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Dogs Beware – New Toxic Ingredient in Peanut Butter!

Peanut Butter Can Cause Xylitol Toxicity in Dogs

Dogs love peanut butter and many dog lovers commonly give a spoonful now and then to their dog as a treat. I commonly recommend peanut butter it as an easy way to get dogs to take pills, that is until now. The traditional peanut butter that we all grew up with and loved contained ground peanuts as the main ingredient and oil to give the peanut butter is creamy smooth texture. Many companies add a bit of sugar, honey or molasses to give the peanut butter some sweetness and salt for more flavor. However, some peanut butter manufacturers are now adding xylitol to peanut butter, which is toxic to dogs. Xylitol is a sweeter used in place of sugar primarily because it is lower in calories. Xylitol is also an ingredient in many different gums and even baked goods. It is in many products designed for people with Diabetes due to its low glycemic index. Xylitol is highly toxic to dogs! Xylitol can cause low blood sugar and liver failure in dogs.

Peanut Butters That Contain Xylitol

The peanut butters that currently contain xylitol include:

Please – check the ingredients of your peanut butter before sharing with your dog. The above list of peanut butters are available in nutrition stores and online. However, there is discussion that xylitol may be added to even the common grocery store brands of peanut butter and this can happen without any label warning. If you see xylitol as in ingredient – do NOT give it to your dog.

What to Do If Your Dog Eats Peanut Butter with Xylitol

If your dog ingests a xylitol containing product and you can’t get in touch with your vet, call your closest emergency clinic. Another option is to call a poison control hotline for pets. The two most common are:

Please read the ingredient labels on any peanut butter product you share with your dog even if it the same brand you have previously used!