SuperHero

Joined: 10 Dec 2003 Location: Superhero Hideout
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Posted: Wed May 16, 2007 3:04 am Post subject: Xylitol Fatal for Dogs |
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Xylitol Fatal for Dogs
If you've got a dog, you might want to keep you Xylitol based gums well out of reach.
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While Xylitol is safe for humans, it can be harmful to dogs. The compound doesn't affect glucose levels in people, but when ingested by dogs it can cause a dangerous surge of insulin. (In as little as <NOBR>15 minutes, the blood sugar of a dog that has eaten gum containing Xylitol may register a marked drop in blood sugar.) At higher doses, Xylitol is
Just three grams of Xylitol can kill a 65-pound dog. Because the amount of sweetener used in sugar-free chewing gums varies by manufacturer and product, the number of sticks of gum that would prove fatal to a pooch of that size can't be stated with precision. As a general rule of thumb, between eight and ten pieces of gum might be deadly to a 65-pound canine, but a smaller dog could easily die after ingesting far less (perhaps as few as two sticks of gum).
A dog that has eaten an item containing Xylitol can be rapidly hit by a dangerous drop in blood sugar that causea weakness, lethargy, loss of coordination, collapse, and seizures. Those symptoms can develop within 30 minutes, and a dog so afflicted will need immediate veterinary treatment to survive. Without help, irreversible brain trauma occurs and the patient dies.
Xylitol also appears to cause severe liver damage in dogs within 24 hours. |
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