Xylitol - An Increasingly Common Pet Poison

Accidental Ingestion of Xylitol Frequently Causes Death for Pets

Apr 12, 2009

Xylitol is commonly used in sugarless gums and candies and is generally safe for human consumption. However, for pets, xylitol can be rapidly fatal even at low dosages.

Xylitol is a sugar substitute which is found in sugarless chewing gum, sugarless candies and can be purchased in packets and containers to be used in the kitchen. It can also be found in some oral health products (mouthwashes,etc) and in some pharmaceuticals, including certain oral vitamin supplements and throat lozenges.

In humans, xylitol is apparently fairly innocuous. However, in dogs xylitol can cause a rapid release of insulin which leads to dangerously low blood glucose (blood sugar) levels in a very short period of time. This effect is known as hypoglycemia.

Xylitol is a potent poison for dogs. In cats, no xylitol poisonings have been reported to date and the effect of xylitol on cats remains unknown.

Symptoms of Xylitol Poisoning in Pets

Often,the first symptoms of xylitol poisoning seen in dogs will be those due to low blood glucose levels (hypoglycemia) and these include:

These symptoms can begin to occur as little as 30 minutes after ingestion of xylitol.

Xylitol has also been implicated as a dog poison which may act on the liver, causing damage to the liver tissue. In the October 1, 2006 issue of the Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association, a study involving eight dogs which had ingested xylitol revealed that five of these dogs died of liver disease within the time constraints of the study.

Liver damage may begin to occur within 8-12 hours after ingestion of xylitol and symptoms may become evident within 48 hours of ingestion of xylitol. Dogs suffering liver damage may or may not have shown initial signs of hypoglycemia (low blood sugar). Symptoms of liver disease caused by xylitol poisoning in dogs are:

How Much Xylitol is Necessary to Poison a Pet?

This question may be difficult to answer because different manufacturers use differing amounts of xylitol in their products. However, a very small amount of xylitol can cause serious side effects in dogs. In some cases, as little as one stick of sugarless chewing gum containing xylitol was enough to be fatal to a small dog after ingestion.

In general, if your dog has consumed a product containing xylitol, it is advisable to seek medical care for your dog immediately in an attempt to avoid the effects of xylitol as a poison.

How is Xylitol Poisoning Treated?

Unfortunately, there is no antidote which can be given to counteract the effects of xylitol.

If the ingestion of xylitol has happened within the past 30 minutes, inducing vomiting in the dog may be effective in countering the effects of xylitol as a poison by removing the xylitol from the stomach. Commonly used products to induce vomiting in dogs are ipecac syrup and hydrogen peroxide. Contact your veterinarian for advice regarding how to induce your dog to vomit and to discuss whether inducing vomiting before transport to the hospital is advisable.

Preventing Xylitol Poisoning in Pets

Pet owners should avoid feeding their pets any foods, chewing gums, beverages or other items which contain xylitol, unless these products are specifically labeled as safe for pets.

Pets, particularly dogs, tend to have a sweet tooth and owners may wish to avoid keeping xylitol containing substances in their household to prevent accidental ingestion of these substances. At a minimum, items containing xylitol should be stored where pets have no access to them.

Xylitol Containing Mouthwashes for Pets

Some oral care products marketed for pets, such as Aquadent, do contain small doses of xylitol to improve oral health and there is some evidence that xylitol may be beneficial for improving the oral health of pets at these low dosages.

When used following the label directions carefully, oral products containing xylitol, such as Aquadent, should be safe for your pet. However, at higher than recommended dosages, these products can act as a pet poison, so store containers of Aquadent and other xylitol-containing oral health products in a safe location where you pet cannot access them.

The copyright of the article Xylitol - An Increasingly Common Pet Poison in Pet Nutrition is owned by Lorie Huston. Permission to republish Xylitol - An Increasingly Common Pet Poison in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.