Xylitol Toxicity Calculator for Dogs
Sugar-free gum, mints, some peanut butters and chewable vitamins can contain xylitol (also sold as birch sugar). Estimate your dog's dose in grams per kilogram and compare it with the levels vets use.
Xylitol acts fast. Blood sugar can crash within 10–60 minutes. If your dog ate a xylitol product, call your vet or a poison line now; use the calculator while you wait on hold.
Enter weight and product. Xylitol content varies a lot between brands and is often not printed; when the label does not say, treat the exposure as serious and call.
Why a sweetener that's harmless to people is dangerous to dogs
In people, xylitol barely affects insulin. In dogs, it triggers a large, fast insulin release, so blood sugar can fall to dangerous levels within an hour; the US FDA and the Merck Veterinary Manual both describe this. Larger doses can also cause liver failure a day or more later. Vomiting, weakness, wobbliness, collapse and seizures are the signs to watch for.
Where xylitol hides
- Sugar-free gum and breath mints (the most common cause)
- Some peanut and nut butters. Check before using one to hide pills
- Chewable and gummy vitamins, melatonin gummies, some children's medicines
- Sugar-free baked goods, puddings, and "keto" or diabetic sweets
- Toothpaste and mouthwash (never use human toothpaste on pets)
Questions owners ask
How much xylitol is toxic to a dog?
The Merck Veterinary Manual and the FDA cite about 0.1 g/kg as the dose that can cause low blood sugar, and about 0.5 g/kg for liver failure. For a 20 lb (9 kg) dog, 0.1 g/kg is only 0.9 g, which can be a single piece of some gums.
How fast does xylitol affect dogs?
Signs of low blood sugar can start in 10–60 minutes. With some gums signs are delayed up to 12 hours. Liver damage may show a day or more later.
Is xylitol toxic to cats?
Research so far suggests cats do not react with the same insulin surge, but data are limited. Call your vet if your cat ate a xylitol product.
Should I make my dog vomit after eating gum?
Only if a vet or poison line tells you to. If blood sugar is already dropping, vomiting can be dangerous, and hydrogen peroxide can injure the stomach.