Monday, 7 February 2011

an artificial sweetener that is DEADLY to dogs

Fully Vetted has a post about the deadly poison for dogs that is such a useful and ubiquitous ingredient in human food - and medication!

It's xylitol, an artificial sweetener extracted from birch trees. Here's a frightening quote:
A few sugar-free breath fresheners, a pack of gum, a spilled tin of mints, a sugar-free dessert cup. It takes only a little of this toxin to send a dog into hypoglycemia-induced seizures, and just a little bit more to bring on liver failure.
It's in so many of our foods.

And it's in many medications!!

I think everyone should read what Dr. Patty Khuly says.

My personal rule is, beware of giving human foods to Penny! Check the label on anything, no matter how innocent it seems.
I shudder when I think of the advice I was given when she had a cough last year, to give her a children's cough elixir. I think it is very likely that it would have had xylitol in it.

5 comments:

Duke said...

We've heard about this xylitol stuff and how deadly it can be! We're steering clear of it!

Love ya lots,
Maggie and Mitch

Oskar said...

Thanks for the great information!

Nubbin wiggles,
Oskar

parlance said...

Maggie and Mitch, and Oskar, it's a big problem, isn't it? On the other hand, dogs seem to get on okay living with us humans for years, so I guess we can manage without too much worry.

curator said...

Oh great Scott! I don't think I'll ever give my critters a human snack again. Thanks for the info Parlance!

parlance said...

Curator, now I'm wary of food scraps penny picks up in the street.