What Is The Most Toxic "Human Food" For Dogs On The Market?

What Is The Most Toxic “Human Food” For Dogs On The Market?

Become a Fan on Facebook Follow us on Twitter!

xylitol

It’s found in everything from cupcakes to toothpastes to nicotine gum. And it’s considered the most canine-toxic “human food” on the planet.

It is xylitol, a sugar substitute that is used in many products that we use everyday

According to the ASPCA’s Poison Control Center, more dogs than ever are being poisoned by products containing xylitol. That’s partly because xylitol use is more widespread than ever and also because of low awareness of its harmfulness among pet owners.

So just how dangerous is xylitol? A few sugar-free Tic Tacs, a pack of Trident gum, a spilled tin of Starbucks mints, a sugar-free Jell-O dessert cup. All it takes is just a tiny amount of this toxin to send a dog into hypoglycemia-induced seizures and sometimes fatal liver failure. All dogs are susceptible, some more than others. It has been calculated that as little as a gram of sweetener can kill a 10-pound dog.

What is very unnerving however, is that xylitol is being added to many pediatric medicines that our veterinarians use to treat our dogs with. And it is only just recently that veterinarians have become aware of this new change.

Now it would be easy to say that all dog owners should speak to their vets about xylitol and carefully read all ingredient labels before purchasing products, yet it seems that will still not solve the problem.

It appears that not all consumer product manufacturers are willing to list xylitol on their ingredient labels.

The moral of the story? Let’s keep human food away from our dogs for now, keep your eyes on the ingredient listings and always question your vet about drugs you have to give your dogs.

We have a new “chocolate” to contend with and it’s called Xylitol.

By Elaine Furst For Dog Files

Mary

I dont know how much truth there is to this but i know for a fact that “milk chocolate ” Is what is harmfull but dark on the other hand is not. Hence why when you go to gourmet pet shops and see the homemade treats that have chocolate on the dog cookie is dark. Just a FYI to urban myths.
Mary

I dont know how much truth there is to this but i know for a fact that “milk chocolate ” Is what is harmfull but dark on the other hand is not. Hence why when you go to gourmet pet shops and see the homemade treats that have chocolate on the dog cookie is dark. Just a FYI to urban myths.
Lea Ann

That’s not dark chocolate on the gourmet dog treats!! It’s caroba. A chocolate looking substitute. AND dark chocolate is super concentrated!!! More dangerous than milk, imo. Please don’t feed your dog dark chocolate Mary!
Outofthedoghouse

Dark chocolate, baking chocolate is deadly to dogs. Lea Ann is right, Caroba ( Carob) is what is on the dogs treats, not dark chocolate. Do not feed dogs chocolate, unless you are willing to take a chance with your pets life! The higher the cocoa content, the more toxicity to dogs. Dark chocolate is better for humans than milk chocolate, but that is not the case for dogs. Do not take chances with your best friend!
http://twitter.com/mah_Iran mah

thanks for useful comments
CR

That’s not true… dark chocolate is more harmful than milk chocolate, and the ‘chocolate’ you see in pet shops is generally carob, a safe chocolatey alternative.
Preciousclown381

So Carob is alright to give my dog?
http://www.facebook.com/larkinvonalt Larkin Vonalt

It takes several POUNDS of good-quality dark chocolate to be harmful to a large dog. Obviously a smaller dog is susceptible to smaller amounts, but a little chocolate will not harm your dog. One of our dogs (age 9) is and was a fiend for chocolate chip cookies. Just like for people, moderation is essential.

Thanks for this heads-up on Xylitol, though. It really is nasty business.
Jnell54

My Mother in Law gives her Rott a hershey bar everyday……he’s 14yrs old
Patriceatylor88

All I know is, If this artificial sweetener is harmful to dogs, it probaly isn’t super great for people, either. Maybe it’s just best not to buy it at all.
Patricetaylor88

Why??
Tatie713

I would have to say grapes or raisins are more lethal than xylitol. Just a few raisins or grapes can kill any size dog, but on the other hand they do not effect some dogs.
Tatie713

I would have to say grapes or raisins are more lethal than xylitol. Just a few raisins or grapes can kill any size dog, but on the other hand they do not effect some dogs.
Speechlady2

How about cats???? Is xylitol toxic to cats too????
Daisiesinaugust

Just don’t feed your dog xylitol, raisens, grapes, onions, any chocolate! Or any thing else that ‘might’ hurt them!!!
Juliebeauvais71784

My moms dog got into the Halloween candy we left out for tricker treaters- ate a few bags of Reeses cups wraps and all, and was fine. Not saying to let your dog do it, but saying milk chocolate will not harm them as much as dark chocolate. Milk choc is sugar and milk sprinkled with cocoa.
I am against all artificial sweeteners and I wish companies would quit adding it to stuff just to sell it. Im glad the only table food my dogs get is what they steal.

