Woman whose dog died after eating brownies warns about common sugar substitute that’s lethal to dogs Kate Chacksfield’s dog Ruby didn’t get ill until 36 hours later and she didn’t think to get veterinary help until it was too late

Kate Chacksfield didn’t panic when she saw her dog Ruby had stolen two of her home-made brownies off the kitchen worktop.

After all, she’d done it before and been fine. She was confident she’d not consumed too much chocolate.

But within a couple of days, the seven-year-old Hungarian Vizsla had collapsed and was fighting for her life. Despite vets doing all they could to save her, she died just over a week later.

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Dangers of Xylitol

Kate was shocked to discover that it hadn’t been the cocoa that killed her, but xylitol, a common sugar-free ingredient that’s highly toxic to dogs.

It’s regularly found in sugar-free chewing gum, cakes and other baked goods, toothpaste, mouthwash, vitamin supplements and in a small handful of peanut butter brands.

I just don’t want another dog owner to go through what I’ve been though Kate Chacksfield

“I knew about the dangers of chocolate to dogs but I had no awareness about xylitol at all,” the 51-year-old from west London told i. “If I had I would have rushed Ruby to the vets as soon as I saw she had eaten the brownies.

“I’m doing what I can now to warn others and raise awareness as I just don’t want another dog owner to go through what I’ve been though.”

Vomiting and collapse

Kate suffers with chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS), also referred to as myalgic encephalomyelitis (ME), and had begun using xylitol in a bid to reduce her sugar intake on advice of her doctor.

In October last year, she had left her house when Ruby stole the brownies from a sealed container.

“Ruby had eaten chocolate before and I’d rushed her to the vets then and I was told not to worry about small amounts,” said Kate, who is a media presentation coach. “I kept an eye on her and she seemed fine and didn’t show any symptoms, until after 36 hours.”

Then the beloved family pet began vomiting violently. Kate took her to the vets who checked her over and sent her home.

She seemed fine and didn’t show any symptoms, until after 36 hours Kate Chacksfield

“Then Ruby collapsed,” said Kate, who is a former BBC News and Sky News reporter. “They began treating her for rat poison because of her symptoms. We wondered if she’d eaten any at the park. I didn’t even think to mention the brownies.”

Ruby was then rushed to The Royal Veterinary College, but she died of liver failure and a suspected stroke eight days later.

“It was there they asked if she could have consumed xylitol and I thought ‘oh my god, the brownies’. But by then sadly it was too late to save her.”

‘Tiniest’ amount is toxic

It takes just around an eighth of a teaspoon [per kg of body weight] to cause liver failure in dogs Dr Nicola Robinson

Indeed, getting a dog who has consumed xylitol to the vets quickly is critical, as it can be absorbed into the blood stream very rapidly.

Dr Nicola Robinson, head of Veterinary Poisons Information Service (VPIS) said: “It can start to absorb within an hour and it takes the tiniest amount to be toxic.

“You’re talking one piece of chewing gum starting to cause problems in a small dog, like a Jack Russell size. Ten pieces would likely be lethal.

“It takes just half a gram of pure xylitol per kilogram of weight – around an eighth of a teaspoon – to cause liver failure in dogs.

“Roughly a quarter of a teaspoon is enough to harm a dog the size of a labrador.”

She said the VPIS helpline gets around 300 calls a year over xylitol.

“They can be about takeaways – owners may not realise it’s in those and the dogs have eaten the leftovers. Also ice-cream, peanut butter, some chewable medicines. But the majority of our calls – 70 per cent – are about chewing gum.”

Symptoms of xylitol poisoning in dogs In most cases, symptoms will start to appear within half-an-hour but can take anything up to 12 hours to develop in some cases, according to Blue Cross. Symptoms can include vomiting, lethargy and disorientation, leading to seizures and tremors, collapse and coma. But worryingly, Dr Robinson said some animals don’t show symptoms until the damage is done. “Some will be lethargic or have wobbly legs and show the signs of hypoglycemia (low blood sugar) first, but some don’t and only become ill when their liver is failing. By then it’s very hard to save an animal.” If you get to the vets early enough then your vet may be able to induce vomiting to get the sugar substitute out of your dog’s system. After this, your pet is likely to be put on a sugar intravenous drip to regulate blood sugar levels and then monitored. If the liver is affected, the condition is far more serious and will normally require specialist life-saving treatment.

Helpline

Kate said she wished she had known about the VPIS helpline.

“For those eight days Ruby was critically ill in intensive care she was very aware of me and making eye contact despite being hooked up to all the tubes. She was a wonderful dog.

“When she passed away it was just devastating. We are beside ourselves with sadness and guilt.

“All I can do now is try to raise awareness. It only takes your dog having a lick of the leftovers from a takeaway or yoghurt.”