I don't have a dog anymore. But I am an animal lover, and don't want anyone to have to go through what some families have already experienced. If you have a dog, keep sugar free gum containing Xylitol away from them. It can kill your dog.

I would never have heard about Xylitol being so dangerous for your pet except for a friend who posted this on Facebook:

Sadly, there aren't a lot of warnings around Xylitol or its effects on animals. But it's known that it's toxic to dogs and can kill them. It severely drops their blood sugar to dangerous and deadly levels. You can read more about that here.

Xylitol is actually beneficial to humans and helps fight tooth decay according to many studies. So its use in all kinds of gum is more widespread than you may know. But being good for us can often be bad for your pet.

Check the labels for Xylitol before you leave gum laying around where your dog can get to it. Most sugar-free brands these days are using Xylitol, so read the label first.

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