Paws Off! Xylitol is Toxic to Dogs (2024)

FAQs

How toxic is xylitol to dogs? ›

This occurs because xylitol can pull water into the intestines, or it can be fermented by bacteria present in the intestines. "Xylitol is extremely toxic to dogs." Xylitol is extremely toxic to dogs. Even small amounts of xylitol can cause hypoglycemia (low blood sugar), seizures, liver failure, or even death in dogs.

If you think your dog has eaten xylitol, take him to your vet or an emergency animal hospital immediately, Hartogensis advises. Because hypoglycemia and other serious adverse effects may not occur in some cases for up to 12 to 24 hours, your dog may need to be hospitalized for medical monitoring.

The low blood sugar effects of xylitol can last 12-24 hours. Your dog's chance for a full recovery from xylitol-induced hypoglycemia is good with early and appropriate treatment. Xylitol-induced liver damage does not happen immediately. It can occur as early as nine hours post-ingestion but may take up to three days.

Dosages of xylitol greater than ~75–100 mg/kg (34–45 mg/lb) have been associated with hypoglycemia in dogs. Some dogs ingesting xylitol at dosages >500 mg/kg (227 mg/lb) may develop severe hepatic insufficiency or failure, the mechanism of which is unknown.

In general, about 0.05 grams of xylitol per pound of body weight is required to cause poisoning in dogs. Each piece of chewing gum contains about 0.22-1.0 grams of xylitol! This means that a single piece of gum could poison a 10-pound dog.

High amounts of xylitol can cause diarrhea and intestinal gas. Because long-term effects aren't clear, you may want to steer clear of xylitol if you're pregnant or breastfeeding. And, although it's safe for humans, even small amounts of xylitol can be fatal to dogs. Keep xylitol products out of reach of pets.

In most cases, a dog who ingested xylitol will require intravenous (IV) fluid therapy, along with IV dextrose administration to correct glucose, potassium, and phosphorus levels. Liver protectants, along with vitamin K administration, may also be part of the treatment plan.

Xylitol is over 100 times as toxic as chocolate to dogs. As little as 2 pieces of chewing gum could cause hypoglycemia in a 20-pound (9-kilogram) dog. The first symptom of xylitol toxicity is usually vomiting, but signs of low blood sugar such as lethargy or weakness, seizures or collapse occur quickly afterwards.

It is possibly safe when used in chewing gums, candies, lozenges, toothpastes, and mouth rinses in amounts up to about 50 grams daily. It might cause diarrhea and gas in some people. Taking high doses of xylitol is possibly unsafe. Using very high doses long-term might cause tumors.

If the animal is unconscious, the stomach may be flushed with a stomach tube, or surgery on the stomach may be needed. Laxatives and medications used to empty the bowels may be recommended in some instances to help remove the poison from the gastrointestinal tract.

What fruits contain xylitol? ›

Xylitol is a type of sugar alcohol that is naturally present in lots of different foods including strawberries, plums, oats, mushrooms and lettuce. But most commercialised xylitol tends to be extracted from corn fibre or birch trees.

Candy Canes May Contain Xylitol

Xylitol is found in a lot of candy canes and is used as an artificial sweetener. It is extremely dangerous to dogs, as they cannot metabolize it. In severe situations, it can lead to death.

Threat to pets:

Typically, the dose needed to cause poisoning is at least 0.05 grams per pound of body weight (0.1 grams per kilogram of body weight). Chewing gums and breath mints contain a wide variety of xylitol per piece of gum or mint.

Once thought to cause only hypoglycemia in dogs, this sugar substitute has recently been discovered to also produce acute, possibly life-threatening liver disease and coagulopathy.

A professional may ask you to induce vomiting at home with hydrogen peroxide. For this reason, you should try to always keep an unopened, non-expired bottle of hydrogen peroxide in your home (old hydrogen peroxide will not usually work). You will give the hydrogen peroxide to your dog by mouth.

Jif^® peanut butter products do not contain the ingredient xylitol.

The mass of xylitol ranged from 5.3 to 10.3 mg with an average of 7.8 mg per piece. On average, the 5 min chewed gum samples retain about 4% of the original xylitol in a fresh gum stick.