Common Sweetening Ingredient Is Fatal For Dogs

DES MOINES, Iowa –

POSTED: 4:32 pm CDT May 21, 2010

A relatively new sweetener is making a lot of dogs very sick. The ingredient, found in more and more sugar-free products, is proving fatal for man's best friend.

There are a lot of household food items that are toxic to dogs. Raisins, grapes, onions, macadamia nuts, and garlic are just a few. But what you carry in your pocket or purse could be the cause of your next trip to the emergency vet clinic.

Ryan Kolder is learning the hard way that a sweetener now used in a lot of sugar free products can be deadly for dogs.

"She just found a little pack of gum that my son had in a plastic bag with his clothes from and overnight stay at a friends," said Kolder.

Six pieces of Ice Breakers Ice Cube gum were missing. A short time later, the miniature dachshund was in bad shape.

"Mercedes had vomited a lot over the living room floor," said Kolder.

The first ingredient in the gum Mercedes had eaten is Xylitol. Kolder's vet said to bring her right in.

"There have been many dogs that have died of liver failure from Xylitol," said Veterinarian Carolyn Stafford.

Xylitol is found in several different brands of gum. It's also used as a sweetener in a number of sugar-free foods. It was first developed decades ago, but only recently gained widespread use.

"For a long time the vet world didn't even know Xylitol was bad until all of these cases started rolling in," said Stafford.

Now the clinic sees several cases a month, some of them fatal.

Kolder's dog is in her second day at Iowa Veterinary Specialties in Des Moines. She's had a plasma transfusion and a glucose I.V. among other things. Kolder said he expects the final bill to be $2,000, to $3,000.

"It's something that I'll tell you, we're going to be taking precautions on at our house from this point on," said Kolder.