A common sweetener found in things like sugar-free gum and mints can be toxic to dogs.
Bruce is a 3-year-old pug who is laid back, lovable and curious. Last week, his family almost lost him.
"He came up and sat in front of me. He was not acting like himself. He just kind of hung his head and just acted like he didn't feel good," Bruce's owner, Denise Hobbs, said.
Bruce had got a hold of a tin of sugar-free Mentos and helped himself. Within 30 minutes, he was deathly ill.
"He started getting more lethargic, so I called our vet, and I said, 'We're on our way.' And as soon as I picked him up, he just went lifeless in my arms," Hobbs said.
Once at the vet, Bruce had a seizure.
It turns out, he'd had a reaction to the xylitol in the mints, a type of sweetener found in many sugar-free gums and other products, is safe for humans and terribly toxic for dogs.
"In dogs, it can cause an extreme hypoglycemia. It can also cause acute liver failure and cause other problems with the liver, It can even cause death," said Meagan Hake, a veterinarian technician at BluePearl Veterinary Partners in Overland Park.
Hake sees the devastating effects of xylitol all the time.
Source: www.kmov.com