SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. — Katie Villella adopted her pup Jane from a rescue during the pandemic and they’ve been inseparable ever since.
“She’s my baby girl,” said Villella. “Whenever I can take her somewhere, I take her with me because she means everything to me.”
This was a tough holiday weekend for the pair. Jane spent the past five days in the animal hospital. Villella was unsure if she would ever make it back home.
On Friday, Villella came home from watching a movie with a friend to discover Jane had gotten into something dangerous.
“I walked into the living room, and I found an empty container of gum,” said Villella.
It was her roommate’s gum and Jane is food motivated.
“I immediately looked at the container and saw the main ingredient was xylitol,” said Villella.
Xylitol is a sweetener often used in sugar-free products and it can be deadly to dogs. Villella rushed Jane to the animal hospital.
“They took her in and made her throw up some of the pieces of gum. They actually got 27 pieces out of her,” said Villella.
They don’t know exactly how much she ingested. By this time the xylitol had started messing with Jane’s liver – her liver enzymes had spiked so high at one point that Villella thought she might not survive.
Thankfully, doctors were able to get her levels down with medication.
“I got the news yesterday morning that I was going to finally get to take her home and I just started crying on the phone because I was so happy,” said Villella.
Villella wants to warn other pet owners to read the product ingredients – xylitol is used in a lot of unlikely goods besides gum, according to the FDA:
- breath mints
- baked goods
- cough syrup
- children’s and adult chewable vitamins
- mouthwash
- toothpaste
- some peanut and nut butters
- over-the-counter medicines
- dietary supplements
- sugar-free desserts, including "skinny" ice cream
Dr. Brett Cordes with the Arizona Animal Hospital says there are clear signs that your dog needs to see the vet.
“Weakness, maybe vomiting. Not feeling right. A little wobbly. If it goes undetected it can lead to seizures,” said Dr. Cordes. “It can cause low blood sugar, hypoglycemia. In higher concentration, we don’t know how much, can cause liver failure.”
Jane still needs to be monitored and take medication for her liver but Villella is just grateful to have her home. There’s also a fund to help pay for Jane's medical costs.
“She’s been my baby,” said Villellas.
Dr. Cordes says to make sure all snack and harmful treats are out of your pup's reach and to know where your nearest emergency vet is located just in case.
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