FAO Pam and all dog owners

[zeldalithgow]

Just saw this on another forum, I haven't read it through properly, don't know if it's true www.diabetesdaily.com/content/2006/05/15/xylitol-sugar-substitute-toxic-to-dogs.php

[nic]

Sorry to steal 'Pam's thread' but I have a dog too, and this is very very scary stuff will warn all I know I think!

[zeldalithgow]

I've just modified the title Nic

[Debbie]

I'd really like to see some clean trials done on this one. Not that dog owners don't need to be aware, but I think it was summer of 2006 that this news was splashed like a tabloid over our internet here.

It was based soley on ONE report of a lab that ate over two pounds of chocolate muffins. They were touting and spouting that it was the artificial sweetner xylitol that had done it.

For one thing, xylitol is not artificial. It is derived from corncobs and birch trees. For another, the dog just ingested over two pounds of chocolate ~ a known killer for dogs. And still it was the xylitol they were screaming about.

What I dearly like is some solid research done on this. I mean good clean trials with some good clean levels of testing. Science has become such a farce anymore with 'evidence' sprung up from as little as five cases thrown together.

As for the dog getting into the xylitol bag ~ for heaven's sake NO!!! Don't allow them to get into it I've never had a problem utilizing xylitol for Amanda, but she gets at the ultimate most ever a tablespoon of xylitol to a 32 oz waterbottle. She's not allowed the whole bag, as she'd snarf it in a heartbeat.

[harveydales]

Crikey, that's scary! I still haven't got round to getting Ben some Zylitol so certainly won't now! It may be Debbie is right- the people on the forum claim their dogs were poisoned by just one or two pieces of gum so that must be a tiny amount of Zylitol. If this is true, it is extremely toxic to dogs and I'm suprised we haven't heard more about it. I think xylitol is in many sugar free drinks........

Thanks for the warning, Zelda. I will be very careful with Ben and won't be givng him any. I did give Winnie some when he had his tooth problem and he was fine, but then he's a horse and not a dog!

[nic]

thanks Zelda

[Rowndan]

Blimey.. thats scary..

i nearly lost abbie ( my dog) when she ate some of dans wormer, that has bad effects much the same as that..

so be aware when worming your neddies

[harveydales]

Yes, I remember you telling us about Abbie and I've been very careful with worming ever since.

[Debbie]

I remember that with Abbie too. And one thing even more puzzling, and harder for pet owners to keep up with, is that different breeds of dogs will react differently to different things.

I remembered to always remind my clients that had collies, and greyhounds to be ultra careful with their dewormers, and even certain types of over the counter spot on treatments. Even the anesthesia that they use to knock the dogs out for routine xrays and whatnots at the vets have to be calibrated solely for these breeds.

I've never heard of anyone having a problem with their dog and xylitol, but there again, I've not heard of anyone's dog getting into a larger quantity of it. That's why I'd LOVE for there to be some clean studies done. Even the suspect chewing gum, I'm a little wondering over, as I remember that was a sure fire kill for gophers. And it didn't have to be sugar free. The gum killed them

[PonyGirl]

I have heard this too.

[chickflick1066]

Thank you for the info