# Something else deadly for our dogs



## Ollie"s Mom (May 23, 2014)

I was watching the local news last night and was shocked to hear a story about a Standard Poodle that had gotten in to his owners handbag. The dog found a package of gum and of course he ate it. Turns out the dog barely survived this snack as the gum had the artificial sweetener Zylitol in it. I did not know this, but Zylitol is deadly to dogs. It is found in all kinds of products that are artificially sweetened. It is harmless to humans of course, but not our dogs. The Poodle was very large and ate the entire pack of gum, so his case was severe, but I kept thinking my dog would devour the whole pack too if given the chance and at his size I don't think he would have made it. The Poodle took many, many days to recover and the whole time the vet kept him at his clinic under constant watch. The cost was extreme. Worth it though because of the happy ending. I thought this should be addressed to give you all a heads up in case you are like me and had never heard of this.


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## Heather's (Jun 18, 2012)

I never buy sugar free products anymore. I always remind my husband to not leave gum in the car where the pups can find it.


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## krandall (Jun 11, 2009)

Ollie"s Mom said:


> I was watching the local news last night and was shocked to hear a story about a Standard Poodle that had gotten in to his owners handbag. The dog found a package of gum and of course he ate it. Turns out the dog barely survived this snack as the gum had the artificial sweetener Zylitol in it. I did not know this, but Zylitol is deadly to dogs. It is found in all kinds of products that are artificially sweetened. It is harmless to humans of course, but not our dogs. The Poodle was very large and ate the entire pack of gum, so his case was severe, but I kept thinking my dog would devour the whole pack too if given the chance and at his size I don't think he would have made it. The Poodle took many, many days to recover and the whole time the vet kept him at his clinic under constant watch. The cost was extreme. Worth it though because of the happy ending. I thought this should be addressed to give you all a heads up in case you are like me and had never heard of this.


Yes, xylitol is EXTREMELY dangerous. Even a small amount can be deadly to a small dog.

Many pet owners know this, and would always avoid letting their dog get at sugar free gum or candy. But worse, MOST of us feed at least small amounts of peanut butter to our dogs from time to time, and at least one brand of peanut butter has started using xylitol as a sweetener. Where one has started, others are sure to follow, because it is a very inexpensive sweetener. So be SURE to read peanut butter jars CAREFULLY before feeding any to your dog!!!


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## davetgabby (Dec 29, 2007)

yes I know of a dog that died.

"The hypoglycemic dose of xylitol for dogs is considered to be approximately 0.1 grams per kilogram of body weight (about 0.45 gram per pound). A typical stick of gum contains 0.3 to 0.4 grams of xylitol which means that a 10-lb dog could be poisoned by as little as a stick and a half of gum.

The dose to cause hepatic necrosis is 1 gram per kilogram of body weight, about ten times more than the above dose. In the example above, the 10-lb dog would have to find an unopened package of gum and eat it for liver destruction to occur.

Treatment

Ideally, the patient can be seen quickly (within 30 minutes) and can be made to vomit the gum or candy. Beyond this, a sugar IV drip is prudent for a good 24 hours. Liver enzyme and blood clotting tests are monitored for two to three days. Blood levels of potassium are ideally monitored as well. Elevated blood phosphorus levels often bode poorly, and patients that develop hepatic necrosis usually do not survive"


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## JoePat (May 2, 2015)

If it is that bad for dogs it just can not be that good for humans either. Around here we only eat organic foods and honey as a sweetener.


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## krandall (Jun 11, 2009)

JoePat said:


> If it is that bad for dogs it just can not be that good for humans either. Around here we only eat organic foods and honey as a sweetener.


Well.. that's not QUITE true. Dogs can eat things we can't (like spoiled meat) without getting sick. On the flip side, grapes and avocados and onions (especially organic ones! ) are wonderful foods for humans, and all are potentially toxic for dogs.

I don't use Xylitol personally, but my husband is diabetic, and does enjoy something sweet from time to time. So he does, on occasion, eat or drink things with xylitol in them. He's just very, very careful around the dogs!

BTW, xylitol is very often the sweetener used in toothpaste too!


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## davetgabby (Dec 29, 2007)

JoePat said:


> If it is that bad for dogs it just can not be that good for humans either. Around here we only eat organic foods and honey as a sweetener.


don't know about it with humans but numerous articles have been written on the adverse effects of various sweeteners for dozens of years. I try to avoid them and would sooner drink a coke or pepsi not diet. Here's some example of a few articles. http://aspartame.mercola.com/


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## krandall (Jun 11, 2009)

davetgabby said:


> don't know about it with humans but numerous articles have been written on the adverse effects of various sweeteners for dozens of years. I try to avoid them and would sooner drink a coke or pepsi not diet. Here's some example of a few articles. http://aspartame.mercola.com/


I agree. My point was only that what's good for humans isn't NECESSARILY good for dogs and vice versa.


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## bubarkanpssi (Apr 18, 2015)

JoePat said:


> If it is that bad for dogs it just can not be that good for humans either. Around here we only eat organic foods and honey as a sweetener.


Good advice, I will try it at home


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