Nancy Freedman-Smith, dog trainer and owner of Gooddogz Training, provides a place for dog owners to find positive training tips, canine-activities and places to visit along with the latest information on keeping your dog healthy and active. Nancy lives with her three young kids, Charlee and Finney the dogs, Yellow the parakeet and Tater-Tot the Hamster. Staying current, keeping fresh, and always learning new things is a must for Nancy and her profession because one thing that animals surely teach you is "the more you know, the more you know you don't know."
Repeat Xylitol Warning
Lots of people have contacted me to share their horror stories after reading my Xylitol blog from a year ago. Apparently Xylitol, a sweetener, is becoming more and more common.
Over on the always fabulous Vet blog Dolittler, Dr Patty in Miami has written a wonderful blog on the subject. This is a must read.
Dr Patty says: Rimadyl, raw onions and Tylenol have nothing on this sweetener. It only takes a few cupcakes left unobserved on the kitchen counter to kill even a large dog. Your three-pound Yorkie? A fraction of one offered surreptitiously by a well-meaning guest might suffice.
We’ve known about this toxin for some time but it’s only recently that we’ve discovered a definitive connection between even small amounts of the product and deadly liver toxicity in dogs. Dogs just don’t have the liver enzymes necessary to deal with this particular molecule.
Ingestion of a large amount (a box of cupcakes) can cause a sudden drop in blood sugar (hypoglycemia) followed by seizures as soon as 30 minutes after ingestion. Smaller amounts can have delayed effects—up to twelve hours later. By this time, you might not be able to make the connection between ingestion and illness.
If your dog does consume xylitol, inform your vet immediately.
Xylitol is very toxic to dogs and it is found and in more and more products all the time. Wrigley's gum, and Sarah Lee cakes to name a few.
Please read labels and take precautions!
Remember, forewarned is forearmed.
Comments
Hi Nancy,
Just another example of how important it is to feed healthy diets and being vigilant in reading labels.
BH
Posted by BHJanuary 9, 2007 09:27 AM
thanks for this! I was wondering whether any of the other sweeteners were toxic - phenynalanine and sorbitol?
jan
January 13, 2007 04:54 AM
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