Don’t let this toxic ingredient kill your dog

With the holidays upon us, news and social media stories will likely remind you about foods your dog shouldn’t eat. Chocolate and bones will probably headline the list.

But there’s another dangerous ingredient that may be lurking in items in your kitchen, or even in your kid’s book bag.

It’s the sugar substitute xylitol.

Let me tell you my story

About a year ago one evening I noticed that our Lab mix dog had gone into her crate and vomited. I at first figured she’d eaten her supper too fast. But to gauge how she was feeling, I asked her if she wanted a treat. She looked at me sadly – it was obvious she didn’t feel well. I looked around to see if she’d gotten into anything.

Then I remembered the empty gum container I’d found on the floor that morning. It had been in my daughter’s book bag, and the dog had pulled it out and snacked on it. I’d heard that xylitol – an ingredient increasingly used in sugar free items – is bad for dogs. When I’d looked at the gum container as I threw it away, I hadn’t seen wording that it was sugar free, so I hadn’t worried about it.   

But now I ran to the trash and searched for the empty container. Locating it, I read in small letters that it was sugar free. The ingredient list on the back was so tiny I had to put on my reading glasses to read it. Xylitol was first on the list. A quick computer search to learn more horrified me. The words “extremely toxic to dogs,” and “Even a small amount can kill a dog quickly” leaped out at me.   

The symptoms

Symptoms of xylitol poisoning in dogs include vomiting, followed by symptoms associated with the sudden lowering of your dog’s blood sugar, such as decreased activity, weakness, staggering, incoordination, collapse and seizures, says the FDA. Our dog had thrown up and was now just laying there, looking at me sadly.

It was 5 p.m. on a Friday night, and I knew my normal vet would be closed. I called the emergency vet and explained the situation. The tech’s reaction made me freak out even more. She said to bring the dog in immediately (as long as I could pay their fee).

I texted my son to let him know what was going on, and off we went. At the emergency vet clinic, they took our sweet dog inside, and as I fought back tears, I prayed she’d be okay. The clinic kept her overnight as they gave her fluids, observed her, and gave her tests.

All we could do was wait. I also fumed about the lack of a warning, and think that at the least the “sugar free” should be larger. The gum is called Ice Breakers and can be found everywhere. It’s made by the Hershey Company. I sent the company a strongly-worded email. In response, I received a rather bland, generic reply from a customer service agent who said that yes, their items should be kept away from pets. Again, I’d heard that it was bad for dogs, but had no idea how bad.   

Why is it dangerous for dogs?

According to the FDA, when dogs eat something containing xylitol, the xylitol is quickly absorbed into the bloodstream, and may cause a potent release of insulin from the pancreas.

The next morning the vet called me to let me know that she was doing well, but there was still a risk of liver damage. They kept her through the day, and we picked her up that evening. She was happy to be home, and we were so happy she was still with us. I had to take her to our regular vet for another test a few days later. Fortunately she has completely recovered and doesn’t seem to have any lasting effects.        

Read the labels, and keep out of reach

Since then, our absolute, no-room-for-compromise rule has been that the ingredients of every sugar free item (and especially gum) are closely studied before an item is purchased. If it contains xylitol, it doesn’t leave the store with us.

 Basically anything that’s sugar free may have it, but according to the FDA, here are the most common culprits: breath mints, baked goods, cough syrup, cough syrups, mouthwash, toothpaste, peanut and nut butters, over-the-counter meds, dietary supplements, and sugar-free desserts, including “skinny” ice cream.

So be forewarned to carefully keep xylitol out of your pooch’s reach. A $2 container of gum cost us about $1,000 in vet bills, and much worse, could have cost our sweet, young dog her life. Lesson learned the hard way.