Xylitol

Conditions and restrictions

Do not give xylitol to a dog and keep it out of reach. Check labels for xylitol, E967, birch sugar or wood sugar. Look beyond food: syrups, medicines, vitamins and oral-care products may also contain it.

Benefits

There is no benefit for a dog.

Risks

• Xylitol triggers a rapid, dose-dependent release of insulin in dogs. Blood glucose can fall sharply, causing weakness, poor coordination, tremors, seizures, collapse and coma.
• Some dogs develop severe liver injury or failure. It can appear later and does not always come with obvious hypoglycaemia.
• Absorption may be delayed in some chewing-gum products, so a dog is not safe simply because no signs appear straight away.

Already eaten — what now?

Call the clinic immediately and travel when instructed, even if your dog still looks well. Bring the package and report the dog's weight, time, product name and possible amount. Do not induce vomiting unless a veterinarian tells you to.

Conditions and restrictions

Do not add xylitol to a cat’s diet. A small study did not find the dog-like hypoglycaemia or liver injury in healthy cats, but it did not test regular use and does not cover a finished product.

Benefits

There is no benefit for a cat.

Risks

• A study in six healthy cats found no hypoglycaemia or liver injury after single exposures; it did not assess the safety of regular use.
• Other ingredients in a finished product may be harmful to a cat independently of xylitol.

Already eaten — what now?

Check the full ingredient list and keep the package. If the ingredients or amount are unknown, or your cat swallowed a medicine or hygiene product, call the clinic to assess that product. Repeated vomiting, marked weakness, poor coordination, tremors or seizures need urgent care. Do not induce vomiting yourself.

Conditions and restrictions

Do not give xylitol to a dog and keep it out of reach. Check labels for xylitol, E967, birch sugar or wood sugar. Look beyond food: syrups, medicines, vitamins and oral-care products may also contain it.

Benefits

There is no benefit for a dog.

Risks

• Xylitol triggers a rapid, dose-dependent release of insulin in dogs. Blood glucose can fall sharply, causing weakness, poor coordination, tremors, seizures, collapse and coma.
• Some dogs develop severe liver injury or failure. It can appear later and does not always come with obvious hypoglycaemia.
• Absorption may be delayed in some chewing-gum products, so a dog is not safe simply because no signs appear straight away.

Already eaten — what now?

Call the clinic immediately and travel when instructed, even if your dog still looks well. Bring the package and report the dog's weight, time, product name and possible amount. Do not induce vomiting unless a veterinarian tells you to.

Conditions and restrictions

Do not give this product to a cat. The yellow rating applies only to xylitol; fat, chocolate, caffeine, raisins and other ingredients can change both the rating and urgency.

Benefits

There is no benefit for a cat.

Risks

• A study in six healthy cats found no hypoglycaemia or liver injury after single exposures; it did not assess the safety of regular use.
• Other ingredients in a finished product may be harmful to a cat independently of xylitol.

Already eaten — what now?

Check the full ingredient list and keep the package. If the ingredients or amount are unknown, or your cat swallowed a medicine or hygiene product, call the clinic to assess that product. Repeated vomiting, marked weakness, poor coordination, tremors or seizures need urgent care. Do not induce vomiting yourself.

Conditions and restrictions

Do not give a human medicine or supplement unless a veterinarian prescribed it. Both xylitol and the active ingredient may matter, so the amount of each must be checked from the package.

Benefits

There is no benefit for a dog.

Risks

• Xylitol triggers a rapid, dose-dependent release of insulin in dogs. Blood glucose can fall sharply, causing weakness, poor coordination, tremors, seizures, collapse and coma.
• Some dogs develop severe liver injury or failure. It can appear later and does not always come with obvious hypoglycaemia.
• Absorption may be delayed in some chewing-gum products, so a dog is not safe simply because no signs appear straight away.

Already eaten — what now?

Call the clinic immediately. Bring the package or leaflet and report the dog’s weight, medicine name, active ingredient, strength, possible amount and time. Do not wait for signs or induce vomiting yourself.

Conditions and restrictions

Do not give a human medicine or supplement unless a veterinarian prescribed it. The red rating covers accidental ingestion of the finished product because its active ingredient may be hazardous independently of xylitol.

Benefits

There is no benefit for a cat.

Risks

• Xylitol did not show the dog-like toxicity in a study of six healthy cats, but the active ingredient and dose determine the safety of a particular medicine.
• A chewable or liquid formulation may contain several active and inactive ingredients.

Already eaten — what now?

Call the clinic promptly and keep the package. Report the medicine name, active ingredient, strength, possible amount, time and the cat’s weight. Weakness, poor coordination, tremors, seizures, repeated vomiting or altered breathing need emergency care. Do not induce vomiting yourself.