I have learned, as a new puppy parent, that when Junior is quiet or I do not see him in a scan of the room I am in, something is up. So yesterday, while working on our new website (yes we are building a new website which will launch soon) I was on the phone with technical support to walk me through a process I was having trouble with and when I hung up, I noticed the silence...
As I come around the corner, I see that Junior has pulled a huge pack of gum out of my mom's purse which was sitting on the floor and is chewing on it. He is having a grand ol' time. Now at this point, my mind is lighting up like a pin ball machine and I remember something about gum with something in it being not so good for dogs... So, you guessed it, I called my vet's office. I state only the facts (I left the part out where it looked like Junior was blowing bubbles) and the "new" girl there told me she knew chocolate was bad but had never heard about gum. I don't take this as an answer and ask her to please check with someone else there and call me back...
I decide to do my own research on Google and come up with the word Xylitol. Sure enough, xylitol is a sweetener which can be found in sugar-free chewing gum, candy and baked goods, and can be very harmful if a dog ingests large amounts of this. I cannot read the wrapper because he already chewed through it but I now look up the phone number to Wrigley's in Chicago- ring ring - Oh yeah, I get a live person. She wants my name, zip code, etc. but I told her I wasn't calling to complain - I just want to know if Xylitol is in this gum and "do you realize this can be deadly to animals". She informs me that only one of their gums has that in it and it was not the one my mom chewed - I mean Junior chewed - Why the heck didn't my vet's office call me back? Someone dropped the ball and I'll be having a church chat with them tomorrow about that when I take Junior to have his staples removed...
So calling all animal parents.... don't let your animals chew gum!
5 comments:
Our new Portuguese Water Dog puppy just chewed one of my son's wrestler action figures and his title belt tonight. He's supposed to keep his bedroom door closed. Can a dog OD on plastic testosterone? The mom in me couldn't help but say "Now if you'd have kept your door closed this wouldn't have happened..."
There is a national pet poison control number at
http://www.aspca.org/site/PageServer?pagename=pro_apcc&JServSessionIdr001=lieurz7eq1.app25b
or (888) 426-4435. Note that there may be a charge for the service, but if you're worried that your pet's life is in danger, it may be worth it. We had to call one year when my dog had gotten into something she shouldn't. We ended up not having to pay anything, because the company that made the product subsidized any calls to the pet poison control.
Yup, any time a puppy is quiet, it's up to something. Guaranteed. :)
That's my Mom! Going straight to the top. What did the vet say??
Love you Ma! See you tomorrow :)
steph
What next Junior?
I know a dog who got ahold of a pack of sugarless gum, ate 3 pieces, and VERY nearly died! You were wise to follow up the way you did...
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