[George_Stella]

Sugar-Free Gum and Snacks Can be Deadly for Pets
by Kirsten Taylor (Subscribe to Kirsten Taylor's posts)

http://www.pawnation.com/2009/09/08/sugar-free-gum-and-snacks-can-be-deadly-for-pets/?icid=main|main|dl5|link6|http%3A%2F%2Fwww.pawnation.com%2F2009%2F09%2F08%2Fsugar-free-gum-and-snacks-can-be-deadly-for-pets%2F

Sep 8th 2009 11:00AM

Most pet owners know that chocolate is a big no-no for dogs. But here's something to chew on: a common ingredient in sugarless gum and snacks can cause a canine catastrophe.

The culprit is a sweetener called xylitol. While you may never have heard of it, there's a good chance you have it in your house. Xylitol is common in sugarless gum and in sugar-free snacks, reports the San Diego Union-Tribune.

Cases of xylitol poisoning in dogs have increased in recent years as the sweetener has been added to lots of new foods, Sharon Gwaltney-Brant, vice president of the ASPCA's Animal Poison Control Center, told Paw Nation. "There definitely has been an increase in the exposures of dogs to xylitol over the last several years, simply because there's more xylitol out there."

The chemical is completely safe for humans and most other animals, but in dogs, xylitol causes blood sugar levels to plummet. When blood sugar drops, Gwaltney-Brant says, "the brain isn't getting enough energy to do its job." After swallowing xylitol, dogs may vomit and become lethargic and disoriented. "If blood sugar drops low enough, they can have seizures," Gwaltney-Brant says. Without treatment, dogs can die.

That's not all. Dogs that eat a lot of xylitol can also suffer from liver damage. Researchers aren't sure what causes the liver problems, Gwaltney-Brant says, but the results can be grave.

A little xylitol goes a long way. Just two sticks of sugarless gum can be fatal for a 20-pound dog, reports the San Diego Union-Tribune, and a single sugar-free pudding cup can spell trouble for a 90-pound pooch. But those numbers can be misleading, Gwaltney-Brant cautions. Some brands of gum or candy contain no xylitol, while others contain relatively large amounts. Even within a single brand, the level of xylitol can vary from flavor to flavor and batch to batch, she says.

If you know or suspect your dog has gotten into foods that might contain xylitol, take him to the vet immediately, Gwaltney-Brant says. Problems from blood sugar levels dropping can occur quickly -- "often within 30 minutes to an hour," she notes. Vets can monitor blood sugar levels and start treatment to get blood sugar back up to safe levels.

If you're a fan of sugar-free products, check the labels to see whether they contain xylitol. And it should go without saying that you should do your best to keep Fido away from your gum. He can't blow bubbles anyway.
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[crazywoman]

I love using Xylitol as one of my sweeteners (I usually use a combo of sweeteners), but I don't have dogs.
Yes, it can be deadly for dogs, so everyone with dogs need to carefully look at the ingredients, and be very careful about using Xylitol themselves.

Note: It is great for OUR teeth.
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Billie
4'8" Started LC WOL Aug 2003

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My mind not only wanders, sometimes it leaves completely.

[RaeRae]

Thank you for posting this! I have a friend who has a Pomeranian and she (my friend, not the dog ) uses xylitol in her cooking. I just sent her the information you posted.

Also George, God bless you for your web site!!!! I'm a newbie and haven't started the low-carb life style yet. I'm learning a lot from your site!

Thank you!!!
Rae

[crazywoman]

Welcome to the site, and our Stella Style family Rae!!!


I'm sure you will like it here. Lots of good tips, info, recipes, and support.

Be sure to check out the recipe section. Wonderin about something, check out the search.
It's under Forum on the bar above. Also check out the help from the toolbar, and there is a Help forum also. You'll find a lot of answers there. Because of spam & bad posts being able attack this section, it has been closed to new posts, but it is still there to browse, glean answers from. (No spam there now.) Most problems have been addressed there. There is a sticky of FAQs in the General forum. It has links to lots of as the name says Most Frequently Asked Questions about Stella Style WOL!!!. For that matter be sure to check out all the stickies when you have a question. Good chance it may have been answered in the FAQ's or other stickies.

Check out the home page:
Getting Started
Grocery Shopping
Recipes
Success Stories


Lots of good info there.

HAPPY BELATED BIRTHDAY RAE!!!!!!!


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Billie
4'8" Started LC WOL Aug 2003

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My mind not only wanders, sometimes it leaves completely.

[RaeRae]

Hi Billie!

Thank you very much for that warm welcome! I will definitely check out what you've suggested. In fact, I have been reading some of the links and have learned a lot already. I'm very excited and can't wait to get started. Tomorrow I'm going to make a list and go grocery shopping. The sooner I start, the sooner I will reach my goal!

Thank you again!!
Rae

[ronpaula]

Rae, welcome to SS. There is a lot of info here and wonderful supporters. We are in this together and appreciate all the info, site surfing everyone does for each other.
Best of luck to you. It is a program that works! Be creative, check out the ondemand and DVD sections. There are loads of wonderful tools here. Personally I found cooking SS and having items around to eat, are the key to my success.
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Have a Great Day,
Paula

[RaeRae]

Thank you Paula!! I will check out the videos!! I saw George this morning on QVC! He looks great! The food looks great too!!! I'm sure I will be purchasing his books as well! I need all the help I can get!

Take care!!
Rae