Dog owners warned over sugar-free items

[Richard]

Sat Sep 30, 12:57 AM ET

Keep those sugarless treats out of Fido's reach. Veterinarians warned on Friday that a commonly used sweetener might cause liver failure in dogs, and perhaps even kill them.

Their report in the Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association appears to strengthen the suspected link between the sugar substitute xylitol, thought to make dogs sick, and possible liver failure.

Xylitol, a naturally occurring product, is found in many sugar-free chewing gums, candies, baked goods and toothpastes.

Researchers Sharon Gwaltney-Brant and Eric Dunayer with staff at a poison unit of the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals in Urbana, Illinois, gathered information on eight dogs treated between 2003 and 2005 after eating products containing xylitol.

Each dog became ill, and five died or had to be put down because of liver failure, possibly from ingesting xylitol.

One dog who had to be euthanized had eaten four large, chocolate-frosted muffins containing about 1 pound (0.45 kg) of xylitol.

"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," Gwaltney-Brant, who co-authored the study with Dunayer, said in a statement.

Gwaltney-Brant said for dogs, ingesting even a small amount of xylitol can trigger significant insulin release, which drops their blood sugar and can be fatal.

"A 22-pound (10-kg) dog who consumes one gram (0.03 ounces) of xylitol should be treated," she said, adding that further studies were needed to definitely establish a cause-and-effect relationship.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/life_dogs_dc;...wNtcm5ld3M

[Astrojewels]

Very good article Richard, my question is why would anyone give their dog artificial sugar treats in the first place? And gum, that is bizarre! Dogs have a completely different metabolic system to us and do not need sugar at all. The other common killer for a dog is owners giving their pets pastry products, a dog can not break down the flour and preservatives in these foods, this will create a pancreas disease and the dog usually swells up and generally has to go on a mush diet for the rest of its life. All a dog needs is clean water, a variety of good meat, and you can add some solid vegetables if you like – potatoes, carrots, Swede, rice and eggs also, and you never give a dog meat that has gone off.

Toothpaste! What is wrong with people?

[Richard]

It could be they were using the toothpaste to brush the dog’s teeth. Feeding them gum is bizarre, I seen people do that. I’ve also seen dogs that will dig gum out of the trash. Our dog has a Kleenex fetish. We have to keep all the trash cans out of his reach.