Dog owners warned over sugar-free items

[Dark Knight]

Keep those sugarless treats out of Fido's reach. Veterinarians warned on Friday that a commonly used sweetener might cause liver failure in dogs, and perhaps even kill them.


Their report in the Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association appears to strengthen the suspected link between the sugar substitute xylitol, thought to make dogs sick, and possible liver failure.

Xylitol, a naturally occurring product, is found in many sugar-free chewing gums, candies, baked goods and toothpastes.

Each dog became ill, and five died or had to be put down because of liver failure, possibly from ingesting xylitol.

"People don't think sugar-free gum can kill their dog. I didn't before I got into this. But this is something people should be aware of," Gwaltney-Brant, who co-authored the study with Dunayer, said in a statement.

Gwaltney-Brant said for dogs, ingesting even a small amount of xylitol can trigger significant insulin release, which drops their blood sugar and can be fatal.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20060930/us_nm/life_dogs_dc&printer=1

(also posted in Pet Forum)

[southcitymom]

My personal experience is that all of those sugar-free chemicals ending in "itol" make me sick. I'd never give them to any living creature. Thanks for the post.

[KrisNine]

Yes, thank you for the post Dark Knight! My dog is famous for sneaking things off the counter. I'll be sure to keep anything with this chemical in it out of her reach or out of the house.

[sandraladeda]

Just to piggyback onto this warning, did you know that tylenol is fatal for dogs too? Don't leave your tylenol anywhere your dog can get it.

We think of tylenol as being a pretty benign drug. NOT for dogs!

[SadieMae]

Thanks for the info!