{"id":1141,"date":"2020-03-09T13:49:51","date_gmt":"2020-03-09T13:49:51","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.jpeterstclairdentistry.com\/blog\/?p=1141"},"modified":"2020-03-09T13:49:52","modified_gmt":"2020-03-09T13:49:52","slug":"dog-owner-alert","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.jpeterstclairdentistry.com\/blog\/dog-owner-alert\/","title":{"rendered":"DOG OWNER ALERT"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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Xylitol is a sugar substitute that possesses 40 percent fewer calories\nthan sugar and has been shown to decrease the amount of cavities that people\nget. It can be found in specifically formulated things like gum and mints, but\ncan also be in chips, Jell-O, peanut butter and foods. It is important to know\nthat xylitol, even in small quantities, is toxic to dogs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The dental benefits of xylitol have been known since the 1970\u2019s. Xylitol\nis not metabolized by the decay-causing bacteria Streptococcus mutans (S. mutans<\/em>), making it nonacidogenic and thus\nnoncariogenic (not decay causing). Studies have also indicated xylitol\ndecreases the levels of S. mutans<\/em> in\nboth plaque and saliva. As a result, patients who use xylitol have demonstrated\na reduction in decay.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Xylitol is slowly absorbed by the human intestines; as a result, it has\nminimal side effects on humans. There are some minor side effects, mainly\ndiarrhea, although this generally occurs after ingesting large amounts xylitol\n(four to five times the recommended amount for cavity prevention). A 1982 study\nsuggested that the body can adapt to higher dosages of xylitol and that\nsymptoms can subside as the body\u2019s tolerance increases. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

While the dental community embraces xylitol for its cavity prevention,\nmost people, including dental professionals, are unaware of its toxic potential\n\u2013 not to humans, but to dogs. While xylitol has little effect on insulin\nproduction in humans, dogs can experience rapid and severe increase in insulin\nproduction after just a small amount of xylitol ingestion. A dog that ingests a\nxylitol equivalent of three to four pieces of gum is at risk for hepatic\n(liver) failure and necrosis (tissue death). <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Dogs tend to be scavengers by nature and their likelihood of encountering\npotentially toxic substances in and around the house is common. The ASPCA web\nsite lists a multitude of substances, many of which are harmless to humans but\npotentially dangerous to dogs. Chocolate, grapes, raisins, avocado, onion, and\ncitrus fruits make the list. However, xylitol is unique in that it is contained\nwithin foods; as a result, consumers may not even be aware that a product or\nfood item contains xylitol.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For dogs suspected of ingesting xylitol, early intervention is paramount.\nPrompt medical treatment for uncomplicated xylitol-related hypoglycemia can\nyield a good prognosis. Xylitol hepatic toxicosis yields a much graver\nprognosis.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

While veterinarians have been aware of the potential danger of xylitol to\ndogs for several years, that awareness has escaped most of the dental community\n\u2013 and the general public. This has become a more significant issue as more\ndental professionals promote products that contain xylitol for its human\nbenefits. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

It is important for dog owners to know the different foods and products,\nsuch as xylitol, that can be harmful to their pooches. Make sure to keep these\nitems out of a dog\u2019s reach – and that includes the garbage. If you suspect\ningestion of any of these foods, including xylitol, contact your veterinarian\nimmediately. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Dr. St. Clair maintains\na private dental practice in Rowley and Newburyport dedicated to health-centered\nfamily dentistry. If there are certain topics you would like to see written\nabout or questions you have please email them to him at jpstclair@stclairdmd.com<\/a>.\nYou can view all previously written columns at www.jpeterstclairdentistry.com\/blog<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Xylitol is a sugar substitute that possesses 40 percent fewer calories than sugar and has been shown to decrease the amount of cavities that people get. It can be found in specifically formulated things like gum and mints, but can also be in chips, Jell-O, peanut butter and foods. It is important to know that xylitol, even in small quantities, is toxic to dogs. The dental benefits of xylitol have been known since the 1970\u2019s. […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1141","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.jpeterstclairdentistry.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1141","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.jpeterstclairdentistry.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.jpeterstclairdentistry.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.jpeterstclairdentistry.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.jpeterstclairdentistry.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1141"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/www.jpeterstclairdentistry.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1141\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1145,"href":"https:\/\/www.jpeterstclairdentistry.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1141\/revisions\/1145"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.jpeterstclairdentistry.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1141"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.jpeterstclairdentistry.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1141"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.jpeterstclairdentistry.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1141"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}