An ingredient commonly found in sugarless gum was found to be toxic to dogs, CBS News reported.
Xylitol, a sugar substitute used in sugarless gums, candy, peanut butter and other food products, is safe for human consumption but is highly toxic to dogs. It lowers their blood sugar and causes liver failure and seizures, and in some cases, death.
The number of dogs suffering from xylitol toxicity is on the rise. The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals' (ASPCA) Animal Poison Control Center said the number of xylitol poisoning in dogs has risen from 82 reported cases in 2004 to 3,700 cases in 2014, according to CBS News.
"There are still a lot of dog owners who have never heard of xylitol, nor do they understand that something this benign, an ordinary sweetener, could be toxic to pets," Dr. Ahna Brutlag, senior veterinary toxicologist at the Pet Poison hotline, told Wall Street Journal.
Xylitol, when taken by humans, is absorbed slowly in the body. In contrast, in dogs, it gets absorbed very quickly, causing insulin to be released quickly. As a result, the dog's blood sugar drops and the animal suffers from hypoglycemia. All of this can happen within 30 minutes of ingesting xylitol, according to an article posted on ASPCA's website.
About 50 milligrams of xylitol per pound of body weight is enough to cause hypoglycemia in dogs. Nine pieces of sugarless gums can cause a 45-pound dog to have severe hypoglycemia, while about 45 pieces of gum can cause liver failure, according to VCA Animal Hospitals.
Dog owners can help stop xylitol poisoning in their pets by vigilantly keeping food products with xylitol away from dogs' reach.
"You just have to be really careful because dogs are nosy little creatures and they are hungry all the time. I know my dogs are, and they are just looking for a treat. So you have to really watch them," Dr. Ashley Gallagher from the Friendship Hospital for Animals in Washington, D.C., told CBS News.
