{"id":2297,"date":"2020-01-11T10:29:52","date_gmt":"2020-01-11T15:29:52","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.smokymountaindoodles.com\/?p=2297"},"modified":"2020-01-11T10:40:14","modified_gmt":"2020-01-11T15:40:14","slug":"xylitol-poisoning-in-dogs-a-deadly-sugar-substitue","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.smokymountaindoodles.com\/?p=2297","title":{"rendered":"Xylitol Poisoning In Dogs: A Deadly Sugar Substitue"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/www.pethealthnetwork.com\/pet-news\/our-experts\/dr-justine-a-lee-dvm-dacvecc\">Dr.\nJustine A. Lee, DVM, DACVECC<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/www.pethealthnetwork.com\/dog-health\/dog-toxins-poisons\">Dog\nToxins &amp; Poisons<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\nWith\nAmerica on a weight-loss craze, everything nowadays is sugar-free.\nWhile this is likely good for you, it\u2019s potentially very dangerous\nfor your dog.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\nThe\nproblem is that many sugar-free products contain xylitol. So what\nexactly is this scary sounding chemical (pronounced zi-li-tol)?\nXylitol is a sugar-free substance used as a sugar substitute. It\u2019s\ncommonly called a \u201csugar alcohol,\u201d and is naturally found in\ncertain fruit (in small amounts). Xylitol has gained recent\npopularity because it is sugar-free, reducing caloric intake for\nhumans. It also is thought to protect cavities in people.<br>\n<br>\n<strong>Xylitol\nis commonly found in many household products including the following:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul><li>\n\tDiabetic\n\tsnacks (e.g., gums)\n\t<\/li><li>\n\tDiabetic\n\tfoods\n\t<\/li><li>\n\tBaked\n\tgoods\n\t<\/li><li>\n\tGums\n\t<\/li><li>\n\tMints\n\t<\/li><li>\n\tCandies\n\t<\/li><li>\n\tMouthwashes\n\t<\/li><li>\n\tToothpastes\n\t(in large amounts!)\n\t<\/li><li>\n\tChewable\n\tsugar-free multivitamins\n\t<\/li><li>\n\tChewable\n\tsugar-free prenatal medications\n\t<\/li><li>\n\tNasal\n\tsprays\n\t<\/li><li><a href=\"http:\/\/www.pethealthnetwork.com\/video\/are-human-medications-safe-dogs\">Medications\n\t(including oral pills over-the-counter like melatonin or\n\tprescription medications like gabapentin)<\/a>\n<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>\nAs\nyou can see from this list, xylitol is in just about everything\nnow.<br>\n<br>\nWhile it\u2019s completely safe for humans, it results\nin a severe insulin release when ingested by non-primate species\n(e.g., dogs!). Acute poisoning will occur in dogs, resulting in two\nmain syndromes: hypoglycemia (i.e., a life-threateningly low\nblood&nbsp;sugar) and acute hepatic necrosis (i.e., severe liver\nfailure).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\n<strong>Symptoms\nof xylitol poisoning in dogs include the following:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul><li>\n\tWeakness\n\tor lethargy\n\t<\/li><li>\n\tDepression\n\t<\/li><li>\n\tWalking\n\tdrunk\n\t<\/li><li>\n\tAcute\n\tcollapse\n\t<\/li><li>\n\tVomiting\n\t<\/li><li>\n\tTrembling\n\tor tremoring\n\t<\/li><li>\n\tSeizures\n\t<\/li><li>\n\tA\n\tracing heart rate\n\t<\/li><li>\n\tJaundiced\n\tgums\n\t<\/li><li>\n\tBlack-tarry\n\tstool\n\t<\/li><li>\n\tDiarrhea\n\t<\/li><li>\n\tBruising\n\t<\/li><li>\n\tAbnormal\n\tmentation\n\t<\/li><li>\n\tClotting\n\tproblems\n\t<\/li><li>\n\tDeath\n<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>\nIf\nyou think your dog was accidentally poisoned by a sugar-free product,\nfirst, stay calm! Next, read the ingredients to see if the product\ncontained xylitol. The general rule is that if xylitol is listed in\nthe first 3-5 ingredients (typically in order of the amount that they\nappear in the food or product), it is going to be poisonous!*<br>\n<br>\n*If\nyour dog does get into something sugar-free, always check the\ningredient list. Note that other sound-a-likes like sorbitol,\nmaltitol, and erythritol are not poisonous to dogs. Likewise, other\nsugar-free products such as stevia, saccharin, sucralose, aspartame,\netc. are also not poisonous to dogs. If your dog gets into one of\nthese other sound-a-likes, it\u2019s not poisonous. No need to worry, as\nlong as you\u2019re positive there\u2019s no xylitol!<br>\n<br>\nWith\nxylitol poisoning, it is imperative to calculate whether a toxic dose\nhas been ingested. In dogs, doses &gt; 0.1 g\/kg are considered toxic\nand result in profound, sudden problems. Higher doses (&gt; 0.5 g\/kg)\nof xylitol have been associated with acute hepatic necrosis. Many\npieces of candy and gum (e.g., Orbit\u2122, Trident\u2122, Ice Breakers\u2122)\ncontain various amounts of xylitol ranging, on average, from 2\nmg\/piece to 1.0 grams\/piece. Unfortunately, not all sources are\ndisclosed by the company (e.g., how many grams of xylitol may be in\neach piece of gum) so sometimes it\u2019s hard to calculate a toxic\ndose.<br>\n<br>\n<strong>If your dog did ingest a poisonous dose of\nxylitol, treatment includes the following:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul><li>\n\tChecking\n\ta stat blood sugar level with your veterinarian. If it\u2019s normal\n\tand ingestion was recent (within a few hours), your veterinarian may\n\tinduce vomiting.\n\t<\/li><li>If\n\tyour dog is&nbsp;hypoglycemic, a stat bolus of intravenous (IV)\n\tdextrose (i.e., sugar) is a must, followed by hospitalization.