A VERY serious post.

We've all heard about how chocolate is toxic to dogs. There are many other items, such as grapes and raisins, that can be just as harmful. However, we got hit with a new one today. Hokie got into a pack of chewing gum, and was throwing up later. I called the vet, and the nurse on the phone said that he should be ok if he was throwing it up - not a big deal. I hung up, and my phone rang again in less than a minute. She had talked to the vet, and then asked me if the gum had xylitol in it. Well, we usually only buy Trident, which uses xylitol as their primary sweetener. She told us the vet wanted us to bring Hokie in right away.

I looked it up, and xylitol is extremely poisionous to dogs. Just one stick, if fully ingested, can be enough to kill a small dog if not immediately treated. What it does, among other things, is drop a dog's blood sugar level to a dangerously low level. It can also cause permanant liver and kidney damage.

Hokie is at the vet where he has already had blood tests and is on an IV. Before anyone panics and over-reacts, he seems to be doing well and is in "good spirits." Since he threw up so much, we hope he got most all of it out of his system. I will hear back from the vet tonight - Hokie will probably be at the vet for 3 days for observation and to make sure all of the toxins are out of his system.

SO (my main reason for posting this), please watch your dogs and watch where you keep gum and other toxins. No matter how well they are trained, most dogs will think it's food for them and will go for it. I will keep the blog updated on Hokie's progress.