Can Dogs Eat Xylitol?
🚨 No — an emergency
No. Xylitol, a sweetener in sugar-free gum, mints and some peanut butters, makes a dog's blood sugar crash within minutes and can cause liver failure. Any amount is a reason to call a vet now.
If your dog ate xylitol
- Call your vet or a poison line immediately.
- Don't make your dog vomit unless a vet tells you to — if blood sugar is already falling, it can make things worse.
- Expect blood-sugar checks and possibly a few days of liver monitoring.
Call your vet or a 24/7 animal poison line now: ASPCA Animal Poison Control (888) 426-4435 · Pet Poison Helpline (855) 764-7661
- What makes it harmful
- Xylitol (birch sugar)
- Harmful amount
- About 0.1 g per kg can cause low blood sugar; about 0.5 g per kg can cause liver failure
- Signs appear
- Low blood sugar within 10–60 minutes; liver damage over 12–72 hours
Check the xylitol dose
Assumes up to 1 g per piece — the high end, to be safe. Check the label: xylitol may be listed as "birch sugar".
Any amount of xylitol is a reason to call a vet now. Blood sugar can drop within 10–60 minutes. Don't make your dog vomit unless a vet tells you to. ASPCA Animal Poison Control (888) 426-4435 · Pet Poison Helpline (855) 764-7661
Symptoms to watch for
- Vomiting
- Weakness, wobbling
- Collapse
- Tremors
- Seizures
- Yellow gums or eyes (later, liver damage)
Why
In people xylitol hardly changes blood sugar, but in dogs it triggers a flood of insulin. Check labels on sugar-free and "keto" products, chewable vitamins, some toothpastes and baked goods — it may be listed as birch sugar.
Sources
General information checked against published veterinary sources. Every dog is different — ask your vet before changing its diet, and call them if it seems unwell.