Most pet owners know that chocolate is toxic to dogs…but did you know that sugar-free gum can be deadly?

Xylitol, the sugar substitute found commonly in sugar-free gum and candy, is the culprit. In dogs, xylitol causes a strong surge of insulin release leading to severely low blood sugar levels (hypoglyemia). Hypoglycemia can develop within 30 minutes to hours after ingestion of xylitol and cause weakness, incoordination, collapse, seizures, coma and even death in dogs. Liver failure has also been reported in dogs ingesting xylitol.

The ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center (APCC) reports that it only takes a small amount of xylitol for dogs to develop symptoms; one or two pieces of gum contain enough xylitol to be toxic to a 20 pound dog. In the last few years, the APCC reports hundreds of dogs have been treated for xylitol toxicity and the number of cases has doubled every year since 2004.

In this age of Americans watching their diets by using artificial sweeteners, it is important to know that not all products safe for humans are safe for pets. Dog owners should check all low-calorie products they are using as xylitol can be found in gum, sugar-free candy, sugar-free pudding, baked goods, energy bars and even toothpaste. Keep any xylitol-containing products well out of range of Rover’s sniffer to prevent accidental ingestion.

If you suspect or know that your dog has eaten xylitol, seek veterinary care immediately.

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This entry was posted on Monday, September 8th, 2008 at 9:30 am and is filed under Dr Donna Spector, Pet Health. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.