Xlitol warning for pet owners-toxic

I posted this on pets forum, but wanted also a general spot, for those who don't visit there.
Warning from a local vet from UW School of Veterinary Medicine. (I just happened to be watching the early news!)
The amount of Xlitol in just 2 pieces of gum (she showed Orbit, but the stuff I had is a different brand), can be fatally toxic to a small dog. Because whatever hits the floor (or is in my purse) seems to be fair game to the poodles, I cleaned the stuff out.
Just wanted to let folks know. I will be passing it onto my friends who are pet owners.

Thank you for that warning Marcia. I had never heard of that.

I have to sort of giggle at the part about your poodles. My grandma had a white poodle and often we'd only see her backside sticking out of a purse. She sure did love to steal gum from purses!

I recently noticed online (not on the label but on the insert most toss away) that my eye drops of all things could cause coma or death if drank by a small child. How scary is that?? There can't be more than 2 teaspoons in the bottle! You'd think that note would be on the bottle!

Toothpaste can kill 'em too. Can't remember how much it takes but it is toxic. I may go back to my grandpa's brushing with baking soda.

Good tip.

I certainly don't know how much it would take of gum for a medium dog, we had one growing up and she was a trash picker....always knew she was "guilty" afterwards and would be meek but man she loved to chew up and eat the old gum! She also ate chocolate whenever she could get a scrap. She lived to be 15.

I had a bad experience with my little yorkie. I had gone to a pet store and gotten some special snack cookies for doggies. As I remember it was a peanut butter sugarless cookie. As she was so small I would just give her a small bit now and again. Well my husband gave her the whole cookie one day when I was out. The next day she got sick. She ended up getting pancritis (sp), kidney failure and liver failure. She was in the hospital for 5 days and pulled through but ended up with diebetes. I later read that something that sounded like that stuff, started with an x, was used as a sugar substitute and will cause pancritis and other severe problems in a dog. I am almost sure it was that cookie that started her trouble. She did live for 2 more years but needed shots every day. No funny cookies and biscuits for doggies!
Rebecca

I am so sorry to hear what you and your family experienced. Sure sounds like the descriptions of Xylitol poisoning. We have to be really careful of treats-Pippin is allergic to the world (venison, chicken, beet pulp, soy, rabbit.......) plus she Loves tissue-shreds and eats it. Picks it from my purse, pockets, the Kleenex box etc. ACK!

it's aspartame

I'm not this radical, but check out www.aspartamekills.com. Pretty scary.

It was very difficult, she was such a wonderful little dog. I am very careful with feeding my pets now, they do get some table scraps, but not much. And not wierd treats at all.

Geeze, that is some site. I used to be addicted to diet squirt, loved the stuff. But now I am drinking green tea. I do not drink sodas at all anymore. Now that I am not used to them they taste way too sweet, but when I was drinking them, I loved them. I never did like sugar substitues, they ALL have that odd aftertaste. And I never did like margarine, to me it was just like salted, colored Crisco. I always ate butter. Its interesting about the trans fats and how they are excited about them now. Sometimes it just takes some common sense, the more they mess with the food the worse it is for you. Duh. But I am glad they are saying avacados are good, I always ate them, but felt guilty, now I can eat them and feel good. lol. And I do eat dark chocolate, didn't like it when I was younger but love it now.
Rebecca

It's not Aspartame.

Aspartame:
N-L-a-aspartyl-L-phenylalanine1-methyl ester

Xylitol:
(2,3,4,5)tetrahydroxy-pentanol

Aspartame may cause a number of health problems for some individuals. I just looked at the gum I chew every day and it has Aspartame in it. I'm not going to switch brands. Although, I wouldn't suggest that someone who is sensitive to Aspartame should drink a lot of diet soda every day. It doesn't appear to be a puppy killer.

Xylitol can kill Rover quite effectively. Doesn't sound like a pleasant way to go for the pooch, either.

Mark