If your dog gets into something sugar-free, you need to move fast. Xylitol is a common sugar substitute found in everything from gum to peanut butter, and it can cause life-threatening complications in dogs, sometimes within minutes. It's one of those hidden dangers that catches people off guard. It's mainstream now and showing up in more products every year.

What Xylitol Is and Why It's Everywhere

Xylitol is a sugar alcohol used in sugar-free and reduced-sugar products. For humans, it's safe and doesn't spike blood sugar, which is why it's in so many diabetic-friendly foods. Dogs metabolize it completely differently than we do.
In humans, xylitol absorbs slowly and doesn't trigger much of an insulin response. In dogs, it absorbs rapidly and causes a sudden, massive insulin release. That drops their blood sugar dangerously low within 10 to 60 minutes.

Why It's So Dangerous

  • When a dog's blood sugar drops too low, it affects their entire body. You'll see weakness, lethargy, vomiting, and loss of coordination first. If untreated, it can progress to seizures, collapse, and potentially death.
  • At higher doses, xylitol can also cause acute liver failure within 12 to 24 hours, even if the initial blood sugar drop gets treated.
  • Even small amounts are dangerous. A single piece of sugar-free gum can contain enough xylitol to cause problems in a 10-pound dog. A few pieces can cause liver damage.

Where You'll Find It

Sugar-free gum and mints are the obvious ones. But xylitol is also in:

Sugar-free peanut butter, Sugar-free candy and chocolate, low-sugar baked goods, chewable vitamins and supplements, some medications, sugar-free syrups and sauces, toothpaste and mouthwash, nasal sprays, and sleep aids and melatonin gummies. The ingredient list might say "xylitol," or it might say "birch sugar" or "wood sugar," which are the same thing. Some products just list "sugar alcohol" without specifying which type.

What to Do If Your Dog Gets Into Xylitol

  • This is not a wait-and-see situation. If you know or suspect your dog ate something with xylitol, call your vet or an emergency hospital immediately, even if your dog seems fine right now.
  • Time is everything here. The faster treatment starts, the better. Treatment usually involves inducing vomiting (if it just happened), fluids, dextrose to stabilize blood sugar, and monitoring liver enzymes.
  • If it's after hours and you're not sure whether something has xylitol in it, call anyway. Emergency clinics would rather walk you through a false alarm than have you wait too long.

Check Your Pantry

Take a few minutes to look at ingredient labels on anything sugar-free in your house. If it has xylitol, store it somewhere your dog absolutely can't reach. Also watch purses, backpacks, and gym bags where gum or mints might be sitting around. If you use peanut butter for treats or to give medications, make sure it's xylitol-free. We carry dog-safe peanut butter at both locations, and we're always happy to help you check labels if you're not sure about something. Xylitol poisoning is preventable. It just takes awareness and a little extra caution with what's in your home.