Dogs will eat anything, even their own puke, but they prefer sweet and salty snacks most especially if they belong to their humans. How many videos have we watched of dogs sneaking a bite of cake or munching the whole ice cream cone out of Junior’s hands? But not everything these pups eat is right for them.
In a sad and tragic turn of events, Londoner Kate Chacksfield lost her sweet dog, Ruby. According to multiple sources, including People Magazine, Kate’s dog consumed a sugar-free brownie (or two) and died eight days and nearly 10,000 pounds (almost $13,000 US) later.
Kate will not grumble over the cost. To her, her beloved pet was worth every cent. The reason she is telling her story is that she does not want the same thing to happen to anyone else’s fur baby.
While most people know chocolate is toxic to dogs, the chocolate was not the culprit. Instead, vets named the sugar-substitute Xylitol as the culprit. Xylitol is found in gums, candies, and mouthwashes as a sugar-substitute and can be used in recipes as well, which is how Chacksfield used it.
“I had no idea how serious eating natural sweeteners was for dogs, the photos of her on life support still make me cry,” Kate told a news outlet.
Within 36 hours of eating the two brownies, Ruby was ill. Since dogs often eat things they shouldn’t, Kate waited to see if Ruby would recover on her own, never realizing the brownies were the source of her pet’s illness. Those brownies were Kate’s first time using the sweetener. In the past the pup had gobbled a brownie with no ill effects, so the thought that brownies were the source never entered her mind.
“We just thought she may have eaten some by mistake in the park or something – it never crossed my mind to mention the brownies,” she said.
We are sad to hear about this adorable pup’s misfortune, and we pray Kate to find peace with the tragedy. Be sure to check the foodstuffs your pet may accidentally consume when they sneak a snack: knowing could have saved Ruby’s life.
