You might want to “paws” what you’re doing and hear this doc out.
A Kentucky-based veterinarian is warning dog owners about the dangers of sugar-free gum in a recently resurfaced video, warning that it can be fatal to your pup if somehow ingested.
Dr. Matt McGlasson took to TikTok to share the tip, explaining that it’s really the sugar substitute xylitol found in the gum that is extremely dangerous for dogs.
“Just one piece of gum could be fatal to your puppy,” McGlasson wrote in white text on the video, which featured a montage of him taking care of different puppies.
“Keep your furbabies safe!” he continued. “No gum for puppies!”
The Post reached out to McGlasson for further comment.
Xylitol, originally found in birch bark, is included in a class of sugar known as a sugar alcohol, according to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.
It is typically used as a sugar substitute for sugar-free items, like chocolate, in order for manufacturers to produce that sweet taste without using the real stuff.
But it is absorbed differently in humans than it is in dogs — when we ingest it, the sugar alcohol does not “stimulate the release of insulin from the pancreas,” according to The FDA, but it is extremely harmful to pups because it is quickly absorbed in their bloodstreams, and can result in a “potent” release of insulin into their pancreas.
This sudden release of insulin can cause the dog’s blood sugar to drop, which can cause hypoglycemia, per the ASPCA.
Hypoglycemia can make the animals tired, weak and even cause seizures.
However, it can be reversed at an animal hospital with an I.V. dose of sugar (dextrose), according to the organization.
It’s also important to be aware that sugar-free gum isn’t the only food item that may contain Xylitol.
Breath mints, chewable vitamins, cough syrup, baked goods, and some peanut and nut butters can contain the ingredient, according to The FDA.
And, not only that, but Xylitol has the possibility of even causing liver damage in dogs, according to the ASPCA, because it can elevate their liver enzymes.
If the liver enzymes are only sightly elevated, it can be fixed with medicine, the organization reported, but larger ingestions of Xylitol has the potential to cause liver failure, which poses a larger problem for pups.
In other dog news, McGlasson isn’t the only one who has put out warnings about seemingly-innocent pet owner practices over the past few months.
Earlier this month, Dr. Anna Foreman, a veterinarian with UK’s Everypaw Pet Insurance, urged owners to stop dyeing their animals’ fur, because it can lead to skin irritation.
A British woman also issued a caution to dog owners after her fox red Labrador, Toby, choked to death during a game of fetch.
“It was devastating,” Toby’s owner, Emma Meen, shared about the experience to Kennedy News.
“It was like my whole world had come to an end, because he was so good with me and so hardworking. He was like a child.”
