Xylitol is poisonous to your pet! Here are some common signs to watch for: Weakness, lethargy, vomiting, tremors, seizures, black tar-like stool
We all may feed our dogs and cats human food from
time-to-time, but please stop and think the next time you want to give them a
snack. Recently, in the Orlando area, a woman lost her dog to Xylitol
poisoning. Her dog ate a cake that was baked at home with the toxic ingredient.
According to the ASPCA, heartbreaking stories like this are more common than
you may think. There were nearly 3,200
Xylitol poisonings across the country last year - up nearly 800 from just a few
years ago.
Xylitol is a sugar-free
sweetener commonly found in many chewing gums, mints, foods (e.g., pudding,
baked goods, gelatin snacks, etc.), oral rinses, toothpastes, and OTC
supplements (e.g., sugar-free multivitamins, fish oils, etc.). The xylitol
content of these products can vary widely depending on the brand and flavor. In
pets, ingestion can cause acute, life-threatening low blood sugar within 10-15
minutes and can also result in liver failure. If you suspect your dog or cat
ingested xylitol, contact us at 407-366-4486 or Pet Poison Helpline (a 24/7
Animal Poison Control Center at 800-213-6680) immediately for treatment
recommendations. The veterinarian will need to see the pet right away (be sure
to know what the pet has eaten), and treatment may include monitoring of blood
sugar and liver values, IV fluids, and other medications. Blood work
(evaluating liver function) will be re-evaluated frequently, depending on the
toxic dose ingested.
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