PetSugar

True Tails: My Dog Ate Xylitol!

PetSugar — Thu, 08 Jan 2009 04:30:03 -0800

Nosy noses don't always know what's safe and, while even most of my nondog owning pals know the risks of chocolate, not everyone realizes the dangers of chewing gum. While this can lodge in a pet's throat (especially if ingested paper, packaging and all), those sugar-free products are pure poison to pets.

The not-so-sweet alternative known as xylitol can cause liver failure and hypoglycemia (low blood sugar), which can lead to depression, loss of coordination, and even seizures in your furry friends. TeamSugar member hanako66 shared a scary story of what happened when she fell asleep on the couch and her pups were able to knock down her purse and spill the contents. Hear the tale from her mouth when you read more.

Luckily, I had read about the dangers of sugar substitutes for dogs so when I noticed a chewed up, empty package of gum, I was concerned. I quickly googled "my dog ate gum" and instantly found enough info to warrant a call to the emergency vet. They asked if the gum had xylitol in the ingredients, which it did. I rushed Bailey and Jager to the vet and they induced vomiting.

Turns out that only Bailey had ingested gum. They did blood work, which showed that she was stable enough to go home with me, but I needed to feed her constantly the next day to make sure that her blood sugar level stayed high. Please let PetSugar readers know about the dangers of xylitol so that they can react as quickly as I did – had I known quite how serious it was before, I would never have purchased the gum in the first place.

If you suspect your pet has ingested any products containing this substance (or any other risky or questionable substances), please contact your local veterinarian or the ASPCA 24-hour emergency poison hotline directly at 1-888-426-4435.

True Tails: My Dog Has Lyme Disease!

PetSugar — Fri, 08 Aug 2008 12:00:21 -0700

You may be wondering why I've been going a tad tick crazy on the site during the Dog Days of Summer. Well, there's a reason. Last week when chatting with a pal in NYC, she shared a scary story about her rescued Rottie mix, Jack.
While he's seen here in sleepier times, my friend woke up one morning a couple weeks ago to find him not only resting, but totally unable to get up. Obviously, she freaked out and called a friend with a car to help carry the dog to his doctor. The vet did some tests but initially asked if her pooch had spent anytime in the country. Countryside? Does Brooklyn count? To learn where and when he contracted the disease, and what's happening now read more.

Even though her pooch is always on his tick medication, it's not 100-percent guaranteed. Tracey was home visiting her parents in rural Massachusetts last Fall when she found a tick on her pooch. She removed it, and assumed all was well. Not so, as he was eventually diagnosed with Lyme Disease.

It seems that he exhibited some of the symptoms I mentioned when not being able to walk . . . and it's true that this disease can be dormant in pets for months before owners can notice it. While he's now on medication and doing much better, I know my take-away lesson from this was to never overlook a possible illness – even though I sometimes overreact, it's better to be safe than sorry!

Bo Hits a South Lawn Luau . . . But Needs This

PetSugar — Fri, 26 Jun 2009 10:30:05 -0700

We wouldn't leave our pets out of a family party in the backyard and the same is true for the first family including Bo in some fun. Michelle (and Malia) walk their Portuguese Water Dog down to the South Lawn to attend a luau hosted by President Barack Obama for members of Congress and their families yesterday. I think I see a wagging tail!

Hopefully the event includes dog-safe snacks, and I'm glad to see the girls' hibiscus leis far from Bo's mouth as that's a plant toxic to dogs! What I don't see is any Hawaiian print on the pooch. Sad. Granted his curly hair makes it impossible to spot the collar but I've picked out some print ideas for another big bash. Hey, and maybe next time the first family travels to Hawaii they'll hit up my favorite Cocojor shop for a doggie shirt, too?

Creature Features: Kiss a Frog, Kiss a Toad?

PetSugar — Sun, 28 Oct 2007 13:44:39 -0700

Did you know that toads are technically frogs? Both frogs and toads are amphibians and belong to the same order, Anura, which means "without a tail." However, toads and frogs belong to different families. The term toad tends to refer to the "true toads".... which are members of the family Bufonidae, containing more than 300 species, whereas the term "true frogs" describes members of the Ranidae family with over 400 species. A tad tricky, huh? Basically, that just means there are actually differences between the true frogs and the true toads.

I bet you know more about true toads and true frogs than you think – test your knowledge with this quiz.

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