PSA: this common sweetener is deadlier to dogs and ferrets than chocolate!
most people know that chocolate is deadly to dogs. the same applies to ferrets. but when it comes to sweets, there is an even deadlier ingredient with far less public awareness, despite being an ingredient in way more than just food. and that ingredient is xylitol.
xylitol, also called wood sugar, birch sugar, birch bark extract,xylite, or E967, is a sugar alcohol frequently used in products like mints, gum, toothpaste, mouthwash, nut butters, jams and jellies, liquid medicine, nasal sprays, vitamins/supplements/drugs, baked goods, ice cream, and candy. xylitol is popular in products marketed as sugar free, but it also gets used in products that contain sugar.
CHECK THE INGREDIENTS LIST of ANYTHING a dog or ferret might get into! including things that are not food!
this is not just about checking your own stuff either: pets often get into unattended bags brought by guests during parties and holidays, which can contain mints, gum, supplements, candy with xylitol.
in dogs and ferrets, xylitol poisoning can require emergency treatment. xylitol poisoning can kill dogs and ferrets in as little as an hour, and can vary based on how much xylitol is ingested and how much the pet weighs. even if the ingested amount is non-fatal, it can cause dangerous drops in blood sugar and long-lasting damage to the liver. symptoms of xylitol poisoning include vomiting, weakness, difficulty walking or standing, decreased activity, collapse, and seizures.
If you think your dog may have eaten a product containing xylitol, call your vet, emergency clinic, or animal poison control center right away. … Because hypoglycemia and other serious adverse effects may not occur in some cases for up to 12 to 24 hours, your dog may need to be hospitalized for medical monitoring.
weight and dose matter. be prepared to describe what kind of product and roughly how much was consumed, and take pictures if possible. if the label is still in tact, take pictures of it, front and back. the more information you have, the better.
and here is a short video featured on that FDA page, created by the united states FDA featuring dramatic scary music:
to help prevent emergencies, consider checking your pantries and cabinets for products containing xylitol.use this graphic for a head start on which labels to check!
fun thing about herding and/or generally neurotic breeds: they are really good at following rules you have instituted, but they will also make their own Dog Rules they will follow stringently whether or not you like it
despite never being reprimanded for getting sick if my dog throws up she will ‘tattle’ on herself and run over to me, show me the throw up, then hide and start shaking uncontrollably. nobody taught her to do this. she has decided that throwing up is a punishable offense until the end of time
my dog has decided that it’s solely on her shoulders to ensure there is peace in my house…if the cats fight she stands between them to ‘break it up’ and/or herds them away, if my rats have an argument she goes to the cage door and barks until they stop. not sure why she has decided she must carry the weight of the world but she has
I love this post so much I have done everything in my power to make sure I will never forget it via reblogging it every October 5th, in memory of discovering it for the first time
every time i see this post i kinda wanna cry? look at how little that dog is. its so small. it was so defenseless and that dude fucking punched a bear to save it. does that dog know? does it know how loved it is? i want someone to love me that much. i want to be that small.
I love this post so much I have done everything in my power to make sure I will never forget it via reblogging it every October 5th, in memory of discovering it for the first time
ALT
