Veterinarians are warning that a sugar substitute in certain brands of peanut butter is highly toxic to dogs.
Dr. Bryan Langlois, medical director at the Pet Pantry of Lancaster County, said the sweetener called xylitol can cause both liver damage as well as dangerous drops in a dog’s blood sugar level.
“I am currently aware of only three brands that are using xylitol in their peanut butter,” Langlois said in a statement. “They are Nuts’ n More, P28, and Nutty by Nature. So far, it appears these brands are only found in health food stores and are intended for people who are more into the intense exercise and body building regimens.”
Langlois urged pet owners to check the label of the peanut butter they buy in case the company changes ingredients.
He said xylitol is perfectly safe for humans.
In dogs, signs of the toxicity can include weakness, stumbling, tremors, and even seizures if their blood sugar drops low enough.
added:
These are the 5 companies who sell specialty peanut butters with xylitol in it: (1) Go Nuts, Co., (2) Hank's Protein Plus Peanut Butter, (3) Krush Nutrition, (4) Nuts 'N More, and (5) P28, found mostly in health food stores and online. Big name brands like Jif do not have xylitol in them.