Fur Kids Foundation 2020 Success Story: Daisy Pit Bull

This pretty flower is Daisy, a 3-year-old pit bull. Daisy loves to stay active with toys, balls, and lots of play. 

Recently, Daisy's mom recently had neck surgery and was unable to work, which meant that her dad was the only income supporting a family of five. They were trying to budget for their every day bills when Daisy ate a whole pack of sugar-free gum. Her parents knew how bad sugar-free food was for pets, so they rushed Daisy immediately to the vet.  While they were at the vet, they also mentioned that recently Daisy was showing little interest in food, and hadn't gone to the bathroom for a while. This also concerned her vet, who found out that eating gum was only a secondary issue, Daisy also had a blockage from a hard ball that she swallowed!

A sweetener called xylitol is commonly used in sugarless gum; unfortunately, this sweetener is toxic to dogs. Xylitol can also be found in sugar-free candy, breath mints, cough syrup, chewable vitamins, mouthwash and toothpaste, as well as a granulated product for baking. According to PetMD, when ingested by dogs, xylitol may cause vomiting, loss of coordination, seizures, and in severe cases, liver failure. Read this PetMD article for more information, Toxicity from Gum, Candy, and Toothpaste in Dogs.

A blockage, or what your vet may call an intestinal obstruction, may occur in the stomach or intestines, and is quite a serious incident for a dog. As you can imagine, an obstruction is actually a fairly common condition in dogs because they like to taste (or eat) just about anything! Blockage cases that Fur Kids Foundation has helped in the past include socks, blankets, bottle nipples, toys, ropes and more. According to PetMD, signs that your dog may have a blockage include vomiting, especially after eating, little interest in eating, weakness, diarrhea, and weight loss. Check out this PetMD article for more information on blockages, Intestinal Obstruction in Dogs.

Also worth noting: Dogs with a tendency to eat anything may become repeat offenders; so, it may not be best to leave garbage or recycling bins where you pet can get into them.

Daisy's family applied to Fur Kids Foundation because Daisy needed to be monitored for the gum she ate and emergency surgery to remove the blockage. We were happy to help. 

After surgery and a few nights at the vet, Daisy is expected to make a full recovery. 

About Fur Kids Foundation
Fur Kids Foundation is 100% run by dedicated volunteers who give their time to help the Foundation raise money with events, take applications, and spread the word about the good work the Foundation does in Campbell County, Wyoming. If you would like to help Fur Kids Foundation continue to help local families with animals afford emergency veterinary care, please consider making a tax-deductible donation via PayPal or signing up to become a volunteer. You can see a list of those who support us on our Supporters page. Check out more Success Stories.