Q. I noticed in your March article on foods that are dangerous for dogs you did not mention xylitol. Is it not as toxic for canines as I have been led to believe?
Stephanie Lauder
San Antonio, Texas
Dear Ms. Lauder,
A. The only reason we did not include xylitol in the article is that it’s a food ingredient rather than a whole food by itself. But it is quite poisonous for dogs and should be kept away from them.
Even the usually staid Food and Drug Administration flatfootedly says “Paws Off Xylitol; It’s Dangerous for Dogs.” Just very small amounts of this sugarless sweetener — found not only in the baking aisle as birch sugar but also in sugarless gum, breath mints, baked goods, cough syrup, certain peanut butters, and a host of other foods and medical products — can cause problems within hours of ingestion, and sometimes even within minutes. These include vomiting, weakness, staggering, incoordination, collapse, and seizures.
That’s because in dogs, xylitol consumption results in a much-too-rapid release of insulin that causes hypoglycemia — blood sugar that falls too low. In some cases, if the amount consumed is large enough, liver damage can ensue. If your dog should ever get into a product containing xylitol, do not delay bringing him to the emergency room.
