Sugar substitute Xylitol is dangerous for dogs -- FDA

Paws Off Xylitol; It's Dangerous for Dogs
This sugar substitute, found in some human foods and dental products, can be poisonous to your dog.
Your six-month-old puppy, Hoover, will eat anything that isn’t tied down. Like many dog owners, you know chocolate can be dangerous to your pooch. But you may not know that if Hoover sticks his nose in your handbag and eats a pack of sugarless chewing gum, the consequences could be deadly.

Sugarless gum may contain xylitol, a class of sweetener known as sugar alcohol. Xylitol is present in many products and foods for human use, but can have devastating effects on your pet.

If you think your dog may have eaten a product containing xylitol, call your vet, emergency clinic, or animal poison control center right away.

Over the past several years, the Center for Veterinary Medicine at the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has received several reports—many of which pertained to chewing gum—of dogs being poisoned by xylitol, according to Martine Hartogensis, a veterinarian at the FDA. The most recent report was related to "skinny" (sugar-free) ice cream.

And you may have heard or read news stories about dogs that have died or become very ill after eating products containing xylitol.
Other Foods Containing Xylitol

Gum isn’t the only product containing xylitol. Slightly lower in calories than sugar, this sugar substitute is also often used to sweeten sugar-free candy, such as mints and chocolate bars, as well as sugar-free chewing gum. Other products that may contain xylitol include:

    breath mints
    baked goods
    cough syrup
    children’s and adult chewable vitamins
    mouthwash
    toothpaste
    some peanut and nut butters
    over-the-counter medicines
    dietary supplements
    sugar-free desserts, including "skinny" ice cream

Xylitol can be used in baked goods, too, such as cakes, muffins, and pies — often because the baker is substituting another sweetener for sugar, as in products for people with diabetes. People can buy xylitol in bulk to bake sweet treats at home. In-store bakeries also are selling baked goods containing the sweetener. Some pediatric dentists also recommend xylitol-containing chewing gum for children, and these products could end up in a dog’s mouth by accident. It’s a good idea to keep all such products well out of your dog’s reach.
Why is Xylitol Dangerous to Dogs, but Not People?

In both people and dogs, the level of blood sugar is controlled by the release of insulin from the pancreas. In people, xylitol does not stimulate the release of insulin from the pancreas. 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.

This rapid release of insulin may result in a rapid and profound decrease in the level of blood sugar (hypoglycemia), an effect that can occur within 10 to 60 minutes of eating the xylitol. Untreated, this hypoglycemia can quickly be life-threatening, Hartogensis says.

A note to cat and ferret owners: Xylitol does not seem to be as dangerous for cats and other pets. Cats appear to be spared, at least in part, by their disdain for sweets. Ferret owners, however, should be careful, as ferrets have been known to develop low blood sugar and seizures, like dogs, after eating products containing xylitol.
Symptoms to Look For in Your Dog
Symptoms of xylitol poisoning in dogs include vomiting, followed by symptoms associated with the sudden lowering of your dog’s blood sugar, such as decreased activity, weakness, staggering, in-coordination, collapse and seizures.

If you think your dog has eaten xylitol, take him to your vet or an emergency animal hospital immediately, Hartogensis advises. Because hypoglycemia and other serious adverse effects may not occur in some cases for up to 12 to 24 hours, your dog may need to be hospitalized for medical monitoring.
What Can You Do to Avoid Xylitol Poisoning in Your Dog?

Dr. Hartogensis says, "Check the label for xylitol in the ingredients of products, especially ones that advertise as sugar-free or low sugar. If a product does contain xylitol, make sure your pet can't get to it." In addition:

    Keep products that contain xylitol (including those you don’t think of as food, such as toothpaste) well out of your dog’s reach. Remember that some dogs are adept at counter surfing.
    Only use pet toothpaste for pets, never human toothpaste.
    If you give your dog nut butter as a treat or as a vehicle for pills, check the label first to make sure it doesn’t contain xylitol.

