Do You Know What Xylitol Is?
“Xylitol is a naturally occurring carbohydrate, that looks and tastes just like regular table sugar. It is a natural sweetener that can be extracted from any woody fibrous plant material. Commercially it is extracted from renewable resources such as corn cobs, and also from less environmentally sustainable sources such as hardwood”
Sounds innocent enough- right? It’s natural, found in nature, environmentally friendly, it’s even made in our own bodies! Most dog owners know the dangers chocolate poses to our best friend, but most don’t know that Xylitol is 100% lethal to dogs! We are on the cusp of Valentine’s Day and before you know it Easter will be upon us with all it’s candy galore. Be aware of this hidden danger now!
Xylitol found in gum vs. Chocolate
The picture above from illustrates the minimum amount of Xylitol found in gum that would KILL a dog in comparison to the minimum amount of dark chocolate that would do the same.
Xylitol causes a strong release of insulin in dogs. A small amount will cause a dangerous drop in blood sugar. What most often happens with xylitol ingestion is a seizure, coma, and even death. This can happen within 30 minutes of ingestion.
Look for Xylitol in Ingredient Labels
Xylitol is gaining in popularity every year and added to many ingredients to combat tooth decay, reduce sugar intake especially for diabetics, it’s found in children’s vitamins and now it’s being added to ! How many times have you given your dog peanut butter as a treat?
Xylitol is found in many items, some that might be in your purse right now. Gum, mints from Starbucks, sugar-free candy, baked goods, toothpaste, Flintstone vitamins… the list is endless.
Some products use ‘buzz’ words that you can look for to indicate Xylitol might be in the ingredient list. Be aware of these buzz words it could save your dog’s life. For a complete list of items and brands be sure and check this .
- Sugar Free
- Reduced Sugar
- All Natural
- No Artifical Sweeteners
- Naturally Sweetened
- 100% Natural
- Low Carb
- Low Cal
- Helps Fight Cavities
- Cavity Fighting
- Safe for Diabetics
- Aspartame Free
- Sweetened with Birch Sugar
My Dog Is Sick! What Do I Do?
First, it’s safe to assume that a dog eating any amount of Xylitol could be enough to cause harm. Call your vet immediately and, unfortunately, does not appear to help in this case of poisoning. It’s vital to notify your vet immediately!!!!
In most cases your dog will be admitted to the hospital and put on an IV dextrose drip to support and stabilize their blood sugar levels. The time spent in the hospital will vary depending on the amount that was ingested. There are various signs of toxicity, starting with seizures. Unfortunately, liver failure & blood clotting problems can occur and at this point prognosis is not good at all. Time is of the essence so please act with a sense of urgency!
How Can I Protect My Dog From Getting Xylitol Poisoning?
Fortunately, it’s really easy to prevent a lot of these unfortunate poisonings. We humans need to change some of our basic habits in order to protect our dogs. Xylitol is not going away – it is here to stay, and the odds that packaging labels will include warnings are slim. It’s up to us to change our ways for our pets.
- Dogs have been known to counter surf. Be careful where you lay things down especially baked goods and sweeteners.
- Put your purse, briefcase, backpack in a designated place far out of reach. Chances are you have gum, mints or even chapstick readily available for a curious pet.
- If you brush your dog’s teeth be sure to only use pet toothpaste. Pet products will not include xylitoll or fluoride which is also toxic to pets.
- Always walk your dog on a leash for many reasons but one being that some dogs will eat gum or food on the ground and you never know if it contains this deadly poison.
- If your dog does get into over the 700 items that contain this product contact your vet immediately!!!!
Xylitol is not new but it’s dangers are new to many pet owners. This poison happens quickly and the effects are deadly. Please share this information so other dog owners are aware and can prevent the devastating effects of this poison. Let’s keep our holidays safe and healthy for all our loved ones, including our dogs.
