Cavalier King Charles Spaniel Ate Gum with Xylitol

After a holiday weekend, Cavalier King Charles Spaniel Orca snacked on some gum that was left in the car by accident. Afterward, her mom, Marcia G., noticed that Orca was acting very strange and rushed her to the vet. Xylitol, a sugar substitute found in sugar-free gum and candy, is toxic even in very small amounts. It's a good thing Marcia took her to the vet when she did!

"Our 19-month-old King Charles Spaniel, Orca, found sugar-free gum someone had left in the car after a busy holiday with lots of guests. We had no idea what had gone wrong when she started acting listless and vomiting. Fortunately, we took Orca to the vet right away. While in the car we discovered remnants of the gum. The vet immediately identified xylitol toxicity. Her condition grew worse and we took Orca to a special overnight clinic. Again, her condition grew even worse through the night. Her liver was failing.

After 4-5 plasma drips, little by little Orca's liver began to recover. Four nights of sustained medical attention in the clinic brought our sweet puppy back from the brink. Her liver functions returned to normal over the next two weeks. Now she is completely normal and healthy.

We felt so fortunate to have Embrace Pet Insurance during this crisis. It couldn't have been easier to claim our expenses. Embrace emailed the forms immediately and the veterinary clinic completed them. We were reimbursed within the week for a major portion of what we'd paid. We are so grateful that we were protected by Embrace and that both the medical and financial ordeal is over. Thank you, Embrace Pet Insurance, for all the support. We couldn't have done it without you."