03/31/2026
Toxin Tuesday:
Xylitol or also known as birch sugar is a common sugar substitute.
It is potentially lethal to our canine friends and can cause death in as little as one hour after ingestion.
In dogs, the pancreas confuses xylitol with real sugar & releases insulin to store the "sugar".
The canine pancreas releases 3-7 times the amount of insulin that it would normally release to address a similar amount of actual sugar.
Xylitol (birch sugar) can easily poison a small dog by a single stick of gum (depending on the gum). Xylitol poisoning seems to be limited only to dogs. Cats have no significant ill-effects from it.
If you suspect your little canine friend has ingested Xylitol, take him to the nearest vet as quick as possible.
