Xylitol – the dog killer! Keep your dog safe
Have you heard of xylitol? Do you even know what it is? Well, for the sake of your dog’s safety, read this post, Xylitol – the dog killer! It could save your dog’s life.
What is it exactly?
Xylitol is actually a sweetener which is being used more and more in human food products. But is it toxic to dogs. Much more dangerous than chocolate and can kill in a matter of hours.
OK for human consumption but…
Xylitol has quite a good name as sweeteners go, better for humans than perhaps the unhealthier artificial sweetener such as aspartame. It is thought to have great benefits for dental health in humans. Studies have determined that it can actually prevent dental decay by attacking harmful bacteria in the mouth.
The dark side of xylitol
But there’s a dark side to this popular sweetener, it is deadly to dogs and according to veterinarian Dr Eric Barchas:
Dogs’ bodies react differently to xylitol. The compound tricks their bodies into believing that blood sugar is too high. Insulin is released by the pancreas, causing actual blood sugar to drop to dangerous levels. Dogs who have consumed xylitol must be hospitalized for up to several days so that intravenous dextrose (sugar) can be administered to prevent fatal hypoglycemia.
Dogs who consume xylitol also are at risk of idiopathic hepatic necrosis. In
other words, xylitol causes liver failure for unexplained reasons in some dogs that consume it.
Long story short: Xylitol is really bad news for dogs. And dogs tend to be drawn to minty, sweet, or aromatic things. They regularly consume packs of gum and wind up in the hospital for days.
Check out the Pet Poison Helpline
According to the Pet Poison Helpline, Xylitol is everywhere! Check out this website and download a free PDF on xylitol. This will give you an idea of the foods you have to look out for which contain xylitol. One favourite food to stuff into Kong toys is peanut butter! Check the one you have does not contain xylitol!
Teach your dog to” leave it!”
Apart from recall, the “leave it” command is so important to teach your precious pet. It could save their lives. I have used this command on both my dogs when they have picked up something dangerous from the local park. Practice the command every day until it becomes a habit for your dog. Don’t forget to reward with a favourite toy or treat when your dog obeys the ‘leave it’ command.
Teach your kids
Our park is frequented by children who go to the adjacent school. They often throw food and other litter around the park and this includes their chewing gum. Why they don’t use the many bins, beats me and infuriates me to boot! Teaching children about the dangers this poses to dogs in the park, may be a good idea also. Apart from being litter louts, the thought they may actually harm a dog, may make them think twice before dropping chewing gum and other food stuffs in a public place such as a park.
The harrowing story of Ruby
A beautiful Hungarian Vizsla called Ruby died from xylitol poisoning recently. She was 7 years old and a beloved pet. Ruby ingested it after stealing homemade brownies which her owner had sweetened with xylitol. The family is full of guilt and remorse. They knew nothing of how deadly this sweetener was to their precious pet.
No one told them about xylitol
The owners did not know that Ruby should have been rushed to the vets immediately. After she had vomited and collapsed some 36 hours later she was taken to the vet. The dog battled for 8 days in intensive care but succumbed to the lethal xylitol.
The level of grief and heartache this family suffered was immense and they want to spread the word about this danger to dogs so no other family has to suffer their trauma and heartbreak.
Check your food cupboards
All dog owners need to be aware of this toxic affect on dogs. They also need to look carefully at food labels and discard any food stuffs in their home that contain xylitol. This will at least ensure that their dog will have no contact in their home of this killer substance. Diligence is also necessary when out walking your dogs to make sure they do not pick up anything off the ground that could possibly do them harm.
According to the Poison Line documents, hundreds of deaths from xylitol happen each year. But they think the true figure could be in the thousands. Don’t let your dog be one of them.
Check this image courtesy of www.seniordogdays.com The site also has some tips on how to keep your dog safe from xylitol.
Hopefully this post will give the heads up to those that know nothing of xylitol. You can also help by sharing this post and spreading the information. Thank you.
Hello there, thanks for this very educational post. I never knew there was such adverse effect of this product on dogs. There have been cases of chocolate intake which I’m very aware of, but this is her new to me. I’ll inform my kids to keep it away from the pet. But looking at cases where its used for a meal which is to be given to a human, if consumed by the dog, will iy still have same effect?
Thanks for your comment Chloe. As for your question, I would certainly not give my two dogs anything that has had xylitol added at any time as a sweetener. I will not have it in the house. Ruby, the dog that died actually stole a brownie meant for the family to eat. The owner had put xylitol into the brownie mixture to sweeten the recipe. She had no idea of its danger. What a terrible way to find out the toxicity of this product.
First off, this site is beautifully put together. I was drawn instantly and could not just read one or two posts. I had no idea this sweetener could poison our babies. I have not heard of it around our area, but definitely something to pass on to other dog lovers and keep in mind. Thank you for this informative post and all the other topics with things to try.
Melissa
Thank you for your kind comments about the site Lisa. Most people are completely unaware this sweetener even exists, apart from its toxicity for dogs. Please spread the information. Thank you.
Hello,
I thank you very much for your warning to take care of our dogs from ingesting Kylitol the killer sweetener.
I live in my farm always very well accompanied with 3 dogs that give me joy and company.
I think that the best that humans have dogs is to avoid the consumption of this sweetener so deadly for our beloved dogs. Thank you very much for sharing.
Thank you for your comment Claudio. Yes, our dogs are a joy and we want to do all we can to keep them safe. Please spread the information to other dog owners you know. Thank you.