Artificial Sweetener Xylitol May Prove To Be Fatal For Your Dog

Xylitol, a sweetener usually found in sugar-free gums, can be fatal for dogs, according to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

Reports of dogs getting poisoned by xylitol have increased over the years, according to The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals' (ASPCA) Animal Poison Control Center. The xylitol-related calls have shot up from 82 in 2004 to more than 3,700 in 2014, it explained. Moreover, the Pet Poison Helpline has also seen a 15 percent increase in these calls this year.

Dogs cannot process xylitol in their bodies in the manner that humans do, which makes it fatal for them.

"In people, xylitol does not stimulate the release of insulin from the pancreas," the FDA said. "However, it's different in canines: When dogs eat something containing xylitol, the xylitol is more quickly absorbed into the bloodstream, and may result in a potent release of insulin from the pancreas."

Chewing gum, sugar-free candy, breath mints, cough syrup, mouthwash, and toothpaste might pose a danger to dogs.

The main symptoms that indicate poisoning include vomiting and a dip in blood sugar, which in turn can cause "decreased activity, staggering, weakness, lack of coordination, collapse, and seizures."

"You just have to be really careful because dogs are nosy little creatures and they are hungry all the time," said Ashley Gallagher of the Friendship Hospital for Animals in Washington D.C. "I know my dogs are, and they are just looking for a treat. So you have to really watch them."

"If you're concerned about your dog eating a food or product with xylitol in it, check the label of ingredients," added Martine Hartogensis, a veterinarian at the FDA. "If it does, indeed, say that it contains xylitol, make sure your pet can't get to it."