I do know for a fact that Mary should not be giving dog advice!!!!
Scotty2Hotty

There are plenty of sub standard dog foods available on the market also… I personally, would not feed my dog anything that says “not fit for human consumption” not that I would eat dog food, but, you are what you eat and surely the same goes for dogs. Why mess with their diet and risk any illness at all..?
Dee52064

thanks so much for posting, this is so Important to share, i had a friend who had experienced this with her dog who had ate a pack of gum in her purse, he was in a horrible state, but thankfully pulled through, never realizing how somwthing could cause so much harm ( sharing with friends
Judi S

my understanding is the exact opposite. Much more actual chocolate in Dark Chocolate than milk. It’s the cocoa that is poisonous…
Judi S

Mary – how many dogs do you have and how much chocolate are you feeding them. AND… are they still alive?
Bonniebill

I used to give my sisters dog part of my hershey’s bar every day for the years we lived together. He’s now 20 and still alive, so I’m skeptical of the whole chocolate thing. Of course, thats chocolate, this sugar substitute could still be bad.
Comesitstay4dogs

Mary, dark chocolate is the most harmful because of the higher concentration of cocoa. You are probably seeing carob on the dog cookies.
Racerx543

From everythingI’ve learned about dogs & chocolate, some dogs have very bad reactions to even a little chocolate and others don’t, but even if they don’t the chemical in chocolate that affects them will stay in their system and buiold up more & more until it will eventually hurt them.
Litebeing

Actually Xylitol is not an artificial sweetener. During WWII when sugar was rationed and in short supply, the Scandinavian countries found that they could make a sweetener from birch trees, which were plentiful in their area. Then, they began to noticed that children who were eating the sweets made from this sugar had dramatically reduced rates of ear and throat infections. They looked into it and found out it was the xylitol sugar from the birch trees that was the cause. Now the health food stores, and some companies online, carry mints and gum sweetened with xylitol. Unfortunately, they have figured out a way to make xylitol from corn husks and some other fruits and now it is possible that xylitol sweets will not be that good for you, because most corn grown in this country is genetically modified… so who knows how good the xylitol is?
http://twitter.com/mah_Iran mah

OK! It seems we cannot be sure if these stuff are harmful or not! But it is better to put them out of reach of dogs!
gilda hodges

ALL CHOCOLAT IS DEADLY TO DOGS.
Anonymous

Xylitol is a natural stool softener like its cousin Mannitol. It has been sold as a baby laxative in the past because it is general on the system. I’ve not heard of xylitol ever being associated with being a danger to dogs, though the chocolate everyone is talking about has. Theobromine in cocoa or chocolate “liquor” as it’s know is harmful to dogs in large doses. Note I said large doses. A hershey bar doesn’t have much in it, but if your dog eats a 2lb hershey bar and your dog is the size of a German shepherd you’ll be on the phone to your vet quickly.
Dabblermom

Many years ago, our son dumped some old chocolate candy in his trashcan and our small Scottie got into it. She became bloated and staggered around like she was drunk. Of course, being on a weekend, she had to go to the emergency vet (read big$$). They had to induce vomiting and put her on an IV overnight. Since then, I am a BIG proponent of NOT giving dogs ANY type of chocolate!
Guest

the homemade treats are usually carob… not chocolate, and it is the dark that is more harmful because it contains a higher percentage of cocoa then does milk chocolate. The higher the percentage of cocoa the more deadly the chocolate for the dog .
Bearflat

Why take the chance? Feed your dogs good quality “dog food” and treats that are safe. Just like some people can eat bad things for their health, and not ever become ill, and some eat healthy, and are seriously ill. Go figure. Again, why take the chance? Myself, I am open to learning new things that are helpful to my animals……..then take the time to do lots of research, so i can make an educated decision…….not just take someone’s word for it. You owe your animal companions that.
Lreames

actually, what you think is “chocolate” on treats in the doggie gourmet shops, is carob.
Sandra

You couldn’t be more wrong – the darker the chocolate the worse it is for the dog, as it has more of the cocoa solids that are harmful to the dog.
Sandra

I’m always careful to never buy anything with Xylitol in it, as our beagle is notorious for getting into food she shouldn’t and I don’t want to take the chance.
Sage

Raisins and grapes are bad because they cause a kind of anemia. We used to give our dogs an occasional grape before this was common knowledge; obviously I don’t any more. But they aren’t instant poison — they cause anemia, which can be serious. Xylitol is Toxic — raisins and grapes can cause a serious condition. There’s a difference. The Xylitol is far more dangerous.

