat, when we exercise.....

Humans are always making promises to exercise more, spend less, eat less, eat healthier........ they just have way toooo many choices!

Another common trait of humans is instead of settling for what they have they change everything to make it better and faster. Sometimes this works well, other times not so much. Have you heard about the telephones that burst into flames while they're talking on them?

So instead of just skipping sweets, or maybe eating less of them, humans decided to create a substitute for sugar. In theory what a phenomenal idea, eat to your hearts content without all of the added calories. One such product on the market is called Xylitol. This sugar substitute is used in many products such as sugar-free gum, peanut butter, nicotine gum, toothpaste, and chewable vitamins (see the unbelievable list at the end of this page). You can buy bags of the substitute at the grocery store and use it to bake muffins, cakes and cookies without the guilt of sugar!

But did you know that this product is toxic to your dog? Xylitol causes an overproduction of insulin (tricks the body into thinking it is sugar) and your dog's blood sugar levels drop extremely low (hypoglysemia). The first sign is vomiting, usually within 30-60 minutes of xylitol ingestion but can be seen as far out as 12 hours. Poisoning progresses rapidly from ataxia, lethargy, collapse, seizure and death without medical intervention. Acute liver failure is also a very real outcome for your dog.

Dogs that are suspected of ingesting Xylitol should be seen by a veterinarian immediately. Because symptoms develop rapidly,  immediate detoxification, I.V. sugar supplementation, monitoring of blood glucose and potassium levels, liver protectants and supportive care should be provided to the patient quickly.

We have compiled a list of common places to find Xylitol, great care should be taken not to allow pets to have contact with any of these items:

Medications:

nasal sprays

vitamins

fiber supplements

Dental Products:

toothpaste

chewing gum

breath fresheners

dental floss

mints

mouth sprays

mouth wash

Food:

drink powders

peanut butter

instant coffee

barbecue sauces

ketchup 

candy

chocolates

pancake syrup

pudding

Personal Care items:

baby wipes

baby diapers

nose and face wipes 

sunscreen

lip balm

makeup

makeup remover

Pass this information to anyone you know that has a dog and uses sugar substitutes such as Xylitol. It could save their pet's life.

Ta ta for now

Oli

National Poison Prevention Awareness Week

Happy first day of Spring! Couldn't tell by looking outside. 

This week is National Poison Prevention Awareness Week. At Small Animal Veterinary Emergency Services, we see a lot of pet poisoning every week. Trust me, it happens so easily. I can't tell the difference between a good mushroom and a bad one! My family loves chocolate... how come they can eat it and I can't! Come on, now I have to be careful with what types of sticks I chew on. You humans have your job cut out for you trying to keep us healthy.

So here are the most common poisons to keep away from us.

Top 10 Pet Toxins 

1. Prescription Human Medications: top three, heart medications, anti-depressants, and pain medications

2. Insecticides used in and around your house

3. Over-The-Counter-Medications: acetaminophen, ibuprofen, and naproxen to name a few.

4. Veterinary Products: flavored tabs especially.

5. Household toxins: fire logs to cleaning products.

6. People food: garlic, onions, avocado, macadamia nuts to name a few. Don't forget Xylitol in candy.

7. Chocolate: baking being the most toxic (check out my chocolate toxicity calculator at the top of the page.)

8. Plants: inside and outside!

9. Rodenticides: don't forget about the newest Bromethalin.

10. Lawn and garden products: snail mouse and rat baits and fertilizer to name a few.

If you suspect your pet has been poisoned please call your veterinarian immediately. Remember, always bring the container of the suspected poison to the hospital with you!

To find out more about poisons that could be harmful to your pet, check out the ASPCA site.

Tata for now.....

Bromethalin Poisoning

I just celebrated my 3rd birthday! Another year older... another year wiser?

I'm a dog, that much is true.... but are we really inferior? You humans make life so complicated. Always having to make things bigger and better, easier and quicker, cheaper and longer lasting. Sometimes old-fashioned may work as well or even better. Has anyone heard of mousetraps?

In 2008 the the U.S.Environmental Protection Agency prohibited the production of long-acting anticoagulants (stops the blood from clotting, a very necessary thing for staying alive) in rodenticides (rat and mole poisonings for example) used residential. They wanted to make these products safer for children, pets and wildlife. In doing so they have created a product that might contain Bromethalin, a neurotoxin that acts on the brain instead of the blood. The onset of poisoning is much faster (withing two to twenty-four hours) unlike traditional anticoagulants where bleeding didn't typically occur for up to a week after ingestion. Because of the rapid onset and (this is a big one) no antidote, accidental poisoning is deadly. Their is also no test to diagnose that your pet has eaten this!!

Traditional rodenticides were never "just a walk in the park". The difference is that if your veterinarian suspects poisoning they can administer long term Vitamin K and reverse the blood clotting deficiencies caused by the poison. If your pet starts showing signs of poisoning (bleeding from the nose is a common sighting) veterinarians can still typically save them with intensive medical support. Not the case with Bromethalin.

