Xylitol-Containing Products and Dog Toxicity (Sugar-Free Foods, Rapid Insulin Release, Hepatic Necrosis, 0.1 g/kg Lethal Dose) — pet safety profile
High riskXylitol is a sugar alcohol used as a sweetener in sugar-free gum, candies, peanut butter, baked goods, toothpaste, and supplements that is extremely toxic to dogs.
What is this product?
Xylitol is a sugar alcohol used as a sweetener in sugar-free gum, candies, peanut butter, baked goods, toothpaste, and supplements that is extremely toxic to dogs. In dogs, xylitol triggers massive pancreatic insulin release within 10-60 minutes of ingestion, causing life-threatening hypoglycemia (blood glucose <60 mg/dL) at doses as low as 0.1 g/kg body weight. At higher doses (>0.5 g/kg), xylitol causes acute hepatic necrosis through unknown mechanisms, often fatal within 24-72 hours. A single stick of sugar-free gum (0.3-0.4g xylitol) can be lethal to a 10-lb dog. ASPCA APCC handled over 6,700 xylitol dog exposures in 2020 alone. Cats lack the insulin-release pathway and are not affected.
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