Post by murderess on Aug 7, 2007 22:21:12 GMT -5
Some sugar-free gums poisonous to pets
(I just took my dog Cole to the vet and now he's at the Emergency Clinic overnight for observation. He ate a whole package of Orbit Spearmint Sugarfree gum. The vet put him under and pumped his stomach and induced vomiting but he still wanted to keep him under observation overnight so I was sent to the Emergency Clinic to have his sugar and liver monitored.
So please just don't buy sugar fee gum with Xylitol if you have pets in your house, it's not worth the risk.)
www.avma.org/press/releases/061001_xylitol.asp
Sugar Substitute May Be Dangerous to Dogs
SCHAUMBURG, Ill.
— If you think it's no big deal that your dog just ate some sugar-free gum or a cookie or two, think again. You may want to make an immediate trip to your veterinarian.
While veterinarians have suspected that the sugar substitute xylitol can make dogs sick, there is now further clinical evidence of an association between the product and possible liver failure in dogs. A clinical report appearing in the Oct. 1 Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association (JAVMA) discusses the sometimes fatal conditions developed by dogs that have ingested xylitol. Xylitol, a sweetener found in many sugar-free chewing gums, candies, baked goods and toothpastes, is a naturally occurring ingredient that may have far-reaching negative health effects on dogs.
"Not all things that are natural are safe," said veterinary toxicologist xxxxxx Gwaltney-Brant, who along with veterinarian Eric K. Dunayer co-authored the report. "There are plenty of things in the environment that are toxic to pets."
While not all pets become ill after eating xylitol, Dr. Gwaltney-Brant said the public—and especially dog owners—needs to be aware of the potential dangers. She added that pet owners should make sure that products containing xylitol are kept away from dogs. If an owner suspects that their dog has eaten products containing xylitol, they should contact their veterinarian immediately.
"The potential for severe illness is very high," she said. "People don't think sugar-free gum can kill their dog. I didn't before I got into this. But this is something people should be aware of."
In the report, Drs. Dunayer and Gwaltney-Brant, staff members at the Animal Poison Control Center of the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals in Urbana, Illinois, used the Control Center's data base to gather information on eight dogs that were treated between 2003 and 2005 after eating products containing xylitol. Each dog became ill, and while three of the dogs survived, five of the pets either died or had to be euthanized because of liver failure possibly stemming from xylitol ingestion.
Dr. Gwaltney-Brant said three additional dogs that ingested xylitol after the study was conducted either died or had to be euthanized after becoming ill. All three, Dr. Gwaltney-Brant said, had liver failure.
Dr. Gwaltney-Brant described the potential negative xylitol effects on dogs as a "species difference."
"People only absorb a certain percentage of xylitol," she said. "The human body doesn't even notice it. However, in dogs, xylitol triggers significant insulin release, which drops the blood sugar. It is definitely a species difference. People aren't in danger from sugar-free gum containing xylitol; dogs are."
The number of xylitol-related pet exposures is on the rise, according to Dr. Gwaltney-Brant, partly because of increased awareness, but more so because xylitol is being used in more products. The incidence of reported xylitol exposures climbed from 70 in 2004 to 170 in 2005. As of August, the Poison Control Center reported 114 cases of xylitol exposure this year.
"This is the tip of the iceberg now," she said. "Anything that is sugar-free could potentially have substituted xylitol for the original sweetener."
The extent of xylitol's potential effects on the liver are new—and certainly not good news—for dogs, their owners and veterinarians.
"The fact that xylitol-containing products can cause problems in dogs is a relatively new find," Dr. Gwaltney-Brant said, explaining that the sweetener had already been tied to low blood sugar in dogs—but not liver failure. "Once you start looking at something, you see a lot more of it."
Some sugar-free chewing gums, Dr. Gwaltney-Brant said, are as much as 70 percent xylitol, depending on the brand and whether the product is used as a primary sweetener.
