Wisconsin Forums

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For all of you dog owners out there I would like to heed a warning.

We found out the hard way last night that sugar free gum with the ingredient of Xylitol can be very hazardous to your dog. If not caught in time, it could be deadly. Sela is okay, thus far...but we won't know for sure the outcome for several days.

My dog Sela, now 11 months old, got into my son's gum last night. Within an hour and a half we had her to the vet, where they induced vomiting and got what we think is much of the gum. Unfortunately, Xylitol is alcohol based therefore it is absorbed quite quickly into the blood stream.


Basically what happens is the Xylitol is absorbed and causes an increase of insulin, dropping the dogs blood sugar levels.

A dog's normal glucose level is between 77 and 110. Sela was at 60. They gave her an IV with dextrose and by the middle of the night she was up to 85. They dropped the level of dextrose she was getting and by 9 am she was around 75. About three this afternoon she was up to 78, however I neglected to ask how much dextrose she was getting.

If levels fall too low, the dog will experience depression, muscle weakness, and seizures, even death.

The other concern with Xylitol is damage to the liver. Xylitol can cause severe liver damage to a dog within 24 hours.

They say Xylitol is safe for humans, actually very good for diabetic humans because it doesn't give the sugar spikes that normal gum has.

We are waiting now for the latest liver tox screens to come back. If they are normal and her glucose is in the normal range we will be able to bring her home yet tonight.

If you think your dog ingested gum, candy or any baked goods that contain the Xylitol ingredient, call your vet immediately. Chances are they will ask you to induce vomiting as soon as possible to keep the toxins from being absorbed.

I never knew and have been a dog owner almost all my life.