Sugar substitutes are big business. Less sugar can mean weight loss, improved health, diabetic control, and even reduced tooth decay. The quest for products that can sweeten and cook like sugar is ongoing. Xylitol is a common sugar substitute, especially when it comes to sugarless gum. Not only does xylitol offer sweetness without calories, it also has antibacterial properties in the mouth so as to reduce periodontal disease and has been found to have far reaching health benefits in other areas of the body. Xylitol may help with osteoporosis, preventing ear and throat infections, and may reduce risk of endometriosis, uterine fibroids, even breast cancer.
Sounds wonderful and maybe it is – if you are a human. If you are a dog, xylitol is potentially lethal. Though xylitol has been popping up in all kinds of foods and dental products in the last several years, peanut butter can be of special concern. Dogs fed straight peanut butter as a treat or fed treats baked with xylitol-containing peanut butter may certainly be at risk for harm. Second, a dog that nabs the entire jar of xylitol-containing peanut butter and gorges on his or her treat without anyone knowing could quickly become extremely ill. If this occurred during the day while you were not home, it’s possible the dog could die before you returned. The veterinarians in Markham are urging pet owners to be vigilant about checking labels and looking for keywords that can indicate that a food contains xylitol. Something else to check is whether the packaging says “sweetened naturally” or that it uses a “natural sweetener.” It is a common misconception that xylitol is an artificial sweetener—it is not. It’s normally found in small amounts in fruits and vegetables, so if you see those terms, look deeper to see if xylitol is listed. Chemically, xylitol is classified as a sugar alcohol, so this is another phrase to look for. Because xylitol and other sugar alcohols technically are not sugar, they may also be found in products labeled “sugar free” or “no sugar added”.
Two Deadly Effects of Xylitol
Hypoglycemia
In the canine body, the pancreas confuses xylitol with real sugar and releases insulin to store the sugar. The problem is that xylitol does not offer the extra calories of sugar and the rush of insulin only serves to remove the real sugar from the circulation. Blood sugar levels plummet resulting in weakness, disorientation, tremors, and potentially seizures.
It does not take many sticks of gum to poison a dog, especially a small dog (see below for toxic doses). Symptoms typically begin within 30 minutes and can last for more than 12 hours but, since xylitol can be absorbed into the body slowly, symptoms may not begin until 12 hours after the xylitol was eaten. Symptoms begin with vomiting and then progress to inco-ordination, collapse, and seizures.
Hepatic Necrosis
The other reaction associated with xylitol in dogs is destruction of liver tissue. How this happens remains unknown but the doses of xylitol required to produce this effect are much higher than the hypoglycemic doses described above. Signs take longer to show up (typically 8-12 hours) and surprisingly not all dogs who experience hepatic necrosis will have had hypoglycemia first. A lucky dog experiences only temporary illness but alternatively, complete and acute liver failure can result with death following. Internal hemorrhage and inability of blood to clot is commonly involved.
How Much Xylitol Is Dangerous?
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 0.4grams 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 made to vomit the gum or candy if the veterinarians in Markham get to see them quickly (within 30 minutes). Beyond this, a sugar IV drip is advisable for a good 24 hours. The veterinarians in Markham will need to monitor blood work for two to 3 days as patients that develop hepatic necrosis usually do not survive.
What about Cats?
So far the ASPCA Animal Poison Control has no reports of xylitol toxicity in cats. At this time, feline toxicity is unknown.
What about Xylitol-Containing Mouthwashes for Pets?
The oral health benefits of xylitol do seem to hold true for dogs if appropriately low doses of xylitol are used.
Several products have been marketed for canine oral care, specifically for dogs that do not tolerate other methods of dental home care. The product is mixed in drinking water to provide antibacterial benefits. If you follow the dosing instructions on the bottle or packet, there should be no problems.
Trouble could occur if there are animals of different sizes drinking from the same water bowl (the veterinarians in Markham recommend dosing for the smallest animal to use the bowl to be sure overdose is not possible), or if a dog is on medication or has a disease causing excessive water consumption. A dog finding the bottle and chewing it up, drinking a substantial quantity of the undiluted product could easily be poisoned, depending on the dog’s size.
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Sincerely,
Dr. Ernst Marsig, veterinarian in Markham
Practicing Veterinary Medicine in Markham for a Long and Happy Life of ALL Your Pets.
Animal Hospital of Unionville, a veterinary clinic on the north side of Hwy 7, serving all pets in Markham, Richmond Hill, Scarborough, Stouffville, and North York since 1966. We are your family vets for dogs, cats, pocket pets (rabbits, chinchillas, gerbils, mice, rats, hamsters, guinea pigs, skinny pigs, etc.), ferrets, and birds (budgies, cockatiel, parrots, amazon, cockatoo, love birds, conures, African greys, finches, canaries, etc.).
Disclaimer: No part of this website constitutes medical advice. Readers are advised to consult with their veterinarian.
