Jax

Age: 10 months
Breed: German Shorthaired Pointer
​​​​​​​Diagnosis: Xylitol Toxicity

Jax Snow is known for being a very sweet, energetic, lovable and very curious German Shorthaired Pointer! When Jax was 10 months old, he was playing in his house and spotted and an extra-large container of Juicy Fruit – Sugar Free Gum and wasted no time devouring it!

When Mrs. Snow came downstairs later that evening, she noticed several piles of throw-up on the ground and saw the empty container of Juicy Fruit gum. By the time Jax was done with his dangerous snack, his family counted; he had eaten at a whopping 35 pieces of gum!

Gum is extremely dangerous when consumed by dogs because it causes. Xylitol is a sugar free ingredient and if ingested, can cause seizures, liver failure, hypoglycemia (low blood sugar). Sometimes, if not immediately and properly treated, Xylitol can be fatal to dogs. Even as little as 50 mg, or 2 pieces can be dangerous to dogs.

Jax’s family knew something was wrong as the vomiting and lethargy continued. Jax was really sick.

Lucky for Jax, his (human) Aunt is an out of town veterinary technician. They called and told her the story then she advised them to IMMEDIATELY call Bishop Ranch Veterinary Center & Urgent Care. Within minutes, the family was en route to BRVC and hoping everything would be all right.

As soon as the family arrived, a veterinary technician came out to assist the family. Mrs. Snow was relieved with the arrival experience even though her worry was growing for Jax “The whole staff was very attentive and caring. They took Jax back to immediately see Dr. Wong. Everyone from the receptionist to the vet techs were wonderful. Very attentive, supportive, and prompt”.

Dr. Wong is a passionate veterinarian. When the Snow family met with her they could tell her priority was the health and well being of Jax “In a very caring and professional way, she (Dr. Wong) explained the severity of Jax’s situation and shared the recommended treatment. Most importantly, time was critical. They needed to treat Jax right away. In a very tough situation, Dr. Wong somehow delivered the bad news most delicately and went to work, treating Jax”.- Mrs. Snow

Jax was admitted into the hospital for 1 night and 2 days. Xylitol affects the pancreas and liver functionality so it’s important treatment is started as soon as possible. Jax’s treatment included sugar supplementation, IV fluids and some liver protective medication.

As you can imagine, their whole family was devastated about Jax’s condition. BRVC made it clear they could call anytime to check on Jax and continued to be communicative about his condition.

After the 2nd day of treatment Jax couldn’t have been doing better! Jax had dodged a bullet!

Jax is happily himself again; playing with his sister (Dolly, 7 yr old GSP), going on car rides, to the dog park and snuggling with his pack. The whole family makes sure gum stays out of reach at all times!

The Snow family couldn’t be more thankful and happy for the life saving treatment at BRVC:

“We were very lucky to have such professional and wonderful care for our little boy. Danielle – the patient care coordinator is AWESOME. Plain awesome. She went over the treatment and expenses and what options we had. She was so patient with all our questions, had a sweet demeanor, and took her time explaining everything to us. BRVC is lucky to have an employee like her! Dr. Wong was very responsive to our messages (whether it be VM or email). We could count on a call back in a timely fashion.

I have the fullest confidence in the BRVC staff – from the friendly and caring receptionist staff, patient and professional vet techs, to the highest-quality, top notch vets on staff. What a great community and we feel lucky to have found such a phenomenal vet hospital for our fur-babies! Thank you for everything you do for our family!”. Mrs. Snow