Xylitol poses expanding risk to dogs as more products take out sugar

The popular sugar substitute xylitol has always posed a deadly threat to dogs, but that threat is expanding as xylitol finds its way into vitamins and commonly prescribed drugs that used to be safe for canines—and now aren't.
According to veterinarian Patty Khuly, DVM, this expansion poses a risk that veterinarians, their pharmacists and their clients must all be aware of. "I used to recommend Flintstones vitamins for my patients," she said in Fully Vetted, a blog for those with an interest in pets. "Now I have to caution my clients to stick to pet-only brands and to be very diligent about reading labels. But it took months before I became aware of the change in this brand's ingredients."
Preparations of common human pediatric drugs prescribed by veterinarians for their own animal patients are now worth an extra look, said Dr. Khuly, as xylitol could be substituted into any of them without veterinarians being aware of the ingredient change. Pediatric elixers, in particular, are being reformulated for greater palatability, using xylitol.

Vet warns human foods can be deadly to dogs

Different metabolic tolerances explain why certain human foods can be deadly for dogs, according to a Las Vegas Review-Journal article. 
In the article, Dr. David Henderson warns of foods that are especially toxic to dogs because they detoxify foods differently than humans. Xylitol, a popular sweetener in gum and candy, can cause fatal hypoglycemia if ingested by dogs.
"The (dog's) body processes it as sugar so there's an insulin surge, but there's no sugar there for the cells to uptake," Henderson said. "It's like an insulin overdose."
Henderson said that in addition to the choking hazard of bones, corncobs and foods with pits, dogs cannot digested these foods, which can splinter and become lodged in the intestines. Dogs should not consume grapes or raisins due to potential kidney failure, as well as anything with onions because the disulfides in them destroy a dog's red blood cells.