A Celebrity Boards at Big Times

Petey Caraway is presently boarding with us while his mom is vacationing.. It seem Petey had an incident recently that made the National news and drew attention to a serious health concerns for our pets.. 

Pet Talk: Portland veterinarian launches xylitol awareness campaign

When Phyllis Caraway heard a strange crunching sound one fateful Saturday night, she found that her 20-pound spaniel mix had gobbled up nine pieces of her sugar-free gum.

After researching the gum's ingredient list online, Caraway quickly learned about the dangers that xylitol, a sugar alcohol used as a sweetener, poses for dogs.

 "I almost could not believe what I was reading," she says. "It scared me to death."

Caraway immediately called the ASPCA Animal Poison Control hotline and learned how to induce vomiting in Petey just in the nick of time.

Luckily, Petey is fine now. But when Caraway, who lives in Ohio, discovered on social media a Portland veterinarian's petitions for better xylitol labeling, she was only too happy to sign up.

****

Dr. Jason Nicholas, of Preventive Vet, devotes his practice to helping pet owners prevent emergencies. 

So when he discovered that some specialty nut butter companies were using xylitol as a sweetener, he made it his mission to educate pet owners and enlist product manufacturers to include pet alerts.

Dog owners use peanut butter in a plethora of ways: to make medication more enticing, to reward dogs during training sessions, and to fold into homemade snacks.

"Peanut butter is one of those things pet owners use a lot of, and pet owners should know what's in it," says Dr. Heidi Houchen of VCA Northwest Veterinary Specialists in Clackamas. "Of all the food we give them, that's a biggie."

If a dog eats a large quantity of peanut butter, it will likely suffer from pancreatitis, Nicholas says, but a dog that eats peanut butter with xylitol – even a small amount – can potentially die.

Aside from nut butters, xylitol is being added to an ever-increasing list of products ranging from sugar-free gum and candies to vitamins and supplements to ice cream and yogurt.

So far, Nicholas and his team have identified more than 700 products containing the sugar substitute and invite people to add to the list. 

Why xylitol is harmful 

In humans, xylitol helps curb bacterial growth, lowering the risk of cavities and ear infections. It contains fewer calories than sugar and doesn't raise blood glucose, so it's good for diabetics.

Yet canines metabolize it much differently than we do, and even a minuscule amount can be extremely dangerous or even fatal.

In dogs, xylitol triggers a massive rush of insulin, causing a dog's blood sugar to plummet dangerously quickly.

According to this chart, ingesting just three pieces of sugar-free gum containing xylitol could be enough to kill a 10-pound Yorkie.Graphic courtesy of Preventive Vet 

Just a tiny quantity– 0.1 grams per kilogram - can lead to potentially life-threatening hypoglycemia. Symptoms such as weakness, lethargy, collapsing and seizures can occur within 30 minutes.

Consuming larger amounts can lead to liver failure. There's no antidote for that, only supportive care, so a dog may need to spend several days in a veterinary hospital. That can cost hundreds to thousands of dollars.

"This is something so preventable," says Houchen, who estimates her clinic treats at least 30 pets per year for xylitol toxicity.

Contacting product manufacturers

To that end, Nicholas has reached out to the product manufacturers of the five nut butter companies currently including xylitol in their butters