Xylitol Side Effects in Dogs

Xylitol is a substitute for sugar that is found in substances like toothpastes, candies, chewing gums and baked food and are considered a great alternative by diabetic patients or by those who are on a diet low in carbohydrates as the amount of insulin released is less. However, this substance is very toxic and a small dose of the same can prove fatal if consumed by dogs. Just one chewing gum containing xylitol consumed by a small dog can prove fatal. Your dog might experience difficulty in standing or walking followed by dog vomiting and weakness after consuming xylitol in any form. These symptoms might show up as early as thirty minutes after its consumption after which immediate medical attention will be required.

Xylitol can cause hypoglycemia which is caused due to a heavy release of insulin into the bloodstream that leads to extremely low levels of sugar in the blood. In about 72 hours, the dog might experience heavy bleeding and a gastrointestinal hemorrhage because the side effects start affecting your body within minutes. Xylitol can cause great damage to the liver which in turn can cause a liver failure and this effect can be seen within approximately 10 hours of its consumption. The exact reason as to how xylitol affects the liver is not known but it is said to damage a very important compound in the liver which makes it difficult to perform effectively. Symptoms for a liver damage include vomiting, diarrhea that leads to dehydration, a loss in appetite, feces that are dark in color or bloody, anemia, loss of blood, increase in water consumption and frequent urination. Treatment for xylitol needs to be instant because if the condition leads to hypoglycemia and the dog is treated for the same; his liver might get affected eventually leading to his death.

If the time from consuming xylitol is less than 30 minutes, you can use hydrogen peroxide to induce your dog to vomit so that the poison can be thrown out of the stomach. You need to keep your dog on fluids as this is very important to keep them hydrated. Also activated charcoal can be another option that you can consider. You should keep a tab on what your dog is eating and do not feed them gum or any other food that contains xylitol. You must ensure that such items should always be kept at places that are not accessible to your dogs