We are, for the most part, diet conscious people. We try to eat healthy and we know that too much sugar is not part of a healthy diet. I know I look for “sugar free” or “diet” on product labels when I purchase colas, ice cream, cake – all the things I shouldn’t be eating or drinking in the first place, but because of those terms, I can justify their purchase to satisfy my cravings. I know that there’s no sugar in these products. Instead, these products contain artificial sweeteners.
I came across some information from an article reported in the San Diego Union-Tribune. This article pointed out that “sugar free” may not be a good thing for our dogs. One of the artificial sweeteners that can be used in “sugar-free” snacks and gum is xylitol. Xylitol poses no harm for humans, but it can be dangerous for a dog.
According to this article, a 2 year old teacup Yorkshire Terrier ate some sugarless gum containing xylitol as the artificial sweetener. The pet began vomiting and shivering due to xylitol toxicosis. The article mentioned that other symptoms can include weak and wobbly appearance, or extreme lethargy and that these symptoms can appear anywhere from 30 minutes to 12 hours after ingesting xylitol.
Let’s remember that dogs are curious creatures. They also like to eat whatever they find. Let’s keep our snacks, gum, and anything sugar free, especially if it contains xylitol, out of the reach of our pets. We want to keep our pets healthy.
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