Warning: Sugar-free gum may poison your dog


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SANDY — Hank is a German shorthaired pointer. Cameron Hoskins is his beloved playmate.

This summer, Hank swiped a pack of Cameron's sugar-free gum off the kitchen counter. The gum could have killed Hank.

Fortunately, minutes later Cameron's mother, Ashley Hoskins, came downstairs. Seeing over a dozen gum wrappers strewn across the floor, Ashley knew Hank was in trouble.

"I knew it was harmful, but I didn't really know why," Ashley said. "I immediately called the vet and they said bring him in. I knew I had to get him there fast."

The gum Hank ate contained xylitol. A sugar alcohol first discovered by tapping birch trees in the 19th century, xylitol tastes like table sugar — just with 33 percent fewer calories. But in dogs, xylitol is toxic.

This summer, Hank the German shorthaired pointer swiped a pack of Cameron's sugar-free gum off the kitchen counter. (Photo: KSL-TV)
This summer, Hank the German shorthaired pointer swiped a pack of Cameron's sugar-free gum off the kitchen counter. (Photo: KSL-TV)

Swift action saves the shorthaired pointer

The Hoskins whisked their dog off to Willow Creek Pet Center where Dr. Jillian George jumped into action. The veterinarian first gave the German shorthair an injection to induce vomiting, then stuck a catheter into Hank to pump fluids through his system over night. Dr. George calls this process dog decontamination.

"That's the important thing with xylitol toxicity, like any toxic it's dose-dependent," Dr. George said. "The potential for harm depends on the size of the dog and the amount of toxin ingested.

"We didn't know exactly how many pieces he ate," she added. "Because of that we had to play worst-case scenario."

Time is also critical with xylitol toxicity. Quick action from the Hoskins helped saved Hank's life.

"Within 30 to 60 minutes, it can be fatal," Dr. George said. "I didn't wait for any symptoms to show."

Check the label
Xylitol may be present in the following food items:
  • Gum
  • Breath mints
  • Candy
  • Jams
  • Peanut butter
  • Children's vitamins

A sweetener that's diabetic-friendly, but deadly to dogs

Signs of xylitol toxicity in dogs include vomiting, diarrhea and in extreme cases, seizures.

Due to its low glycemic index, xylitol is advertised as a safe sweetener for diabetics. In dogs, xylitol causes a sudden and steep decline in blood sugar. With Hank, this could have caused his liver to fail.

KSL Investigators spent an afternoon in Salt Lake City's Tanner Park to see how many dog owners know the danger sugar-free substitutes could have on their dogs.

We first ran into Tanner and his dog Indie. Recently, Indie chewed through the backseat of Tanner's car. Thankfully, Indie didn't raid Tanner's sugar-free gum stash.

"If she did that would be scary because I chew a lot of those gums," Tanner said while pulling gum and breath mints from bag full of groceries. Both had xylitol on the ingredient list.

(Photo: KSL-TV)
(Photo: KSL-TV)

'That's OK. We learned a lesson, right?'

Weeks later back at the Hoskins' house, Hank's health scare is still on Cameron's mind.

"I said sorry to mom for leaving the gum out there. I knew it would be bad," Cameron said.

"That's OK," Ashley replied. "We learned a lesson, right?"


Reporting by Debbie Dujanovic, produced by Sandra Olney and written by Torin Koos.

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Torin Koos, Sandra Olney, Debbie Dujanovic

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