I was shocked when I learned that Xylitol is toxic to dogs. It’s something that we don’t think about. We tend to think that if we can consume “it”, our dogs can too. There has never been a bigger misconception than exactly this. Xylitol is a sugar alcohol used in candy and chewing gum. It is also found in chewable vitamins and throat lozenges. Just 3 grams of xylitol can kill a 65 pound dog. Because the amount of sweetener used in sugar-free chewing gums varies by manufacturer and product, the number of sticks of gum that would prove fatal to a dog that size can’t be stated with precision. As a general rule of thumb between 8 and 10 pieces of gum might be deadly to a 65 pound canine, but a smaller dog could easily die after ingesting far less, possibly as few as two sticks of gum. A dog that has eaten Xylitol can be rapidly hit by a dangerous drop in blood sugar that causes weakness, lethargy, loss of coordination, collapse, and seizures. Those symptoms can develop within 30 minutes and your dog will need immediate veterinary treatment to survive. Without help, irreversible brain trauma occurs and the patient dies. If you think your dog has consumed sugarless gum or any other product containing Xylitol, call your veterinary immediately.
