Beware of Some Peanut Butters & Nut Butters, Some Holiday Candies, Some Toothpaste & of Course Chewing Gum!

When it comes to safety and quality, pet parents are some of the toughest shoppers there are! Women comprise 85% of pet food and dog treat shoppers. Checking the ingredients on the back of the bags is standard procedure for us.

Because Xylitol is a standard sweetener in chewing gum, most pet parents are aware that keeping the gum out of reach of dogs is critical.

Xylitol, when ingested by dogs, causes Hypoglycemia (low blood sugar) and Hepatic Necrosis (liver failure) very quickly. They can become ill very fast and it could be deadly if not noticed immediately. Toxicity depends on the amount ingested. Symptoms include depression, vomiting, loss of coordination and seizures, often within minutes.

This week the FDA, DVM360.com and several other websites warned the public of foods and dental products that contain Xylitol, now including peanut butter, a product dogs love. Most families are aware of how much their dog likes peanut butter products – often found in treats, biscuits and used in the rubber dog toys that encourage us to fill them with peanut butter to keep our dogs occupied. Most peanut butters, especially the well known brands, are perfectly safe.

I did a quick trip to our local chain wide grocery stores to inspect their peanut butter products. Luckily I found that the leading brand names did not have Xylitol in their ingredients. In fact, most had no sweeteners. Peanut butter is one of the most natural products I find – for kids and pets. Let me stress, there’s no danger for kids. Xylitol is a naturally derived sweetener found in many fruits.

HOWEVER, there are brands that DO add Xylitol, they just don’t happen to be in carried in the stores I checked. BE ADVISED that the Pet Poison Helpline and Safety Call International have found Xylitol in only 3 specialty brands: One called P-28 that’s found in health food stores, “Nuts ‘N’ More,” and Krush Nutrition’s “Nutty By Nature.”

Tell the family. Tell the neighbors. Call your friends. Talk about this at the dog park and when you meet people while walking your dog. SHARE it on Facebook, or send the link to this blog to your friends. XYLITOL IS NOT HARMFUL FOR HUMANS, BUT IS FOR DOGS and FERRETS. Let’s keep our pets safe!

In case of Emergency 24/7: PET POISON HELPLINE – 855-764-7661   www.PetPoisonHelpline.com

Safety Call International 866-327-7282  www.SafetyCall.com  info@SafetyCall.com