Xylitol poisoning in dogs

Your peanut-butter-and-jelly sandwich for lunch, the tasty ice cream you have for dessert, the breath mints in your purse, the gummy vitamins on your counter — all of these items may contain the sweetener xylitol.

Xylitol, sometimes called “birch sugar,” is a sweet substance found in many plants and fruits, including corn, oats, and plums. It’s often used as a substitute for sugar, and it’s becoming popular in human products because it adds sweetness but has fewer calories than sugar. It even has plaque-fighting properties, making it ideal for dental items like mints and toothpaste. Xylitol looks a lot like sugar in its white, powdery form after manufacturing.

Many products you use every day contain xylitol, including:

• Gum/mints. Each piece of sugar-free gum or mint has about 0.22 to 1 gram of xylitol.
• Toothpaste and other oral care products. Xylitol is beneficial for human teeth, especially when used with fluoride in toothpaste. Xylitol makes up about 5% to 35% of a typical tube of toothpaste.
• Gummy vitamins. Sugar-free vitamins often use xylitol to make them taste better.
• Over-the-counter medications. In recent years, xylitol is becoming common in medications, especially fast-dissolving tablets and liquid medicines.
• Sweetened processed foods. Xylitol is a natural sweetener that is lower in calories compared to sugar, which is why it’s an increasingly popular ingredient in store-bought sweets such as pudding, baked goods, ice cream, and peanut butter.

While xylitol is a common sugar substitute that is safe for humans, it is incredibly dangerous for dogs. In people, this ingredient does not trigger the pancreas to release insulin. However, dogs quickly absorb xylitol into their bloodstream Trusted Source U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Government agency. Go to source , causing their pancreas to rapidly release a potent amount of insulin. This causes a quick — and in some cases deadly — drop in blood sugar known as hypoglycemia. Xylitol-induced hypoglycemia takes about 30 minutes, on average, to show symptoms but can range from as little as 10 minutes to an hour.

👉As little as 0.05 grams per pound of body weight can cause xylitol poisoning.

Even small amounts of xylitol can induce low blood sugar and dangerous symptoms in dogs, and it only takes about 30 minutes after ingestion for poisoning to take effect. With immediate vet care, most dogs do recover but may suffer long-term effects including seizures, liver failure, or brain damage. In some cases, xylitol poisoning can be deadly.

Dogs may show the following symptoms shortly after eating xylitol:

• Vomiting
• Lethargy
• Lack of coordination or staggered walking
• Collapsing
• Seizures

The best way to avoid xylitol poisoning in dogs is to feed your pup food made for dogs (no scraping dinner leftovers into the dog’s food bowl!) and keep risky items, like human food, medications, and cleaners, out of reach or locked up. Here are some additional tips.

Check food labels — Pet parents love to share snacks with their pets. While you check for ingredients that aren’t safe for dogs, look closely for hidden ingredients like xylitol as well.

Don’t feed Fido from your plate — It’s tempting to give in to those big, brown puppy eyes and feed your pup a little food from your plate. However, if you’re eating processed foods, especially sweets, they may contain xylitol.

Store food and other items out of reach — If your curious doggie tends to try to sneak into the pantry or rummage through your purse, they could eat gum, mints, cookies, or other items containing xylitol. Make sure to store foods, medications, oral care products, and other potentially hazardous household products out of reach or lock them up to prevent any accidental xylitol ingestion.

Your dog will need immediate veterinary treatment for the highest chance of recovering from xylitol poisoning. The vet may use apomorphine to induce vomiting and prevent your dog from further absorbing the xylitol in their blood. The vet will likely also use intravenous fluids or medications to protect the liver, as liver failure can occur from xylitol poisoning.

Your dog will likely need blood tests and undergo monitoring to make sure blood glucose and liver function return to normal. Do not try to induce vomiting at home for suspected xylitol poisoning unless a vet tells you to. Emergency vet visits may be covered by pet insurance — find out what is (and isn’t) included by reading our insurance coverage guide.