From the WebMD Archives
Nov. 4, 2015 — A sweetener used in some sugarless gum and other products can kill a dog.
The sweetener Xylitol is safe for people but can cause severe low blood sugar, seizures and even liver failure in dogs, CBS News reported.
Along with sugar-free gum, Xylitol is also used in some sugar-free vitamins, candies, baked goods and peanut butter.
Xylitol-related calls to the ASPCA’s Animal Poison Control Center rose from 82 in 2004 to more than 3,700 in 2014, CBS News reported.
Dog owners should check all sugar-free products in their home to find out if they contain Xylitol, and should put any that contain the sweetener out of the reach of pets, Ashley Gallagher, with the Friendship Hospital for Animals in Washington D.C., recommended.
