There is hardly anything in the world more painful than losing a beloved pet, especially when you know you could’ve prevented their death by being a bit careful.
Kate Chacksfield lost her dog after she ate brownies containing xylitol, PEOPLE reported.
Kate, from West London, England is now telling people to avoid feeding their pets the sugar substitute as it is poisonous for them.
Ruby, like all other dogs, loved to break into the kitchen and steal a thing or two of her favorite treats.
She ate brownies earlier but never had any complications. Although chocolate is supposed to be poisonous for dogs, Kate never bothered the small amounts present in the brownies.
However, in this instance, Ruby ate two whole brownies which contained the natural sweetener xylitol.
The xylitol made Ruby, a Vizsla by breed, sick within 36 hours. Kate had no idea of xylitol being poisonous to the dogs otherwise she would have taken Ruby to the vet earlier and would have saved her life.
Xylitol is an alcohol-based sugar substitute used by people who want to decrease their calorie intake as it has fewer calories than regular sugar.
Kate recently shifted from regular sugar to xylitol, thinking it was a healthier option.
She did not know it is toxic for dogs. If a dog ingests xylitol, it can have low blood glucose levels, seizures, liver failure and in extreme cases death.
It is hence highly recommended to keep this seemingly harmful human food additive out of the reach of dogs.
Kate took Ruby immediately to the vet when she noticed she was not normal but it was too late. Ruby had to be admitted to the hospital where she suffered for eight long days, struggling to get her life back.
Finally, on the eighth day, Kate was left with her dead pet and a veterinary bill amounting to $13,000.
Kate expressed her regret and loss, saying: “I had no idea how serious eating natural sweeteners was for dogs, the photos of her on life support still make me cry.”
Kate never knew it was xylitol that poisoned her dog. She thought she had eaten something from the park while walking.
It was very late when Kate noticed the symptoms of something wrong in Ruby and by then, the poor dog had already started going into liver failure.
Kate rushed her beloved Ruby to The Royal Veterinary College in London but it was too late.
If you have no idea of what causes your pet to be sick, it can lead to a major hindrance in diagnosis and ultimately the treatment of the animal.
Dogs are particularly known for having a knack for the things they really should avoid.
“We just thought she may have eaten some by mistake in the park or something – it never crossed my mind to mention the brownies,” said Kate.
Kate is now turning her personal tragedy into a lesson for others.
Keep a little knowledge of what can be poisonous for your pet so that the treatment can be done on proper lines. As of xylitol, only a quarter of a teaspoon is enough to poison a dog.
Replaced!