Sugar Free for Pets???

Casey is feeling much better. There's not so much pain now as there is the fierce itching. Yesterday after I got home from the pool, Casey was practically on his hands and knees begging me to go to the store and get him some anti-itch cream. He'd scratched all day, making the sting places HUGE. One was covering nearly half of his arm. We struck out to Wal-Mart and got him some Benedryl cream. He had such a relieved look on his face, when it started working, that it was almost funny. We didn't do much else than have little frozen pizzas, which I had to share with all of the dogs, and watch Alton Brown's "Good Eats" on the Food Network. We lovingly refer to Wednesday night as Alton Brown night. There are 3 episodes that air in one night. Casey swears that he's Alton's long lost brother, since they have so many things in common. I secretly think it's just hero worship msyelf. But, I'll have to say that Casey has gleaned a many tasty recipe from the man, which I've had the priviledge of enjoying. I mean, who knew that you could do so many things with eggplant! So all in all, it was a very uneventful night, but Wednesdays are hardly ever wild and raucous. I received an ASPCA e-mail alert in my inbox this morning. It had some very informative poison updates included, which I've posted below. I sure didn't know this, and I am glad to have the information. I hope this is helpful to someone.

PET HEALTH ALERT: PRODUCTS SWEETENED WITH XYLITOL CAN BE TOXIC TO DOGS Sugar-free candy and gum may be sweet enough for you, ASPCA News Alert readers, but they can possibly be toxic to your animal companions. According to the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center (APCC), xylitol--a sweetener found in certain sugar-free chewing gum, candies and other products--can potentially cause serious, even life-threatening problems for pets. Based on data collected from the 40-plus related cases the center has managed since last July, canines who have ingested significant amounts of gum or candy solely or largely containing xylitol may develop a sudden drop in blood sugar, resulting in depression, loss of coordination and seizures. "These signs can develop quite rapidly, at times less than 30 minutes after ingestion," says Dr. Eric Dunayer, consulting veterinarian for the APCC. "Therefore, it is important that pet owners seek veterinary treatment immediately." The APCC advises pet owners to be especially diligent about keeping candy, gum or other foods containing xylitol out of their animals’ reach. For more information on how to protect your pet from potentially dangerous substances, please visit APCC online.

Everyone have a great Thursday! Tah for now!