Popular Sugar Substitute Is Highly Toxic to Dogs and Cats

With the wide variety of sugar-free products available today, many commonly used commodities, including toothpaste, chewing gum, low-carb desserts, candy, jams, jellies, and other sweets contain sugar substitutes. Several products contain a sweetener called Xylitol, which is extracted from fibrous, woody plant material such as corn, birch, raspberries and plums. In humans high doses of Xylitol may simply have a laxative effect, but in pets it is highly toxic. If Xylitol is consumed by a dog or cat, death can result in a few days.

According to Click Orlando, the number of accidental Xylitol poisonings are on the rise. Last February a woman from Lake Mary, Florida baked a cake using Xylitol as a sweetener. She fed some as a treat to her dog Bailey; her four--year-old American Dingo. Her beloved canine died within two days of eating it. The woman said, “"I made this great cake, and she ate it. I had no idea that Xylitol was toxic. Toxic, totally lethal."

So why it is Xylitol not toxic to humans but extremely lethal to our four- legged furry companions? While there isn’t a definitive answer, it is thought that it has to do with the differences in human metabolism, and those of dogs and cats.

A veterinarian with the Affiliated Veterinary Specialists practice in Maitland, Florida, Dr. Kristin Olsen, said, "If dogs do get into it, it can potentially be life threatening. Probably greater than 75 percent of dogs will pass away."

Dr. Olsen explained why this substance is extremely lethal. Once ingested, it works quickly and results in hypoglycemia; a severe drop in blood sugar. The symptoms of Xylitol poisoning are vomiting, weakness, uncoordinated movement, seizures, and depression. Xylitol poisoning ultimately causes liver failure, which may occur in just a few days, depending on the animal’s size.

The ASPCA Poison Control Center lists Xylitol as toxic to dogs and cats, and reports the connection between the substance and “acute toxicity in dogs." It is suspected that the substance has also caused toxicity reactions in ferrets.