"A 22-pound dog who consumes 1 gram of xylitol should be treated," she said. "This can equate to 3 to 4 pieces of some gum products."
One dog in the study that had to be euthanized because of its condition had eaten four large, chocolate-frosted muffins that contained about 1 pound of xylitol.
"They use it like sugar," Dr. Gwaltney-Brant said. "Baked goods can easily contain a large amount of xylitol."
There is no information on whether severe xylitol poisoning has occurred in cats, Dr. Gwaltney-Brant said.
"If we get exposures, we have blood sugar checked as a precaution," she said.
Dogs, however, are potentially at risk. And while further studies need to be conducted to definitively establish a cause-and-effect relationship between xylitol ingestion by dogs and liver damage and bleeding disorders, Dr. Gwaltney-Brant hopes the message gets out.
"Liver failure is one of our main concerns when dogs get into this," she said. "The low blood sugar we can deal with. But the liver damage, even with aggressive treatment, can make it difficult to save these animals."
For more information, a copy of the study, "Acute hepatic failure and coagulopathy associated with xylitol ingestion in eight dogs," or an interview with author Dr. xxxxxx Gwaltney-Brant, contact David Kirkpatrick at 847-285-6782.
www2.ljworld.com/news/2007/jun/24/some_sugarfree_gums_poisonous_pets/
Everyone knows of the household materials and plants that commonly poison pets: chocolate, antifreeze, poinsettia leaves, oleander.
However, some recently discovered poisons are less known, including xylitol, a naturally occurring sweetener.
Xylitol is commonly used in sugar-free gum, beverages, pharmaceuticals, toothpastes and mouthwash, among other products. It is naturally found in many fruits and vegetables, but it is commercially produced from birch and other hardwood trees, wood chips and corn cobs.
Sugar-free gum is the most likely source of poisoning for dogs, but a recent report in the Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association reported a dog poisoned by four large muffins sweetened with xylitol.
The dose required to cause problems for a pet varies. There may be a factor of individual susceptibility as well. In any case, no dog should be allowed access to xylitol-containing materials.
What should you do if you suspect your pet has eaten xylitol? First, call your veterinarian or emergency hospital immediately. Experts there will help you determine whether your pet is at risk.
Signs of toxicity may begin with evidence of low blood sugar. Dogs who ingest xylitol release massive amounts of insulin because xylitol is about four times sweeter than sugar, and the pancreas responds proportionately. Evidence of hypoglycemia includes weakness, tremors and seizures. Hypoglycemia does not occur in all victims and occurs two to four days later in some victims.
Like most species, dogs can experience gastrointestinal signs: vomiting and diarrhea. But, unlike other animals, dogs who have ingested sufficient amounts of xylitol, or individuals who are sufficiently sensitive to it, will experience liver damage and anemia. The damage to the liver may be mild or severe. Those who survive initially may show icterus (jaundice, yellowing of the eyes and skin), bilirubinuria (red urine which may be confused with blood in the urine, caused by breakdown of red blood cells in circulation), loss of appetite and extreme lethargy. Bleeding may occur as a result of damage to clotting factors in the body.
If these signs are not quickly addressed by your pet’s doctor, they can be immediately fatal, or leave your pet with liver damage that my shorten his life and require lifelong liver support.
Many patients do survive with aggressive therapy. An individual dog’s reaction to xylitol may be idiosyncratic, with some dogs minimally affected, other dogs mortally affected, and every scenario in between.
If you use sugar-free gum, or other xylitol-containing foods in your home, keep them securely out of reach of your dog. In a recent case at our hospital, a standard poodle searched in his owner’s purse until she found the gum, then ate the whole pack. She presented with gastrointestinal signs, and the owner thought the gum might have obstructed the GI tract.
Her initial GI signs, icterus and liver damage resolved sufficiently to bring her liver test results back into the normal range, though it’s not clear how much the liver may have been permanently damaged and may shorten her life as a result.