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22 Comments on Xylitol Is A Dog Killer & It’s In Your Kitchen! Elizabeth O February 29, 2016 at 3:50 AM (1 month ago) It’s scary how something so innocent could be so deadly for dogs. Very important information to know. February 16, 2016 at 12:08 PM (2 months ago) Excellent post! I didn’t know about this risk to my fur baby. February 15, 2016 at 8:14 AM (2 months ago) Great information! I had no idea about it..although we don’t have a dog but are planning to get one after 2 years once my daughter is big enough…this info, will come handy! February 15, 2016 at 7:53 AM (2 months ago) I haven’t heard of this before. Our dogs don’t eat any of our food and its is always put away anyway but this is good to keep in mind February 14, 2016 at 10:18 PM (2 months ago) This is freaking crazy! I had no idea. I’ll be really careful about this in the future. February 14, 2016 at 4:25 PM (2 months ago) I yelled at my hubby a few days ago for leaving a pack of gum down on his desk. He did not realizethat xylitol could kill our dogs. February 14, 2016 at 4:17 PM (2 months ago) I do not have any dogs but I did not know about Xylitol, I heard chocolate was bad but dogs but thats all. Pet owners definitely need to be aware. February 14, 2016 at 1:10 PM (2 months ago) Thus post is scary but it’s a must know! This is a great lost. I don’t have a dog but I have a chinchilla who runs around his room. I’m so careful about things I use in the house and in his room. February 12, 2016 at 10:40 PM (2 months ago) Xylitol is so dangerous to dogs, you have to be so careful! Peanut butter really scares me, I give my dogs peanut butter a lot & need to be mindful of the brands I buy. Great post! Love & biscuits, Dogs Luv Us and We Luv Them February 13, 2016 at 8:34 AM (2 months ago) It’s pretty crazy how careful we need to be, it’s in so many products now and it’s so deadly even in small doses! Thanks for the comment! February 12, 2016 at 2:48 AM (2 months ago) This is great information. It’s arelief that we don’t have this at home. February 11, 2016 at 10:48 PM (2 months ago) I blogged a piece on this and it is so awesome to see others doing so. I even stopped buying gum and mints with Xylitol so that prying Dexter my dog doesn’t go through my purse looking. February 12, 2016 at 6:22 AM (2 months ago) Rosa is a counter surfer and Keira will eat anything she finds so I have to be super careful. I didn’t realize it’s in some hand creams too, my dogs love to lick my hands after I use it. Now I need to be aware of that too! February 11, 2016 at 10:45 PM (2 months ago) That is frightening. We only use Dog for Dog butter for the boys. We don’t eat candies or gum but we still check the things we give them. February 11, 2016 at 9:44 PM (2 months ago) I used to love chewing gum, but I stopped buying it because I know it is likely that one of the dogs would get into it sometime. I try to remind myself to check the ingredients list of my regular brands I buy, but a lot of times Idon’t. We are careful with what we feed our dogs, but Theo is always trying to get into something. February 12, 2016 at 6:25 AM (2 months ago) It’s in so many products now it’s difficult to find something without it! I know I always buy the low-cal or a sugar-free option when available. It’s easy for me to change my habits and put things away but not the rest of my family! I still find gum and candy on the counters! February 11, 2016 at 6:57 PM (2 months ago) That is very important information that every dog owner needs to know. Great post! February 11, 2016 at 6:42 PM (2 months ago) This is such important information – particularly with peanut butter! Go natural!! February 11, 2016 at 4:47 PM (2 months ago) Important information! It is surprising the number of things with xylitol in it. I keep melatonin on hand to give 2 of my dogs for fireworks fear. When I was restocking, they were out of my usual brand so I grabbed a different off the shelf. Luckily I stood there still searchingfor my usual brand because I turned over the one I had grabbed and it had xylitol in it. I wouldn’t have thought to look at the ingredients, but I do now! February 11, 2016 at 4:58 PM (2 months ago) Wow! Good catch. It’s in so many products now. When I did my research to write this post I found that a lot of vets aren’t even aware of its dangers yet. Scary! February 11, 2016 at 4:16 PM (2 months ago) Fortunately the brand of peanut butter we use hasn’t made the switch… scary! February 11, 2016 at 3:56 PM (2 months ago) Yes, I read this recently too. So far (from what I’ve read) it’s not in Canadian peanut butter yet but I’m telling everyone I know to check for it in any product and am doing so myself. This is not good. Hidden poison is scary. Leave a Reply
