⚠️Accidents happen in the blink of an eye. The fatal results may be noticed right away, while others may take hours.

I read a story last night which completely broke my heart.  This accident could have happened to any of us and we probably would not have given it a second thought. This is a long one friends and is being shared to help educate and alert others how quickly and innocently accidents can occur.
Negative comments will not be tolerated!

Here is a Breif recap- There was a couple that adopted a puppy. They were responsible, experienced pet parents. In the morning the family noticed that the pup wasn’t acting right. He was rushed to the nearest Veterinarian by the family. The rescue who they adopted from was notified and spent several hundred dollars on testing (Parvo test, fecals and everything). The Vet released the puppy, based on the test results, information received and observed behavior he appeared to be ok.
The rescue kept the pup overnight to continue monitoring his symptoms.
By morning the pup was dry heaving and not as active as he should be. He was rushed to an ER Veterinarian.
The symptoms pointed to two possible issues. One was a blockage, the other was xylitol poisoning. After bloodwork came back, it was confirmed, xylitol poisoning. How could this be? Everyone is so careful! Purses, cabinets, drawers and floors were checked and rechecked. They processed the days events time and again, suddenly they found the culprit. As everyone was rushing thru the day a glass of iced tea had been knocked onto the floor. Family members are diabetic (yes they read labels) The puppy had licked the spill. Neither thought anything of it. They had no idea that xylitol is now listed as Birchsugar- Same toxic substance. (Aka wood sugar)
By the time this was discovered the damage was already done. This little one did not make it.

 Many common food items such as gum, peanut butter, Nonfat or sugar-free yogurt and Greek yogurt may contain xylitol, a class of sweetener known as sugar alcohol. Xylitol is present in many products and foods for human use, but can have devastating effects on your pet.
What other food items may contain Xylitol?
Skinny ice cream, Flavored gelatin, Powdered drinks, Chocolate and candy,
Toothpaste and mouthwash, Meal replacement shakes, Condiments.

You may wonder why this is so dangerous for my pet?
In both people and dogs, the level of blood sugar is controlled by the release of insulin from the pancreas. In people, xylitol does not stimulate the release of insulin from the pancreas. However, it’s different in canines: When dogs eat something containing xylitol, the xylitol is more quickly absorbed into the bloodstream, and may result in a potent release of insulin from the pancreas.
This rapid release of insulin may result in a rapid and profound decrease in the level of blood sugar (hypoglycemia), an effect that can occur within 10 to 60 minutes of eating the xylitol. Untreated, this hypoglycemia can quickly be life-threatening, Hartogensis says.
Symptoms of xylitol poisoning in dogs include vomiting, followed by symptoms associated with the sudden lowering of your dog’s blood sugar, such as decreased activity, weakness, staggering, incoordination, collapse and seizures.

If you think your dog may have eaten a product containing xylitol, call your Veterinarian, emergency clinic, or animal poison control center right away. Please be advise the details of your pets activities and your family’s activities when you are presenting your pet to the hospital staff. The tiniest details can often be what leads to discovery.