Protect Your Furry Friend from Xylitol Toxicity
Why xylitol might not be a healthy choice after all
Although Xylitol is present all year round, it definitely merits special mention at Halloween and Christmas. These are times when sweet treats are often in abundance, often left lying around as we all feel a bit more carefree during the holidays!
Xylitol is a sugar alcohol which is used as a low-calorie sweetener in drinks, sweets, chewing gum and many other foods. Often it won’t be mentioned in the ingredients by name and may just be referred to as E967. Xylitol may also be referred to as Birch Sugar within sugar free bakes. Recently chewing gum has made the news as the high levels of Xylitol in some brands were causing rapid onset of symptoms in dogs who had eaten them.
Although research seems to show no evidence for negative effects in cats, Xylitol can have severe health implications for dogs. The two main consequences of Xylitol toxicity in dogs are hypoglycemia (low blood sugars) and liver damage – both of which can be fatal. Prompt action is required as the effects can take hold within 30 minutes.
If you are concerned your pet might have been poisoned then contact your vet.
What should I do if I think my pet has eaten something it shouldn’t have?
These instances require immediate action from you as a pet owner to minimise the risk of any serious consequences.
Your vet only has a short, limited time frame to try to minimise the absorption of poisons before they can cause harm and so an immediate appointment is essential and potentially life-saving.
Follow the simple steps on this page and always remember the word S.P.E.E.D in the future.
S Stop access to any poison
It may seem obvious but can the pet get hold of any more of the substance (i.e. if it’s in your garden)? If so keep your pet away from anything you suspect as dangerous.
P Phone the vet
This is an emergency and must be dealt with immediately.
E Emergency appointment
You cannot ‘wait and see’ with poisons as many do not affect your pet straight away and some can take several days to show symptoms, all the while doing damage to the inside before you see signs on the outside. Getting your pet seen immediately gives you the best chance to get effective treatment for your pet before you reach a potential point of no return.
E Evidence
Knowing what the potential poison is will really help your Vet make a rapid diagnosis and create the best treatment protocol for a successful recovery. If you have a label of the substance, bring it. If you don’t have a label but have access to the substance then bring a sample to the vet for testing (only if it is safe to do so and you are not putting yourself or anyone else in danger). If you don’t have a label or a sample but you animal has been sick, then bring a sample of this with you (if safe to do so) as the ingredient may be present in the vomit. If you don’t have access to any of these then don’t worry as your pet’s blood can be tested.
D Don’t delay!
You cannot afford to wait, act now!
