More and more vets are seeing dogs come into their office with Xylitol poisoning. Xylitol, is a sugar alcohol used as a sweetener in a lot of sugarless candy, gum, soft drinks, Tic Tacs and even toothpaste. It's perfectly harmless to us humans but can cause seizures and even death in our Gordon Setters. Xylitol can cause an insulin release, which can cause liver failure. Increased insulin leads to hypoglycemia. Elevated liver enzymes and liver failure can be seen with in just a few days.
Initial symptoms are vomiting, lethargy and loss of coordination. Seizures can come on as quick as just a few minutes after ingestion. Death can come as quick as 30 minutes depending on how much the dog eats.
Sources: ASPCA, Snopes.com, MSNBC.COM
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