# WARNING Watch out for Xylitol!!!



## mellowbo (Aug 12, 2007)

Xylitol is a sugar alcohol used as a sweetener in many products, including sugar-free gum, chewable vitamins, oral care products and baked goods.

My next door neighbor's dog got a piece of sugarless gum and almost died! He developed sudden liver failure. His treatment has been extensive and is taking a long time but he does seem to be getting better.

Our Havs are little thieves so my DH and I are adding gum to our list of things to be really careful with.


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## Rita (Jan 1, 2007)

Thanks for the post. That's scarry.


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## irnfit (Nov 21, 2006)

I read about xylitol quite a while ago. So, then I started checking ingredients, and it is listed on some treats. So be careful. You have to check everything. Between reading labels on people food, and now dog food, I'll never get out of the store.


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## mellowbo (Aug 12, 2007)

Yikes, thanks Michele, I never thought it could be in dog treats.
:frusty:


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## Lynn (Jan 2, 2007)

thank you for sharing that infor....I have sugar-less gum everwhere. I will be more careful with it now....had no idea.


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## pjewel (Apr 11, 2007)

Oh swell. One more thing to worry about. I have sugarless gum everywhere. Yikes, where does it end?


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## juliav (Nov 21, 2006)

This is so scarry!! There seems to be no end to the possible food dangers...sigh.


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## good buddy (Feb 20, 2007)

I don't have lots of gum in the house, but what else might have this xylitol in it, I wonder?


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## Laurief (Nov 7, 2006)

I never knew anything about the ingredients in the gum, but I flip out whenever my kids friends spit their chewed gum out on my lawn or driveway. I always worried about the dogs getting in their fur, now I know there is even a larger danger!! Lily got a hold of an Equal packet the other day, thankfully I got it away from her, but she did get a little powder in her mouth- that is scary.


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## Leslie (Feb 28, 2007)

I've found _most_ sugarless gum doesn't have Xylitol as the sweetener. I know this, because my dentist says that Xylitol sweetened gum seems to help fight tooth decay better than gum sweetened w/aspartame, which I'm finding is the sweetener in most of them. I've actually been looking for gum sweetened w/it. Now I guess I have to decide between the risk to Tori and the risk of cavities. Geez...why does life have to be so complicated??? :frusty:


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## Lina (Apr 26, 2007)

My vet actually warned me about Xylitol, so we're always extra careful with gum and tooth paste around here. I'm glad your neighbor's dog is recovering!


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## dschles (Jan 23, 2007)

*A very bad day for my sweet golden retriever*

*This is a very important warning.* Our golden had a really bad day today. She had her teeth cleaned this morning and one tooth extracted. Because of the anesthesia, she couldn't have any food after 10 pm yesterday. She came home around 4:00. Around 7:30 tonight and before she had been fed (we had given her water, and were planning to feed her shortly), she got into a pack of Orbit sugar-free gum and had about 7 pieces. Because I had read about the risks of xylitol, I rushed her to the Animal Emergency Hospital. They induced vomiting (and she did vomit some gum). But, because there could still be some in her system, they are keeping her overnight, giving her an IV and monitoring her liver. A very costly lesson for our family, and especially for my 9 year old daughter who left the gum out (even though I had warned her about this about two days ago).


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## MaddiesMom (Apr 1, 2007)

Wow, Diane....how scary. Its a good reminder for all of us. I hope your Golden recovers with no problems.


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## dschles (Jan 23, 2007)

From what they tell us at the Animal Hospital, she should be fine. She is getting good treatment. While a part of me thinks she might have been fine without all this medical intervention, I couldn't take that risk.

On a side note, my daughter left a note for the tooth fairy under her pillow with our Golden's tooth that was extracted. She told the tooth fairy about our Golden's day, and wrote that our Golden could use a new toy or treat when she gets home, but asked that the tooth fairy not leave any toys made in China.


