FDA Warning: Sweetener in Common Foods Can Kill or Poison Dogs

As many pet owners know, dogs have an uncanny ability to find and eat anything, especially the things we don’t want them to — including shoes, towels, couches, and even drywall. But federal officials have issued a warning about a sweetener that can poison or kill canines.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration warning urges dog owners to keep their pets away from xylitol, an artificial sweetener commonly found in many consumer products, noting it can cause poisoning or even death in canines.

Xylitol is a type of sugar alcohol, and it can be found in many human-friendly products, like gum, mints, baked goods, cough syrup, chewable vitamins, mouthwash, and toothpaste.
While it may have no serious negative effects on humans, xylitol is toxic to dogs. It has been known to cause low blood sugar, seizures, comas, liver damage, and possibly death.

Symptoms of xylitol poisoning in dogs include vomiting, weakness, decreased activity, incoordination, collapse, and seizures — symptoms that are commonly associated with a decrease in blood sugar. Experts at the FDA recommend taking a dog with such symptoms directly to a vet or emergency animal hospital.

Martine Hartogensis, a veterinarian at FDA, recommends keeping products known to contain xylitol far out of your pet’s reach. Hartogensis recommends using only pet toothpaste and checking the ingredients on the foods you do give your dog, noting many nut butters, which are often used for treats or as a trick to give pets medication, contained xylitol.

The FDA notes that cat owners need not worry, because the toxicity of xylitol in cats has not been documented.