A veterinary nurse has issued a dire warning to dog owners about a common household item that could be poisoning their beloved four-legged friend.
While most forms of peanut butter are considered safe for dogs to eat, Chrissy MacPherson says feeding your animal low-sugar peanut butters containing Xylitol is deadly.
Xylitol is a sugar alcohol that acts as a sweetener, but is also known as wood sugar, birch sugar and birch bark extract
It is found in a range of products, such as sugar-free desserts, candies and jams, jellies, nut butters, mouthwashes and cough syrup.
Ms MacPherson, who runs the business The Mobile Vet Nurse, said Xylitol was poisonous for dogs and the effects could start in 20 minutes.
“A new type of peanut butter (and other nut butters) is being sold with less sugar, but now includes xylitol as a sweetener,” she wrote in a Facebook post.
“This is what is used in sugarless gum and it can be deadly to dogs.”
Ms MacPherson urged people to call a vet, emergency animal clinic or a poison control centre if their pet ate Xylitol.
“Every second counts,” she said.
The warning comes as the RSPCA urged people to give their dogs adequate food, shelter and care this winter.
Last winter, the organisation had 4700 cruelty incidents, some involving underweight animals, insufficient food supplies and lack of veterinary treatment.
RSPCA inspector team leader Michelle Green said simple acts, like giving dogs a warm place to sleep and ensuring they had good access to water, were appropriate ways to care for pets.
Originally published as ‘Deadly’: Vet nurse’s warning to dog owners over feeding pets peanut butter containing Xylitol
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