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For the ones who place high premium on their pet dogs, you may want to keep them off products containing a common artificial sweetener known as xylitol.

A recent study by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration reveals that xylitol can be fatal for dogs once ingested. Xylitol is a common sweetener that is normally found in sugarless gums or hygiene products that leads to a potent release of insulin from the pancreas.

In the case of dogs, this would result in large drop on your pet’s blood sugar that could reach dangerous levels. Among the symptoms that could hint at such include vomiting, general weakness, collapse or even a seizure. The case is different for humans as far as insulin increase from pancreas is concerned.

Folks who are clueless on what products carry xylotil may want to watch out for the following:

1.  Sugar-free gums
2. Select sugar-free candies such as mint
3. Baked goodies
4. Cough syrup
5. Chewable vitamins
6. Mouthwash
7. Select peanut butter
8. Toothpaste.

Most of the things enumerated seem to be stuff one would normally leave lying around. Hence, it may be best to store them somewhere where dogs cannot access or find them.

In the case of some like peanut butter, not all brands may have a sweetener. The best way to go about it and the rest of the select items on the list above is to check out the label first.

Also, this is something that folks need not be alarmed of. The symptoms enumerated could be worth considering but may not necessarily be tied out to xylitol consumption.

“Many times, of course, owners aren’t aware of what the animal might have gotten ahold of,” said Sarah Pratt, a veterinarian at the Veterinary Emergency and Specialty Hospital of Wichita. “The big one here is sugar-free gum, because people keep it in the purses, drop it on the floor.”

In the event that a dog would somehow be hit by xylitol poisoning, Pratt bares that the procedure would be intensive and may require the mutt to stay in the clinic for days.

“There’s no direct antidote – you’re basically continually monitoring these guys, trying to get enough dextrose, sucrose in them to support life,” explains Pratt. “The big nasty is it can affect the liver and we can get into liver failure.”