Peanut Butter Warning: Sweetener Can Kill Dogs

[DaffyDill]

I wasn't sure where to post this, so mods, if you want to move it, that's fine  I just wanted to publicise it.

Apparently, some companies that manufacture peanut butter are now advertising it as "sugar free" as they are replacing the sugar with Xylitol, a sweetener, also used in chewing gum. The problem is, Xylitol is extremely dangerous to, and can kill, dogs.

People are innocently believing they are doing the right thing by buying sugar free peanut butter, and using it as a treat to put in a dog's Kong toy, or coating medication with it, little realising they can kill their dog. There have been reported cases of dogs eating gum containing Xylitol, and unless the dog receives immediate veterinary attention, it may indeed die. 

The Xylitol is absorbed quickly into the dog's bloodstream, resulting in a large release of insulin from the dog's pancreas to combat the sugar, only, there is no sugar. As a result, the dog's blood sugar begins to drop dangerously low, within 10-15 minutes of ingesting the Xylitol. The dog experiences hypoglycaemic shock resulting in weakness, lethargy, loss of control, collapse and seizures.

Ingesting Xylitol can also fatally damage the liver of a dog.

With immediate veterinary attention, a dog can survive, but I wanted to post this information as it doesn't seem to be widely known. If you have a dog, it may be worth checking for products that contain Xylitol.

http://www.snopes.com/critters/crusader/xylitol.asp

http://www.cbsnews.com/news/sweetener-xylitol-in-some-sugarless-gums-can-kill-dogs/

Quote

Sam Caress and Jordan Pellett recently adopted Gunner. He's helped fill the hole in their hearts created when Luna, their two-year-old dog, died in April after getting into some chewing gum made with the sugar-substitute Xylitol.

She started vomiting, they rushed her to the vet -- but it was too late.

[church_of_dog]

Thanks for posting this.  I knew Xylitol is dangerous to dogs -- I have customers who buy it in 5-pound bags to use in their own kitchen, and they have warned me, and vice versa, about making sure the dogs don't get into it.  But I hadn't heard about it being put in peanut butter -- how scary, given that peanut butter is a favored treat for dogs!  And also, why the !@#%&)$ does peanut butter need a sweetener anyway?  It should be just ground peanuts and maybe a little salt.  Grrr.....

[DaffyDill]

Apparently it's in all sorts of things, toothpaste, dental floss, etc

There's a list here: http://www.preventivevet.com/xylitol-products-toxic-for-dogs with a lot of the products that contain Xylitol, categorised into different food types/uses, to use as a reference.

 

 

[Curious]

I'm going to move this to WWoS because this isn't a public forum and this is an important message.

[choralcrusader8613]

Thanks for the heads-up! I know some friends who are super into the whole "doggy ice cream" thing that involves PB, so I'll be sure to let them know if/when they bring it up.

[ADoyle90815]

I no longer have dogs, but when I get another one, I'll be sure to make sure that if I give peanut butter, it doesn't have that ingredient.

[Bragandbounce]

Considering how controversial sugar substitutes can be, I'm a little surprised that anyone would think to give human food labeled sugar-free like that to a dog. Definitely an important warning to spread!

[Season of life...]

How heartbreaking for those dogs and owners.

Thank you for passing this information along. My aunt currently has two dogs on meds, and she does use peanut butter as the spoonful of sugar to get that medicine down. The dogs know the pills are there, but agree to the arrangement as they love peanut butter. 

She uses powdered xylitol, and will appreciate the warning to not buy PB sweetened with it, even for herself. Her dogs get into things, even cabinets, and I know she wouldn't keep it in the house if she knew it would be harmful to them.

[Terrie]

Considering how controversial sugar substitutes can be, I'm a little surprised that anyone would think to give human food labeled sugar-free like that to a dog. Definitely an important warning to spread!

I think the issue is people assume "sugar-free" means no sweeteners, not artificial ones.  I'm absolutely paranoid about what goes in my dog's mouth.

[browncoatslytherin]

how scary! i'll let my mum and brother know, i wouldn't want them feeding their doggies this!

maybe i'll set them up with some of my pb...all natural, only one ingredient: dry roasted peanuts! that way, no worries about artificial anything.

[Black Aliss]

Xylitol can be bad for humans, too. My doc had me on a gluten-free diet for <cough> digestive issues. It worked, too. Sometimes. Sometimes I felt just as miserable as always. Someone told me about FODMAPs, basically a bunch of polysaccharides (sugars) that are hard to digest, one of which is the sugar present in wheat and rye, which is why people with IBS do feel better when they cut out gluten. But the sugar alcohols (xylitol, sorbitol, and a couple of others) are the worst, at least for me and they are in so many things--sugarless gum, antacid tablets (which I was eating by the handful because of my constant stomach aches), mouthwash for people who suffer from dry mouth. As long as I make sure to never ingest xylitol and sorbitol, I can eat pretty much everything, including bread, and my gut doesn't protest.

[Bragandbounce]

I think the issue is people assume "sugar-free" means no sweeteners, not artificial ones.  I'm absolutely paranoid about what goes in my dog's mouth.

Aah, see, I've got several diabetics in my family, so I'm sure my perception is just skewed, because I know I'd never make that assumption. I guess that's like how many people see "No Sugar Added" and assume that means "Sugar Free." Definitely a cautionary tale about fully reading food labels, even if it's for the dog