(I just took my dog Cole to the vet and now he's at the Emergency Clinic overnight for observation. He ate a whole package of Orbit Spearmint Sugarfree gum. The vet put him under and pumped his stomach and induced vomiting but he still wanted to keep him under observation overnight so I was sent to the Emergency Clinic to have his sugar and liver monitored.
So please just don't buy sugar fee gum with Xylitol if you have pets in your house, it's not worth the risk.)
www.avma.org/press/releases/061001_xylitol.asp
Sugar Substitute May Be Dangerous to Dogs
SCHAUMBURG, Ill.
— If you think it's no big deal that your dog just ate some sugar-free gum or a cookie or two, think again. You may want to make an immediate trip to your veterinarian.
While veterinarians have suspected that the sugar substitute xylitol can make dogs sick, there is now further clinical evidence of an association between the product and possible liver failure in dogs. A clinical report appearing in the Oct. 1 Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association (JAVMA) discusses the sometimes fatal conditions developed by dogs that have ingested xylitol. Xylitol, a sweetener found in many sugar-free chewing gums, candies, baked goods and toothpastes, is a naturally occurring ingredient that may have far-reaching negative health effects on dogs.
"Not all things that are natural are safe," said veterinary toxicologist xxxxxx Gwaltney-Brant, who along with veterinarian Eric K. Dunayer co-authored the report. "There are plenty of things in the environment that are toxic to pets."
While not all pets become ill after eating xylitol, Dr. Gwaltney-Brant said the public—and especially dog owners—needs to be aware of the potential dangers. She added that pet owners should make sure that products containing xylitol are kept away from dogs. If an owner suspects that their dog has eaten products containing xylitol, they should contact their veterinarian immediately.
"The potential for severe illness is very high," she said. "People don't think sugar-free gum can kill their dog. I didn't before I got into this. But this is something people should be aware of."
In the report, Drs. Dunayer and Gwaltney-Brant, staff members at the Animal Poison Control Center of the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals in Urbana, Illinois, used the Control Center's data base to gather information on eight dogs that were treated between 2003 and 2005 after eating products containing xylitol. Each dog became ill, and while three of the dogs survived, five of the pets either died or had to be euthanized because of liver failure possibly stemming from xylitol ingestion.
Dr. Gwaltney-Brant said three additional dogs that ingested xylitol after the study was conducted either died or had to be euthanized after becoming ill. All three, Dr. Gwaltney-Brant said, had liver failure.
Dr. Gwaltney-Brant described the potential negative xylitol effects on dogs as a "species difference."
"People only absorb a certain percentage of xylitol," she said. "The human body doesn't even notice it. However, in dogs, xylitol triggers significant insulin release, which drops the blood sugar. It is definitely a species difference. People aren't in danger from sugar-free gum containing xylitol; dogs are."
The number of xylitol-related pet exposures is on the rise, according to Dr. Gwaltney-Brant, partly because of increased awareness, but more so because xylitol is being used in more products. The incidence of reported xylitol exposures climbed from 70 in 2004 to 170 in 2005. As of August, the Poison Control Center reported 114 cases of xylitol exposure this year.
"This is the tip of the iceberg now," she said. "Anything that is sugar-free could potentially have substituted xylitol for the original sweetener."
The extent of xylitol's potential effects on the liver are new—and certainly not good news—for dogs, their owners and veterinarians.
"The fact that xylitol-containing products can cause problems in dogs is a relatively new find," Dr. Gwaltney-Brant said, explaining that the sweetener had already been tied to low blood sugar in dogs—but not liver failure. "Once you start looking at something, you see a lot more of it."
Some sugar-free chewing gums, Dr. Gwaltney-Brant said, are as much as 70 percent xylitol, depending on the brand and whether the product is used as a primary sweetener.
