I spotlighted this article during the March Poison awareness week, but recent news stories have brought the pet dangers of xylitol into public view again. Toxicity has been documented in dogs and now suspected in ferrets, according to a recent news report. This time, one pet ferret death and one pet ferret suffering from seizures.

Xylitol is a sugar substitute and used in candy, sugarless gum, toothpaste and other products. The mechanism of toxicity (in dogs at least) is by creating a sudden crash of blood glucose; which creates a host of clinical signs and life-threatening changes.

Pets are curious by nature and many of them have a sweet tooth. Xylitol is highly toxic to dogs and quite possibly other animals, so please use caution with gum, candy or other treats around the house. This is also another good reason to use pet toothpaste instead of human toothpaste for home pet dental care, to avoid any possible xylitol ingestion.

Related reading:

• For a dog named Hershey, sugarless gum is not so sweet
  From the LA Times
• Ingredient Fact Sheet: Xylitol
  From Tom's of Maine Toothpaste
• Raisins and Grapes are also Toxic to Pets
  From you Guide
• Tips and tools for home dental care for pets
  From you Guide

Photo courtesy of GenGlo.