The sweetener is xylitol which is a naturally occurring sugar alcohol that’s found in many fruits and vegetables like berries, corn husks, oats, and mushrooms. It has about the same sweeness as sucros, but with only 2/3’s the food energy which is what makes it a low-calorie alternative to sugar. The sweetener can be found in a variety of sugar-free products like chewing gum, toothpaste, candy and baked goods.

Unfortunately, the sugar substitute lowers the blood sugar in dogs which can result in “loss of coordination, depression, collapse and seizures as soon as 30 minutes after ingestion“.

This morning, the Windsor Star reported on a local woman’s lab who nearly died after eating 2 packs of sugar-free gum that were left lying around.

Charlie, the Loop family’s one-year-old Lab, ate two packs of Ice Breakers Ice Cube gum last week that were left in a shopping bag on the couch, Loop said. She figures the dog found the gum when he headed to the couch for a nap.

Loop didn’t know what was wrong when the Lab collapsed Wednesday and began jerking a bit. She said the Lab threw up twice, which may have helped save him. Loop said when she raced the dog to the vet, he was barely breathing.

Lucky the lab was ok, but had to stay over night at the vet because of concerns about the dogs liver. According to the AVMA, there is “further clinical evidence of an association between the product and possible liver failure in dogs.”

So just like with chocolates, you should be sure to keep sugar-free snacks and other products, especially those containing xylitol, out of dog’s reach.

Get the details here: Millennium Falcon Pet Bed

Are you obsessed with your dog or know someone who is (I’m looking at you, mom)? Tell us about it in the comments.

The dog is currently being held for questioning at the Grinnell County jail and we have not received word yet on weather the shooting was accidental or intentional.

Harris was hunting with a group about three miles north of Grinnell. The group shot a bird, and when Harris went to get it, he put his gun on the ground and crossed a fence. As he crossed the fence, his hunting dog stepped on the gun, Foster said.

Usually getting shot is actually not that funny and I wouldn’t normally poke fun at such a potentially serious subject, but when there’s a dog at the trigger, well… I just had to chuckle. A little. On the inside.

Read the full article from the San Jose Mercury News after the jump…

DES MOINES, Iowa—A hunter is recovering after he was shot in the leg at close range by his dog, who stepped on his shotgun and tripped the trigger, an official said Tuesday.James Harris, 37, of Tama, was hit in the calf Saturday, the opening day of pheasant season, said Alan Foster, a spokesman with the Iowa Department of Natural Resources.

“He had surgery and is doing pretty well,” he said. “He took between 100-120 pellets in about a 4-inch circle to his calf.”

Harris was listed in good condition Tuesday, officials at University Hospitals in Iowa City said.

Harris was hunting with a group about three miles north of Grinnell. The group shot a bird, and when Harris went to get it, he put his gun on the ground and crossed a fence. As he crossed the fence, his hunting dog stepped on the gun, Foster said.

The gun was about 3 feet away from his leg.

“The muzzle velocity is so great that the pellets don’t have a chance to spread out,” he said.

No one else was hurt, and the dog was not injured.

Foster said no citations have been issued.

Via San Jose Mercury News