Artificial Sweetener Poisoning Dogs

A warning to dog owners - keep your furry friend away from your sugar-free gum. We know chocolate is harmful to our dogs, but now a common artificial sweetener called Xylitol is causing a surge in accidental poisonings and even death in man's best friend. Xylitol is safe for humans, but can cause severe low blood sugar, seizures, even liver failure in dogs. What else contains Xylitol?While sugar-free gum is the biggest problem, Xylitol is also used in some sugar-free candies, baked goods, chewable vitamins, breath mints, toothpaste and peanut butter.  According to the ASPCA's Animal Poison Control Center, the number of products containing Xylitol has risen from 82 in 2004 for more than 3,700 in 2014.  Some animal welfare groups are calling for warning labels on products with Xylitol which is almost 100 times more toxic than chocolate to dogs.  I know my dog, Chipper, likes to get into all different kinds of foods, so I will be checking labels of foods that could contain Xylitol and keep them out of his reach and I will limit foods I buy with Xylitol. We love our dogs, let's keep them safe.