A common artificial sweetener added to products such as sugar-free chewing gums could be very dangerous to dogs based on a Food and Drug Administration (FDA) warning. It issued the alert in a statement released on May 12, Thursday. Xylitol is a common sweetener that could become toxic when man's best friend consumes it.
The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA) reported that Xylitol-related calls spiked from 82 in 2004 to over 3,700 in 2014, according to CBS News. Meanwhile, this year the Pet Poison Helpline has taken 15 percent more of those calls.
Xylitol is most common in chewing gum. However, it is also added to other sugar-free products including candy, chewable vitamins, breath mints, toothpaste, mouthwash, and cough syrup.
The FDA explains that the sweetener affects humans and canines differently. It is safe for people to eat xylitol but the bodies of dogs process it differently.
The federal agency's statement says that xylitol does not cause the human pancreas to release insulin. However, when dogs eat xylitol it is absorbed into their bloodstream faster, which could cause the pancreas to release a powerful amount of insulin, according to CBS News.
Xylitol poisoning in canines includes symptoms such as vomiting. Big drops in blood sugar levels can be followed by weakness, wobbly walking, collapse, and seizures.
Pet owners who think their dog could have eaten xylitol should quickly take it to a veterinarian or animal hospital. Monitoring might be needed since side-effects can show up 12 to 24 hours later.
Ashley Gallagher works at the Friendship Hospital for Animals in Washington D.C. She explained to CBS News last year that dogs are very curious and always hungry so they like to look for treats.
FDA veterinarian Martine Hartogensis explains that owners of puppies and adult dogs should check the ingredients label if they are worried a product has xylitol in it. If it does then they should not feed it to their pet pooches.
The FDA notes researchers have not studied how toxic xylitol is for cats. In addition, due to their taste buds felines usually do not like sweets or vegetables.
Dr. Jason Nicholas is a Portland, Oregon animal doctor. He hopes the FDA will require food packaging of xylitol products to include a text or symbol warning that the sweetener is dangerous for dogs, according to The Wall Street Journal.
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