Macademia nuts, on the other hand, are VERY bad for dogs. There’s a specific ingredient in all chocolate that is bad for dogs, although some dogs survive small quantities — why try it?
Kathy

You’re absolutely wrong. The darker the chocolate is, the more dangerous it is to the dogs. What you see on the treats in gourmet pet shops isn’t chocolate, it’s carob. Carob is very dark brown, and looks like dark chocolate, but it is not chocolate.
doglady

is this xylitol something new or maybe something that has been modified in the last 10 years or so?? My yorkie used to sneak into my pocketbook all the time to eat my gum and nothing ever happened but this was some ?? 12 years ago. (I keep my gum high and dry now) but was just wondering if this is real or just hype? Better to play it safe either way.
Mary K

My questions is: why do we feel that we have to give chocolate or other human sweets to our dogs?
JS

That is absolutely not true. Milk chocolate is a more diluted form of chocolate and therefore has less theobromine (the ingredient in chocolate that makes it toxic). That’s why baker’s chocolate or dark chocolate is more harmful to your dog.
cw

Xylitol is poisonous to dogs. Chocolate is poisonous to dogs. Please, if you love your dogs stop feeding them until you talk with a licensed vet. If there was dark chocolate on those cookies, that certainly doesn’t mean it’s okay for them to consume. And please don’t post information that is very opposite from an “urban myth” unless you hear it from a reputable source, not observance from what you believe to be ingredients on a dog cookie in a gormet shop. There will be other uninformed people, as you’ve demonstrated, passing around bogus information.
renee

a happy dog does not need human junk food to feel loved! Just being with you makes them happy!
MyLadyAlexis

My dog is a 6 year old minpin /chihuahua and he eats pretty much everything that we eat and the vet has given him a clean bill of health for the past 6 years so people food apparently hasn’t done anything bad to him. I have had dogs, cats, birds, mice and hamsters all of my life and everyone of them have always survived on the same people food and only passed away from old age and when it was their time. How do you think ferral dogs and cats survive when they are abandoned by their owners… yeah people food that we throw out or they manage to steal. Think about this, if we actually listened to all these so called “EXPERTS” about how to feed and live with our pets, they would all starve to death and not survive because of too many precautions…. overkill in my opinion!!! Let your pet be be what he/she is, an animal for crying out loud. Love your pet and love it the way it is!!!
http://twitter.com/TuscanyRed Red W.

My God, so many “experts” on what kind of chocolate is “acceptable” to feed your dog! I suppose white chocolate is okay since it’s not brown and therefore can’t BE real chocolate right? (eyerolls) And someone thinks it’s okay because they know an old Rott who eats freaking Hershey bars?! Or one who loves chocolate chip cookies? You guys are idiots! If something is proven toxic to your pet, you DON’T give it to him! PERIOD! And NO! “Moderation” is NOT the key! Intelligence and common sense ARE! No wonder animals continue to suffer at the hands of their stupid owners.
Salt

I’m a vet. All chocolate is dangerous. Dark and unsweetened chocolate are the most toxic types.
Salt

You are wrong. I’m a veterinarian, and any sized dog could be adversely affected by multiple pounds of dark chocolate. In fact, I would expect all but the largest dogs to die or at least require hospitalization if they ate even a single pound of dark chocolate.

Many dogs can eat a few chocolate chips without getting hurt, but you’re playing with fire. Please don’t spread bad information like this.
Eee

Raisins and grapes can cause anemia, but the main thing they cause that can kill your dog is kidney failure. They can be just as deadly as xylitol. You shouldn’t give your dog any of these things. Ever. Period. Dogs don’t need them.

Also, I think you are confused about the definition of the word “toxic”.
http://www.thedogfiles.com Kenn Bell

I think the the answer isn’t what chocolate is worse for dogs, but simply not feeding them any of it… ever.
http://www.thedogfiles.com Kenn Bell

Thanks for you comment!
Foxy Moxie

White chocolate is made the same way as milk chocolate and dark chocolate — the difference is the ingredients. In fact, because of the ingredients, many people (including the U.S. Food and Drug Administration) don’t consider “white chocolate” to be chocolate at all. Despite its moniker, white chocolate is, by definition, not chocolate as it does not contain cocoa solids, the primary nutritional constituent of chocolate liquor, during the manufacturing process, the dark-colored solids of the cocao bean are separated from its fatty content, but unlike conventional chocolates such as milk, semi-sweet, and dark chocolate, the cocoa solids are not later recombined. As a result, white chocolate does not contain the antioxidative properties or many characterizing ingredients of chocolate, such as thiamine, riboflavin, theobromine, phenylethylamine, and serotonin.
Psyche

Theobromine is a chemical component of all chocolate. Theobromine is toxic to dogs (and cats.) Dogs cannot metabolize theobromine. As well as producing an effect similar to a stimulant poisoning in humans (i.e. heart arrythmia, muscle spasms, internal bleeding), it can permanently damage the adrenal gland. You can’t give a general measure of how much chocolate will kill a dog; it depends on the type of chocolate and the amount of theobromine it contains. Dark chocolate is generally defined as having a higher concentration of theobromine.
Faith_lew

My grandmother was foolish. She would feed her pomeranian chocolate and refused to listen to me or my mother, and us telling her she was going to kill him. Thankfully he never got sick from it, he lives with me & my mom now, and my grandmother lives all the way up in Alaska, so she can’t harm him anymore with chocolate

Feb 28, 2011Comments: 58

That's My Buddy Max, To The Right!