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## mellowbo (Aug 12, 2007)

Diane, what a cute story bout your daughter. I'm glad your Golden is doing well. I'm also glad you took her in. Do you think they would have pumped her stomach, etc., if they didn't think medical intervention was necessary? I sure would like to think not, but I guess we never know with vets, lol.
Your signature pic of Scout and Roxy is adorable.


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## juliav (Nov 21, 2006)

Diane,

How very scarry, I wish Roxy speedy recovery and hope that she is home with you soon.
What sweet story about your little girl. 

Sending healing wibes and puppy kisses Roxy's way.


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## Me&2Girls (May 11, 2007)

Oh boy Diane - so glad that Roxy is going to be fine. The story of your daughter for the tooth fairy is just too cute. Hugs to you and yours.


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## kelrobin (Jan 21, 2008)

Thanks, everyone, for the warning. I know xylitol is a great additive to gum for humans . . . never knew it was so lethal for dogs. Found a piece in my son's pocket when he was home and I was doing some wash. It could have fallen on the floor and I would have never known . . .


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## dschles (Jan 23, 2007)

Thanks for the good wishes for Roxy. Roxy is expected to come home tonight (we visited her this morning; she is on an IV drip and is being monitored). She seems to be doing great.

I have learned a lot about the danger of xylitol to dogs during the last 20 hours. Had it not been from one of the lists I read, I would not even have been aware of the risk. Awareness of the risk, though, proved not enough to keep Roxy safe. I had warned my kids not to leave the gum out, but they did. Anyhow, had I not recently read about the risk of xylitol to dogs, I certainly would not have rushed Roxy to the emergency hospital last night (at least I caught Roxy in the act and knew what she had eaten; if she had eaten all the evidence, I would not have known).

*I hope everyone on the forum reads this warning and knows to take canine xylitol ingestions seriously. From what I have read, one stick of gum with xylitol could cause serious problems for a havanese-sized dog. * The vet at the emergency hospital told me that sorbitol (another artificial sweetener) also can pose problems for dogs -- mostly vomiting, I think. Xylitol poses two risks to dogs: liver failure and a dangerous drop in blood sugar.

Below is some information from a press release from the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center:

According to Dr. Eric Dunayer, veterinarian and toxicologist for the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center, dogs ingesting significant amounts of items sweetened with xylitol could develop a fairly sudden drop in blood sugar, resulting in depression, loss of coordination and seizures. "These signs can develop quite rapidly, at times less than 30 minutes after ingestion of the product. Therefore, it is crucial that pet owners seek veterinary treatment immediately." Dr. Dunayer also stated that there appears to be a strong link between xylitol ingestions and the development of liver failure in dogs.

While it was previously thought that only large concentrations of xylitol could result in problems, this appears to no longer be the case. "We seem to be learning new information with each subsequent case we manage," says Dr. Dunayer. "Our concern used to be mainly with products that contain xylitol as one of the first ingredients. However, we have begun to see problems developing from ingestions of products with lesser amounts of this sweetener." He also says that with smaller concentrations of xylitol, the onset of clinical signs could be delayed as much as 12 hours after ingestion. "Therefore, it is important to keep in mind that even if your pet does not develop signs right away, it does not mean that problems won't develop later on."

The ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center strongly urges pet owners to be especially diligent in keeping candy, gum or other foods containing xylitol out of the reach of pets. As with any potentially toxic substance, should accidental exposures occur, it is important to contact your local veterinarian or the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center for immediate assistance.


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## Missy (Nov 6, 2006)

OH dear. I am glad Roxy is ok and scheduled to come home tonight. Soooo did the tooth fairy come through with a new toy? 

Thanks for the thread Carole.


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## dschles (Jan 23, 2007)

The tooth fairy brought a Chuck It toy -- a soccer ball face with a rope attached. It was made in Vietnam. I am not sure if that is much better than China. So far, Roxy has shown no interest in it (although she loves her Chuck It balls that we throw for her).

I noticed today on dogtoys.com that they have a section of dog toys made in the USA -- http://www.dogtoys.com/madeinusa.html. Even with toys made in the USA, I wonder if some of the materials come from China.


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