You Can Help the FDA by Reporting Safety Issues

The FDA wants to know if your pet encounters safety issues with a product, and/or unanticipated harmful effects that you believe are related to a product.

“Timely reporting of problems enables FDA to take prompt action,” Hartogensis says. Each report is evaluated to determine how serious the problem is and, if necessary, additional information may be requested from the person who filed the report.

You can report problems related to both human and pet foods and treats at the Safety Reporting Portal.

Cyclospora cayetanensis, A Growing Food Related Parasite Problem Being Addressed By CDC and FDA

Cyclospora cayetanensis, A Growing Food Related Parasite Problem Being Addressed By CDC and FDA


The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) are collaborating to protect consumers from Cyclospora cayetanensis, a parasite that has caused multistate outbreaks of foodborne illness in recent years. When people eat food contaminated with Cyclospora — mostly fresh produce — or drink contaminated water, they can get an intestinal illness called cyclosporiasis.

Cyclospora infections have largely surfaced in people who traveled in countries in tropical and subtropical regions where cyclosporiasis commonly occurs. Outbreaks of cyclosporiasis have been reported in the United States since the mid-1990s and have been linked to various types of imported fresh produce, including raspberries, basil, snow peas, mesclun, and cilantro. But last year marked the first Cyclospora was confirmed in domestically grown produce.


The number of reported cases has been rising in recent years, in part because of better diagnostic and detection methods. There were nearly 3,000 reported cases of cyclosporiasis in 2018 alone (including both travel-associated and domestically acquired cases), according to CDC estimates. But it is believed that many more cases may go unreported. In 2018, an outbreak tied to salads sold in a quick-service restaurant chain made more than 500 people sick in 15 states, and another associated with prepackaged vegetable trays made 250 people ill in four states.

•     Cyclosporiasis is an intestinal illness caused by the parasite Cyclospora cayetanensis(C. cayetanensis), which only occurs in humans, and the most common symptom is diarrhea.
•     Infected people shed the parasite in their feces.
•     When the parasite is found in water or food, it means that the water or food has been contaminated with human feces.
•     Other people may become sick by ingesting water or food contaminated with the parasite.
•     Good hygiene (including proper hand washing) is a critical component of ensuring the safety of fresh produce, but by itself it may not be enough to prevent infected employees from contaminating fresh produce.
•     The FSMA Produce Safety Rule requires that personnel on farms use hygienic practices (§ 112.32) and that ill employees are excluded from handling fresh produce and food contact surfaces (§ 112.31).

For Farmers;

    On farms, unhygienic practices can contaminate water and equipment, and farmers are looking for mitigation strategies. Last fall, the FDA created a webpage with information for farmers and a fact sheet on cyclosporiasis and fresh produce. Given the first detection of Cyclospora in domestic produce last year, the FDA has also stepped up outreach to the domestic industry and state partners to help them understand what to expect should additional incidents of domestic contamination occur. The FDA continues to emphasize the importance of worker health and hygiene controls for produce-related activities. For example, the Produce Safety Rule established by the FDA Food Safety Modernization Act stresses the importance of hygienic practices (including handwashing, and wearing intact and sanitary gloves).

For Healthcare Professionals;

    Every year before the start of the U.S. cyclosporiasis season, CDC reminds physicians to consider cyclosporiasis when diagnosing diarrheal illnesses. The degree to which physicians and public health officials test patients and collect samples varies throughout the country. Increased awareness among the medical community regarding cyclosporiasis (for example, time from exposure to initial onset of symptoms, seasonality, symptoms, and current available diagnostic methods) can help to more rapidly identify and address emerging outbreaks.

Food professionals, restaurants, and consumers;

    The FDA has created a webpage that includes information about what restaurants, retailers and consumers need to do to protect against Cyclospora contamination.

Read more at FDA