"A 22-pound dog who consumes 1 gram of xylitol should be treated," she said. "This can equate to 3 to 4 pieces of some gum products."
One dog in the study that had to be euthanized because of its condition had eaten four large, chocolate-frosted muffins that contained about 1 pound of xylitol.
"They use it like sugar," Dr. Gwaltney-Brant said. "Baked goods can easily contain a large amount of xylitol."
There is no information on whether severe xylitol poisoning has occurred in cats, Dr. Gwaltney-Brant said.
"If we get exposures, we have blood sugar checked as a precaution," she said.
Dogs, however, are potentially at risk. And while further studies need to be conducted to definitively establish a cause-and-effect relationship between xylitol ingestion by dogs and liver damage and bleeding disorders, Dr. Gwaltney-Brant hopes the message gets out.
"Liver failure is one of our main concerns when dogs get into this," she said. "The low blood sugar we can deal with. But the liver damage, even with aggressive treatment, can make it difficult to save these animals."
For more information, a copy of the study, "Acute hepatic failure and coagulopathy associated with xylitol ingestion in eight dogs," or an interview with author Dr. xxxxxx Gwaltney-Brant, contact David Kirkpatrick at 847-285-6782.
www2.ljworld.com/news/2007/jun/24/some_sugarfree_gums_poisonous_pets/
Everyone knows of the household materials and plants that commonly poison pets: chocolate, antifreeze, poinsettia leaves, oleander.
However, some recently discovered poisons are less known, including xylitol, a naturally occurring sweetener.
Xylitol is commonly used in sugar-free gum, beverages, pharmaceuticals, toothpastes and mouthwash, among other products. It is naturally found in many fruits and vegetables, but it is commercially produced from birch and other hardwood trees, wood chips and corn cobs.
Sugar-free gum is the most likely source of poisoning for dogs, but a recent report in the Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association reported a dog poisoned by four large muffins sweetened with xylitol.
The dose required to cause problems for a pet varies. There may be a factor of individual susceptibility as well. In any case, no dog should be allowed access to xylitol-containing materials.
What should you do if you suspect your pet has eaten xylitol? First, call your veterinarian or emergency hospital immediately. Experts there will help you determine whether your pet is at risk.
Signs of toxicity may begin with evidence of low blood sugar. Dogs who ingest xylitol release massive amounts of insulin because xylitol is about four times sweeter than sugar, and the pancreas responds proportionately. Evidence of hypoglycemia includes weakness, tremors and seizures. Hypoglycemia does not occur in all victims and occurs two to four days later in some victims.
Like most species, dogs can experience gastrointestinal signs: vomiting and diarrhea. But, unlike other animals, dogs who have ingested sufficient amounts of xylitol, or individuals who are sufficiently sensitive to it, will experience liver damage and anemia. The damage to the liver may be mild or severe. Those who survive initially may show icterus (jaundice, yellowing of the eyes and skin), bilirubinuria (red urine which may be confused with blood in the urine, caused by breakdown of red blood cells in circulation), loss of appetite and extreme lethargy. Bleeding may occur as a result of damage to clotting factors in the body.
If these signs are not quickly addressed by your pet’s doctor, they can be immediately fatal, or leave your pet with liver damage that my shorten his life and require lifelong liver support.
Many patients do survive with aggressive therapy. An individual dog’s reaction to xylitol may be idiosyncratic, with some dogs minimally affected, other dogs mortally affected, and every scenario in between.
If you use sugar-free gum, or other xylitol-containing foods in your home, keep them securely out of reach of your dog. In a recent case at our hospital, a standard poodle searched in his owner’s purse until she found the gum, then ate the whole pack. She presented with gastrointestinal signs, and the owner thought the gum might have obstructed the GI tract.
Her initial GI signs, icterus and liver damage resolved sufficiently to bring her liver test results back into the normal range, though it’s not clear how much the liver may have been permanently damaged and may shorten her life as a result.
