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Dog Owners Beware: FDA Warns Against Deadly Ingredient More Harmful Than Chocolate
Andrea Huspeni
May 16, 2016
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While chocolate has received the most attention for its deadly effect on dogs, another ingredient is gaining momentum.
The FDA has just published a strong warning about xylitol, an ingredient that experts believe is 100 times more harmful than chocolate, The Wall Street Journal reports. The artificial sweetener is found in many food items and household products, including Chewing gum, sugar-free candy, breath mints, baked goods, cough syrup, mouthwash, chewable vitamins, some nut butters and toothpaste.
Dogs have an adverse reaction to the ingredient because of its impact on the pancreas. A pup’s blood sugar levels are controlled by the release of insulin from the pancreas. Xylitol triggers the rapid release of insulin in dogs causing the dog’s blood sugar to drop dramatically, resulting in hypoglycemia. If left untreated, a dog can die.
Symptoms of xylitol poisoning include vomiting, followed by decrease in a dog’s activity, weakness, wobbliness, loss of coordination and seizures.
If you think your dog ingested xylitol take him to the vet immediately. It can take up to 12 to 24 hours for the full effects to occur, so your pup may need to be monitored.
To prevent this life-threatening situation, owners should read labels and keep anything with xylitol away from their dog.
The FDA warning comes after poison-control centers have seen an increase in dog deaths and illnesses after dogs ingested xylitol.
