Xylitol and Dogs

Since the release of a report on xylitol and dogs published in the October 1, 2006 issue of the Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA), Naturally Sweet has been asked about the company's position on the sweetener as it relates to man's best friend. Reports and articles about xylitol and dogs have propagated across the Internet during the past few years.

Naturally Sweet does not recommend that xylitol-containing products be given to pets, especially dogs. Naturally Sweet encourages its customers to keep these products away from their pets and we recognise that pet owners are concerned about the health of their “best friends”.

While the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) has reported that xylitol may be toxic for dogs, in the cases that have been reported throughout the news, there were a number of factors that may have caused the dogs to be ill. In one case, a pet ate "100 pieces of Dr. Atkins sugar-free gum," which contained xylitol, as well as aspartame.

Another example in the October AVMA report, which studied eight cases from 2003-2005, referenced a dog that had "eaten four large, chocolate-frosted muffins that contained about one pound of xylitol."

We agree that additional studies need to be conducted on the effects of xylitol and dogs. That said, we are concerned about advocating further studies, as sacrificing the animals following the studies has been the common practice in order to better understand the effects of xylitol on a dog's internal organs. Dog owners know their dogs best, and will know when their pets need care.

We recommend that dog owners pay attention to what their dogs eat. There are a number of products that have been tested and proven to be bad for dogs. We encourage dog owners and health conscious consumers alike to learn more about xylitol at naturallysweet.com. Naturally Sweet does not make products for dogs, nor do we recommend dog owners give their dogs xylitol or any other food designated for human consumption.