If you see your pet eat a Bromethalin product call your veterinarian immediately. They will want to see your pet as quickly as you can get to the hospital. Bring the package with you (this is the case with any poisoning, always bring the packaging). Because the poison is directed towards the brain, your pet will start to show signs of excitability or depression, changes in behavior, dizziness, uncoordinated movement, seizures, eventually coma and death.

So what now? Stay away from any products with Bromethalin in them such as Talpirid Bait, Fastrac, and Gladiator brands. Read your labels! If you have to use these products stick with d-Con, this company has refused to comply with the EPA and are still producing anticoagulant products currently. 

Until the EPA revisits this product with no known antidote, steer clear! This stuff is deadly.

Xylitol poisoning

Xylitol Poisoning

Xylitol is an all natural sugar substitute made from birch tree bark, corn cobs, and beets. Hard to imagine not gnawing on that stuff!
Sweet like sugar but 40% less calories. No wonder the human population is gobbling up the stuff guilt-free.
Beware, a small amount of this ingredient in a dog can be deadly. Two or three sticks of gum can kill a 20lb. dog. According to the American Animal Hospital Association (AAHA), if you bake with Xylitol powder, 1 cup has 190g of Xylitol. Use 1 cup of powder making 24 cupcakes, and 2 cupcakes could kill a 50lb. dog! yikes!
Within 30 minutes after consuming this ingredient a dogs blood sugar will dramatically drop. Vomiting, weakness and seizures as the sugar level continues to plummet. Liver failure and death are common outcomes unless immediate veterinary intervention occurs.
This is really scary stuff, especially since you humans never know what we are inhaling from one moment to the next! The world is my breakfast bowl... what can I say I'm a Labrador Retriever!
People, read your labels! Sure it might help you lose weight, but you will be a lonely skinny person without us!
A few products to avoid or use with caution:
Jello-sugar free puddings
Altoids
Orbit gum
Trident
Ice Breakers
Tom's of Maine Toothpaste
Biotene Toothpaste
Spry products
Xylo Sweet
Tic Tacs

Xylitol is showing up in more and more products everyday, even children's vitamins. Because it has great bacteria killing properties it is popping up in dental products.
Please don't buy these products unless you have to. We can't read but we love to eat, and we love you.
Tata for now

pretty poison

From a dog's perspective I don't quite understand why my mom can dig in the dirt but I can't! She spends hours digging things up, then she turns around and buries it? Very strange behavior. But then when I join her she becomes very upset. Guess this is what humans consider as their "alone time".

I learned this week at Small Animal Veterinary Emergency Services that dogs and cats digging in the garden could be a deadly act. So many of those pretty flowers and plants poking out of the ground are extremely poisonous. Beyond the neatly trimmed edge of the flower bed lurks wild mushrooms. Haven't you noticed right after a good rain the lawn in your yard is sprouting fungus?

My dad, known as Dr. Kelly to most people, spends much of his time in Lebanon, New Hampshire working as a detective. He is a really smart guy when it comes to medicine, but between you and me he isn't smart enough to talk to me!

 The veterinary staff works against the clock everyday to try and save pets that have eaten a poisonous product or plant. So how can this be prevented? Check out the ASPCA's website to learn more about which plants are poisonous and which aren't. They even have pictures! Some of the plants you probably have never even heard of but did you know that the tomato plant and onions are poisonous to us?

Call your veterinarian immediately if you suspect that your pet has eaten a poisonous plant! Timing is everything.
Tata for now

spring: porcupines, puppies and the easter bunny

Spring is finely here! The first true signs of the new season for SAVES is the arrival of patients covered in porcupine quills. Did you know a porcupine can have 30,000 quills. I think the dog that came in the other night had 29,000 quills in his mouth. The only place the porky lacks protection is on his belly. Wow I plan on keeping my distances. I heard once that they can throw their quills at enemies but I looked it up and that is an old  "wives tale". You actually have to touch them to get those quills stuck in you.

Spring brings babies.... lots and lots of babies. Baby birds, baby kittens, and baby puppies. Sadie stopped by SAVES the other day to meet her veterinarian! I gave her this little pink puppy, she loved it and wouldn't let it go for anything!

Soon we will be swimming and taking long walks.... I love warm weather. One thing I hate about when the weather turns nice out is all the bugs, especially fleas.

To all my cat friends out there, please tell your parents to watch out for some real common poisons that could kill you. The Pet Poison Helpline reported that in 2010 the most common emergency calls about cat poisoning were over the counter drugs such as Tylenol, Advil, Motrin, and chewable tablets like Rimadyl given to treat dog arthritis. One Tylenol tablet can kill a cat. Cats also seem to be attracted to antidepressants such as Effexor which has a coating that smells good to them.
Signs of poisoning can be vomiting, and increased thirst and urination. A swollen face is common with Tylenol ingestion as well as yellow gums, breathing difficulties and weakness. If you suspect poisoning call your veterinarian immediately. If you catch the poisoning before the signs begin to show your cat has an excellent chance of survival.

Happy Easter everyone! I can't wait to meet the Easter Bunny. I figured if I dressed up like him he wouldn't be afraid and would maybe stick around and chat with my awhile. Have a wonderful holiday and be safe!

Tata for now!