Many responsible pet owners know this, but surprisingly, some don’t. This is critical information. This post was generated after a frantic call from a friend who knew better, but just had a momentary lapse.
Xylitol is a manufactured sweetener. I’ve even heard some so-called health experts claim that it is beneficial in some ways. But…
IT IS POTENTIALLY FATAL for your pets, even in seemingly minute amounts!! Dogs that ingest doses of >0.1 g/kg of xylitol (0.16oz for a 20-pound pet) are at risk for developing dangerous hypoglycemia, while dogs that ingest >0.5 g/kg (0.8oz for a 20-pound pet) may develop acute liver failure. That’s not much. A 120 pound Rottweiler can potentially die by ingesting just 1oz of xylitol. A Chihuahua or Yorkie can get a fatal dose from a 1/4” glob of xylitol-sweetened toothpaste.
Chocolate is harmful, but if your dog gets into your kids Halloween candy and eats an entire Hershey bar, it will almost certainly survive, although small dogs could be permanently harmed. 1.5 oz per 10 pounds of bodyweight is the threshold for panic. Nuts, coffee, onions, garlic, avocados, dough containing yeast, alcohol, THC, chives, salt, milk, grapes, currants, and raisons can all make your pet sick as well. Cats should never be given raw eggs or dog food, although the eggs are not a serious problem for dogs. Obviously insecticides, rodent poisons, and any human medications not specifically approved by your vet need to be avoided. Benadryl and diphenhydramine can be given temporarily, in weight-adjusted dosage, if your dog is scratching itself raw, but you should still see a vet right away because there will be a cause you should address.
But as with chocolate, most dogs, especially large dogs, can handle a small amount of most of these without any permanent harm. In all cases, the bigger the animal the less likely will be any serious repercussions from a little bit, if they should happen to find it in the trash or grab something you accidentally drop. But please be vigilant in keeping these things from fido and kitty.
Dangers in the wild include oleander, bougainvillea, daffodil, and automobile antifreeze, which has a sweet appealing taste. Pets will lick it up if you spill it. Here in Arizona, bougainvillea are ubiquitous, and the ever-present wind has bougainvillea petals blowing all over the place. Our Golden Retriever pup loves to snap them up like an iguana grabbing a fly, but two or three of them don’t seem to cause her any trouble.
In the event of poisoning, a small dose of hydrogen peroxide should induce vomiting and time is of the essence. You should have some activated charcoal on hand, which you should occasionally consume on an empty stomach as a detoxifier, and you should give some to your pet in the event of an accidental dose of any of these prohibited items. Do this immediately, even before you call your vet, the pet-poison hotline, or head for the emergency vet if it’s off hours. Dosage isn’t critical, because charcoal absorbs some of whatever is in the stomach, but is otherwise inert and harmless.
Xylitol is an entirely different monster. If you have pets, you should not have a single product in your house that contains it, including toothpaste; it is THAT dangerous. Your second course of action against xylitol poisoning, after the peroxide and charcoal, and on your way to the emergency vet if it was any significant amount is to give your pet a teaspoon of honey, because xylitol can cause a dangerous drop in blood sugar.
As far as sweeteners are considered, I discourage the use of any, even sucrose (table sugar) for humans. Just eat real food! If you need to sweeten it, you probably shouldn’t eat it. If you don’t have any, your pets can’t get at it. Stevia, monk fruit and ordinary table sugar are OK, but still are not good. And, just btw, either glycine or TMG in powdered form are excellent nutrients that you can use to sweeten tea, coffee or homemade lemonade.