It can be in candy, gum (a lot of gum), chewable vitamins, supplements, peanut butter, substitutes for sugar, and even sold in a container that looks like honey as a honey substitute.
So many products like this one below have xylitol listed only in the fine print.
In this label, xylitol is very high on the list…
Read every one of the ingredients in the products you have around the house AND especially items you will be giving you dog.
Remember ingredients are listed in descending order by weight. In other words – biggest first. Xylitol is very high on the list for this product.
Others have done a great job of outlining the toxicity of xylitol in dogs. Here are some excepts from the veterinarian professionals:
Preventive Vet’s article “My Dog Ate Xylitol,” includes some of these warnings:
Dogs rapidly and almost completely absorb xylitol.
Ingestion of greater than 0.1g/kg can result in hypoglycemia (low blood sugar)…greater than 0.5 g/kg may result in acute liver failure.
Xylitol can cause low blood sugar within thirty minutes after ingestion… but may not show initial symptoms for twelve hours…
The most common source of xylitol poisoning that Pet Poison Helpline gets calls about comes from sugar-free gum, although cases of xylitol poisoning from other sources such as supplements and baked goods are on the rise. In 2020, Pet Poison Helpline had 5,846 calls involving dogs ingesting xylitol!
VCA Animal Hospitals, Dr,’s Renee Schmid and Ahna Brutlag
Xylitol is too dangerous, too quickly toxic, and too easy to miss.
Reading the label of everything that comes into your house can help you avert tragedy.
Then… research online ahead of time so you know who to call if you suspect your dog has ingested xylitol. Don’t wait until time is running out.
Here is the website and phone number (888) 426-4435) for the ASPCA Poison Control. There may be a charge.
On this remarkably comfortable summer morning Pax’e and her new friend Ruby ran, tumbled, chased, and mouth wrestled to their hearts content.
Occasionally Pax’e would chase another dog, but back she would come to Ruby. It was a good long time of this tumbling until they were wet and tired enough to take a breather and pose for their picture. Maybe you can see how soggy they are.
Perhaps the sixteen-week-old Standard Poodle Ruby inspired Pax’e’s mothering instincts, or maybe Ruby is just a great playmate.
If puppies have plenty of proper toys to play with, it is easy to teach them to ‘leave-it’ and ‘drop-it’ and tell them “all done” when it comes to the items we don’t want them chewing.
Puppies need to play. Like our human children, their job during development is PLAY!
Pax`e head in toy box
Don’t limit their toys.
Pax`e sits among the toys
Instead, expand their horizons because they need to explore and chew in order to learn what is and is not appropriate.
Because of this, we can use this play to teach them how to leave their toys, drop them, ignore them, and hopefully not guard them. And, we can prevent them finding toys like boots, shoes, socks, etc.
If they have plenty of proper toys to play with, it is easy to teach them to ‘leave-it’ and ‘drop-it’ and tell them “all done” when it comes to the items we don’t want them chewing.
Pax’e is a nine week old AussieDoodle.
In teaching her to tug at my sock, she learns that commands can be fun. She learns socks are boring. And, while she may have wanted to tug with that sock instead of giving it up at first, the ‘drop-it’ command worked.
It’s never too early to start teaching, playing, having fun, and building your relationship with your pup.
Over the next several weeks/months Pax’e’s training exploits will be showcased. Sometimes with success and sometimes, maybe not.
Regardless of success, it will always be a learning process.
