05/30/2026
I know we talk about this in class…xylitol aka birch sugar is soooo dangerous. Where is it hiding in your house??
https://www.preventivevet.com/xylitol-products-toxic-for-dogs
Tonight I ended up trying to help a friend whose puppy ate a kid's vitamin containing xylitol. Simple accident: kid dropped vitamin, puppy scarfed it down. (Note: this household is knowledgeable and is xylitol free, but a relative bought the vitamins, unaware of the risk to the dogs.)
The puppy only ate *one* vitamin. Which turned out to contain 1500 mg of xylitol.
100 mg/kg is the threshold for hypoglycemia which can be fatal. At 500 mg/kg, hepatic necrosis occurs -- destruction of liver tissue.
So just ONE chewable vitamin ended up creating a serious problem for a 30 pound pup (which is not quite 14 kg).
The emergency vet induced vomiting. Thankfully, the puppy had had a meal and so there was food in her stomach. In the vomit was the orange tablet, identifiable though dissolved.
Quick thinking on the owner's part (including grabbing the bottle of vitamins) and fortunately a nearby 24/7 emergency vet hospital meant that this pup received prompt treatment, and should make a full recovery.
Check your medications, vitamins, gum, candy, toothpaste, mouthwash, peanut butter and more for xylitol, also known as birch sugar.
This is useful information to have on hand:
https://www.calculatorsfordogs.com/health-nutrition-calculators/xylitol-toxicity-calculator
ALWAYS contact vet and ASPCA Animal Poison Control center immediately!
As for everyone (the non-vets) recommending the use of hydrogen peroxide, please update your understanding:
https://www.gsvs.org/woodbridge-nj/blog/hydrogen-peroxide-for-dogs-emergency/
Pass this along. I hope you never have to use it.
