Everyone knows that although chocolate is delicious, it is like a "poison" for dogs. But there is one thing that is several times more toxic than chocolate for dogs. In the United States, as many as 3,000 dogs died of accidental ingestion last year. However, many shovelers do not know that this kind of thing is poisonous.
, the most poisonous poison for dogs is xylitol.
xitol is a product that can replace sucrose. Its sweetness is comparable to sucrose, but its calories is only half the amount. It is the best alternative for people with weight loss and diabetes to consume sugar. It is also widely used in sugar-free gum, candy, peanut butter, baked goods and toothpaste. Xylitol is a sugar alcohol ingredient commonly used in candies and chewing gum. Xylitol is also contained in some medicines, dietary supplements or bread.
Although xylitol is safe for humans, it can cause harm to dogs. This ingredient will not affect human blood sugar levels, but once dogs consume xylitol, it will cause a sudden increase insulin secretion. After consuming foods containing xylitol for 15 minutes, the dog's blood sugar will drop significantly. Relevant data show that high doses of xylitol are toxic to the liver of canine animals. For dogs, xylitol can lead to lower blood sugar, epilepsy, liver poisoning and failure, and even death. Dog shovelers must be careful about their diet to avoid harming their health.
3 grams of xylitol can kill a 65-pound (about 30 kg) dog. Dogs who consume foods containing xylitol can cause weakness, lethargy, coordination disorders, fainting and cramps due to lower blood sugar. These symptoms occur within 30 minutes after eating xylitol. If treatment is not taken immediately, the dog will experience irreversible brain damage and die.
And within 24 hours xylitol may also cause severe liver damage in dogs. According to a relevant research report in the American Veterinary Society published on October 1, 2006, 5 of the 8 dogs who consumed xylitol died of liver failure; the other three dogs also died for the same reason after the experiment. Although more experimental evidence is needed about xylitol's ability to cause liver failure in canines, this experiment at least shows that xylitol has a tendency to cause liver damage.
If you think your dog may have consumed foods containing xylitol, please contact your veterinarian immediately. Generally, the veterinarian will ask you to take the dog to the veterinary hospital immediately to induce vomiting and intravenous infusions on the dog. However, if your home is more than an hour away from the veterinary hospital, you may need to induce vomiting on your dog at home.
Dogs love sweets, and they don't know which foods contain xylitol by themselves. Therefore, in order to avoid such accidents, as the owner, please do not place foods containing xylitol where the dog can reach, so as to prevent the dog from eating them accidentally.