A recent link by Philip Stanway of the Chelmsford Open Space Stewardship discussed the dangers of a food additive called Xylitol.
(original article: This Artificial Sweetener Is A Major Danger To Your Dog’s Health)
Unfortunately, the site called “About Xylitol” has very little information other than advertising the wonders of the substance. Getting to the “Articles About Xylitol” page and the “effects on animals” report – it seems that they demanded a re-evaluation, and reading between the lines of the section titled “Statistical re-evaluation of a two-year dog study” with a somewhat cynical attitude suggests that someone was “encouraged” to “recheck the data”.
The BarkPost article linked to an article on Preventative Vet, which included a more scientific presentation that the initial warning. It also lists the 5 peanut butter manufacturers who use Xylitol in their product.
“Here are the five companies (in alphabetical order): (1) Go Nuts, Co., (2) Hank’s Protein Plus Peanut Butter, (3) Krush Nutrition, (4) Nuts ‘N More, and (5) P28. While these are “specialty butters” that are mostly sold in nutrition stores and online (currently), the subtle presence of xylitol in these butters definitely highlights the importance of reading ingredient labels on products you bring into your home, and especially doing so prior to sharing anything with your pets and if your pets ever get into anything they shouldn’t have. Please don’t assume that things which are safe for you are also safe for your pets.”
Basically, all of this just highlights the fact that dogs are not people. Some foods that people can eat with impunity are toxic to dogs, even in small quantities.
Most everyone knows enough to avoid giving your dog chocolate, raisins or onions, but the list is somewhat more comprehensive.
See our FAQ on Dangerous Foods (initially built from the ASPCA poison control list.)
Chemicals IN our foods are something that many people do not consider, especially for foods that are otherwise safe and enjoyable for the pups, like peanut butter. So, please be careful and aware when feeding human foods to your pets.
