<div><p>James Michael came home one day to the sight every pet owner dreads: his Staffordshire bull terrier named Coco was collapsed on the floor of his kitchen. </p><p>James thought his pet was a goner, but after rushing Coco to his local animal hospital, vets were able to save this poor dog's life. They cleared out her stomach and found something shocking: 30 pieces of <strong>sugar-free gum </strong>stolen from her owner's bedroom drawer.</p><p>While you might not expect something as small as gum to pose any risk to your dog, many brands feature a chemical that's toxic to your pet.</p><div><figure><amp-img src="https://www.shared.com/content/images/2017/04/640_c56b48ebb805f2d225175f5279d25f16.jpg" srcset="https://www.shared.com/content/images/2017/04/640_c56b48ebb805f2d225175f5279d25f16_GH_content_550px.jpg 550w" sizes="89vw" title="" alt="" height="9" width="16" layout="responsive"></amp-img><figcaption class="op-vertical-center"><cite>edgesuite</cite></figcaption></figure></div><p><!-- [invalid-shortcode] --></p><p></p><p><strong>Xylitol</strong>, an artificial sweeter that's common in sugar-free gum, candy, toothpaste and even vitamins, can cause serious symptoms if your dog eats it.</p><p>Lethargy and vomiting are the most common ones, but in the worst case your dog can fall into a coma. <a href="http://www.livestrong.com/article/264374-does-xylitol-pose-dangers-to-children/">Xylitol can affect your health too</a>, so you should also try to avoid it!</p><p>Luckily vets were able to save Coco in time. The naughty girl somehow opened a drawer to find the gum, and vets found a bottle cap in her stomach as well.</p><p><!-- [invalid-shortcode] --></p><p>Hopefully this experience will teach her not to go looking for treats in the wrong places!</p><p><strong>Share this post to warn other dog owners!</strong></p><div><figure><amp-img src="https://www.shared.com/content/images/2017/04/Sugar-Free-Gum-Packet.jpg" title="" alt="" height="9" width="16" layout="responsive"></amp-img><figcaption class="op-vertical-center"><cite>My Busy Dog</cite></figcaption></figure></div></div>