Poisoned Dogs - one ingredient that causes havoc is found in many Peanut Butters and other food prod
Xylitol-Related Dog Poisonings More Than Doubled in 7 Years
The use of Xylitol as an ingredient in many foodstuffs has increased dramatically in recent years and although the list shown is primarily peanut butters from the US, we urge all dog owners who occasionally give their pets peanut butter in Kongs or a similar toy/chew to CAREFULLY CHECK ingredients labels on the products that they are buying.
We should also be very careful to watch what our dogs may be picking up in the streets when we take them on a walk. If they manage to consume any discarded chewing gum or dropped breath mints, most contain xylitol and so we must be ever-vigilant.
This extract taken from Wikipedia:
'Xylitol is often fatal to dogs. According to the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center, the number of cases of xylitol toxicosis in dogs has significantly increased since the first reports in 2002. Dogs that have eaten foods containing xylitol (greater than 100 milligrams of xylitol consumed per kilogram of bodyweight) have presented with low blood sugar (hypoglycemia), which can be life-threatening.
Low blood sugar can result in a loss of coordination, depression, collapse and seizures in as little as 30 minutes. Intake of doses of xylitol (greater than 500 – 1000 mg/kg bwt) has been implicated in liver failure in dogs, which can be fatal. The possible cause of hypoglycemia experienced by dogs is that xylitol in chewing gum is released more slowly and absorbed over longer period than when it is consumed as a pure form.'