\n\tTreatment will include IV fluids with sugar supplementation (e.g.,\n\tdextrose) for a minimum of 12-18 hours. If your dog is able to\n\tmaintain his blood sugar as the dextrose supplementation is weaned\n\tdown over time, then your dog can go home!\n\t<\/li><li>\n\tIf\n\tyour veterinarian induced vomiting in your dog, make sure they skip\n\tthe charcoal \u2013 no need for your veterinarian to give activated\n\tcharcoal (i.e., a black liquid product that binds up some poisons).\n\tCharcoal does not reliably bind to xylitol, so it\u2019s not necessary\n\twith xylitol poisoning.\n\t<\/li><li>\n\tIf\n\ta toxic dose was ingested and not vomited back up, your veterinarian\n\twill recommend hospitalizing your dog for IV fluids, dextrose\n\tsupplementation, and symptomatic supportive care.\n\t<\/li><li>\n\tCareful\n\tmonitoring of blood work (including the liver enzymes, electrolytes\n\tand blood sugar) is imperative.\n\t<\/li><li>\n\tIf\n\tyour dog ingested a dose approaching the liver-toxic amount of\n\txylitol, the use of liver protectants (e.g., SAMe, milk thistle,\n\tn-acetylcysteine) is warranted. Most dogs are sent home on liver\n\tprotectants for several weeks, while rechecking liver enzymes\n\tfrequently at your veterinarian, to be on the safe side.\n<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>When\nin doubt, if you think your dog got into xylitol, contact your\nveterinarian or an&nbsp;<a href=\"http:\/\/www.aspca.org\/pet-care\/animal-poison-control\">Animal\nPoison Control Center<\/a>&nbsp;right\naway for life-saving care. They can help calculate and determine\nwhether or not the amount of xylitol ingested was poisonous or not.\nAlways try to keep these products or foods out of reach of your\npets.<br>\n<br>\nRemember,&nbsp;<a href=\"http:\/\/www.pethealthnetwork.com\/lifestyle\/top-10-canine-toxins-part-i\">with\nany pet poisoning<\/a>,\nthe sooner you recognize the problem and seek veterinary attention,\nthe less expensive and less dangerous it is to your pet!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>If\nyou have any questions or concerns, you should always visit or call\nyour veterinarian &#8212; they are your best resource to ensure the health\nand well-being of your pets.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\n<strong>Related\nsymptoms:&nbsp;<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.pethealthnetwork.com\/symptoms\/lethargic\">Lethargic<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.pethealthnetwork.com\/symptoms\/depression\">Depression<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.pethealthnetwork.com\/symptoms\/clumsy\">Clumsy<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.pethealthnetwork.com\/symptoms\/collapse\">Collapse<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.pethealthnetwork.com\/symptoms\/vomiting\">Vomiting<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.pethealthnetwork.com\/symptoms\/tremors\">Tremors<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.pethealthnetwork.com\/symptoms\/seizure\">Seizure<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.pethealthnetwork.com\/symptoms\/abnormal-pulse\">Abnormal\nPulse<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.pethealthnetwork.com\/symptoms\/yellow-gums\">Yellow\nGums<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.pethealthnetwork.com\/symptoms\/black-stool\">Black\nStool<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.pethealthnetwork.com\/symptoms\/diarrhea\">Diarrhea<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.pethealthnetwork.com\/symptoms\/bruising\">Bruising<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Dr. Justine A. Lee, DVM, DACVECC Dog Toxins &amp; Poisons With America on a weight-loss craze, everything nowadays is sugar-free.[&#8230;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":2299,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[101],"tags":[112,91,15,18,7,84,125],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.smokymountaindoodles.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2297"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.smokymountaindoodles.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.smokymountaindoodles.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.smokymountaindoodles.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.smokymountaindoodles.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=2297"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.smokymountaindoodles.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2297\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2298,"href":"https:\/\/www.smokymountaindoodles.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2297\/revisions\/2298"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.smokymountaindoodles.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/2299"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.smokymountaindoodles.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=2297"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.smokymountaindoodles.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=2297"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.smokymountaindoodles.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=2297"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}