A to Z April Challenge Letter X
Xylitol. Deadly to Dogs! Do you know what Xylitol is? I had no idea. Xylitol is a sugar alcohol. It’s an artificial sweetener created from rasperries, plums and corn. It’s found in a lot of different products gum (like IceBreakers), candy, toothpaste and more.
It’s not bad for humans, but could be fatal for dogs!! Signs of toxicity can be seen as quickly as 30 minutes! Here is a list of what to look for if your dog ingests Xylitol.
- Vomiting
- Weakness
- Ataxia (uncoordinated movements)
- Depression
- Hypokalemia (decreased potassium)
- Seizures
- Coma
- Liver dysfunction and/or failure
If you suspect that your pet has eaten a xylitol-containing sweet or food, please contact your veterinarian or Animal Poison Control Center immediately.
A to Z Challenge: Blog everyday except Sunday (per the rules) with my theme being what makes me happy, what inspires me and what makes me ME!!! So be prepared for more information about me than you ever wanted to know!!
13 Comments
Jennifer Duggin
I have a 5lb. puppy who ate a piece of gum in November. She became violently ill, but luckily made it through those three days. Xylitol is horrible for dogs. It terrified me that my fur baby was going to die, now I won’t even have the stuff in my house. Thanks for informing! Jennifer a.k.a Urban Gypsy Girl
Lisa
Thanks so much for this info. Did not know this and have a small dog that likes to eat anything. Great post. Thanks for dropping by my blog and leaving a comment! Nice to meet you through A to Z…
Hannah Brooker
I never knew this. Will pass it on to a lot of dog owning relatives!
New follower 🙂
Alison Sommer
woah. Good to know.
Ornery's Wife
I have heard of xylitol and seen it in the health food stores, but I am more of a stevia fan, so I never tried it. Interesting to know that about dogs.
tm
Amy
I knew what xylitol was, but I have nefer heard this. Great information. I need to go all the way back to A!
Rob-bear
An Xcelent post, Connie. I don’t have my dog any more, but great for any animal owner.
Blessings and Bear hugs!
Bears Noting
Life in the Urban Forest (That’s my poetry blog)
livinginaction
In South Korea, little old men and women sell gum called Xylitol (think chicklets) in the subways as way to earn a living. In chewing gum form, it’s quite good.
Diane K.Brimmer
Wow, I didn’t know this at all. I am so glad to see your post on this. I will have to do some research on Xylitol to find what else it has it in. Thanks for sharing.
Kristen Dyrr
I had to follow you after seeing your comment about living in Vista. 🙂 I lived in San Marcos, and my brother still lives there. I plan on moving back soon, to Encinitas! 🙂
Anyway, I used to use Xylitol as sweetener for awhile, because it’s supposed to be good for your teeth. That’s why it can be found in some toothpaste! I didn’t know it was bad for dogs though, so thank you for that info.
#atozchallenge, Kristen’s blog: kristenhead.blogspot.com
Tammy S
Thanks for posting this. I didn’t know about this. I mean I have heard there are certain things you should never let your dog eat. Now I know why. Thank you!!
Stephanie Hasty
now i know why we’re never supposed to let dogs eat toothpaste and why they have to have special dog toothpaste…thanks!
just visiting from A-Z 🙂
Leslie
What a very informative post! I really appreciate you putting the info out there. So many things that we don’t even question can hurt our pets (and as stated here – things we don’t think about!)