Did you know that there is a deadly killer in your home?
Dogs and owners beware!
Just like humans, the dog is attracted to everything that is sweet. Kids love sweets and so does your dog.
One of the most popular sugar substitutes is in just about everything that you eat in your home.
From the time that you get up in the morning to the time that you go to bed, you are ingesting this substitute in everyday food and dental products that you have in your house.
This substitute is extremely toxic for your dogs!
This substance is Xylitol.
If you have small children, then you know they will leave everything just lying around or drop things where they are. This includes snacks and candy that they eat every day.
Every household dog is a great vacuum cleaner when it comes to leftover foods and snacks. These snacks can be a silent killer for your furry friend.
Xylitol is one of the most popular sugar substitutes in all the foods that require a sweet taste. This includes items from toothpaste to children snacks. It is even in sugar free foods that the adults seek often.
In this article we will discuss what Xylitol is, where it can be found, why it is toxic to your pets, and what you can do if your pet ingest this dog/cat killer.
What Is Xylitol?
Xylitol is a natural sugar alcohol that is present in berries, plums, oats, corn, lettuce, and other fruits. This has become a very popular sugar substitute for human food as it has less reaction to blood sugar levels than other sugars or sugar substitutes.
The popularity of this sugar substitute for humans has dramatically increased because it has been shown to have low glycemic index and great dental plaque fighting properties.
While good for human consumption, Xylitol is extremely toxic to dogs!
Where Can It be Found Around Your House?
This product has been approved for use in just about every country around the world. It can be commonly found in oral care products, pharmaceuticals, or as food additives for sweetening.
Xylitol is in items that kids love and will leave around the house such as gum, breath mints, pudding snacks, gummy vitamins, and candy.
For the adults, this can be found in over the counter nasal sprays, allergy medicines, digestive aids, and laxatives.
Xylitol can be in found in solid and liquid products.
Diabetics have found Xylitol to be a great substitute for sucrose because it contains 33% fewer calories and it is known not to cause tooth decay. Some research has indicated that Xylitol has increased bone density and this is important for the aging population.
Why Is It OK For Me And Not My Dog?
As we discussed in one of my previous article, animals and humans process food differently. What humans can process in great quantities, dogs and cats can not.
In humans and dogs, the blood sugar level in our bodies is controlled by the release of insulin from the pancreas.
Sugars will trigger the release of insulin in our bodies and if the body does not make enough insulin to counter the sugar levels, then you are diabetic.
In human’s, Xylitol does not trigger this release of insulin. This makes it a great substitute for sugar for the diabetic person.
In dogs, the Xylitol is quickly absorbed in their bloodstream and then a deadly release of insulin can be triggered by their body.
With this overdose of insulin and the dramatic drop in blood sugar levels (Hypoglycemia), this will quickly become life threatening within 10-30 minutes depending on the size of the dog.
The symptoms that you will see in your dog are:
- vomiting
- weakness
- staggering
- in-coordination
- collapse and seizures
- pronounced decrease in activity
What To Do If Your Dog Eats Xylitol?
At this point you need to seek the treatment from your Vet or Aminal Hospital!
It will be necessary to have fast and aggressive treatment by a Vet to counteract the effects of the Xylitol in your dog.
Your Vet will need to perform blood work to determine the levels of toxicity that will be causing low blood glucose and low potassium levels.
The dog will likely require hospitalization so that they can be monitored for 24 to 48 hours.
If treated quickly, the prognosis is generally good as the dog can be treated before more complication occur.
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If the dog develops liver failure or bleeding disorders because of the Xylitol, then unfortunately the prognosis is usually bad.
Prevention is the best fight against this from happening to your dog. Make sure that products that contain the Xylitol for you are properly stored and put up where the pet can not reach them.
If you have small children, then quickly cleaning up any spilled snack, gum, or candy will prevent the dog the ability to ingest the food with Xylitol.
Read Those Labels!
Be aware of what you have in your house that could potentially harm your dogs. Read all labels as you will be surprised at how many household items you have around that contain Xylitol.
It can range from tooth paste, mouth washes, to foods that you need that reduce your sugar input. Chewing gum makes up 80% of the incidents that involve dogs and Xylitol ingestion.
Even under arm deodorants, lotions, and gels have Xylitol in them as it helps reduce body moisture.
What, not food.
That is why it is so important to read the labels. This hazard for your dog could be just about anywhere.
I hope you have found this article informative and I hope it helps keep your dogs safer so they can live long and healthy lives.
If you have any questions or comments, please leave those below and I will get back to you ASAP.
I would love to hear what you think about this Dog Killer.
