Did I just poison my poor doodles?

[Mary, Scrappy, Sully and Olive]

Long story short, my neighbor's rottweiler passed away this week so we received all his treats......one in particular was a left over bag of Advanced Dental Chews. Yesterday they were moping around so I grabbed the chews and surprisingly, even Scrappy enjoyed it (very fussy) I saved the bag and today I went online to see what they were all about and was shocked to learn they contain Xylitol!! I can't believe I didn't check on the ingredients first, as I'm usually so careful and my doodles eat better than my teenagers. I had the thought in the back of my mind when she gave us the whole lot of treats, but I kind of was ashamed of myself for being such a dog treat snob...so just ignored my instinct. Now I'm so angry at myself and I did call the vet....the girl who answered said...."if they're dog treats, then it should be fine. " What!!! I think she's not in touch with what's been happening with the dog food industry. I went on to explain how toxic Xylitol can be to dogs and she didn't seem bothered. At this point, the only thing I can do is keep an eye on them I guess.
Does anyone know what to look for??? or if I should have insisted on speaking to the vet??
Lesson learned....always go with the dog food/treat snobbery instinct! It's not worth it, even if only to spare others feelings who still purchase crappy dog food products.

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

Mary, are you sure the ingredients on the package you have include Xylitol? I just did a goole search, and here's the list of ingredients that comes up from the manufacturer:

100% edible toothpaste with abrasive cleaners contained within the chew. The surface is coated with additional dry edible canine toothpaste. Contains the two most widely used dental grade abrasives used in tartar control toothpaste for maximum cleaning and tartar control.

Dental Type Silica as regulated by the USP National Formulary. Provides the maximum abrasion level without damaging the surface of the teeth.
Dicalcium Phosphate (dental grade) - a toothpaste abrasive cleaner.
Xanthan Gum - a natural toothpaste thickener.
Sorbitol - a toothpaste thickener and base carrier for toothpaste cleaners.

Maybe the package you got is very old, but there's no xylitol currently being used in them, according to this. Hope that maybe you just misread the label?

[Mary, Scrappy, Sully and Olive]

Hi,
thanks for the response....yes the package says xylitol and I'm assuming my neighbor had it for a while. I also checked the website and am assuming that they no longer put xylitol in the product. I'm quite upset with myself for not having read the label BEFORE I gave them the chews. Besides containing the xylitol, it must be a really old package:(
They seem okay and it will be 48 hours this afternoon. I did call the 24 hr. animal hospital last night, as my vet was closed by the time we returned home. They suggested I call the poison control # and I was on hold for over 10 minutes with that call. I just gave up and decided to wait it out. They still haven't shown any symptoms, so I feel better.
I do, however, plan to call my vet in the AM and suggest he have a talk with his new employees. I had a problem with this same young girl the last time I called regarding Grover. Told me he couldn't be seen for 4 days, as they were too booked and if he got worse I should go to the animal ER. I've been with the same vet for 18 years....if an animal is sick, they take you right in on that day. Luckily, I had assumed Grover just had some sort of allergies or cold (he had a strange cough and choked every time he barked or got excited) and had planned on taking a wait and see approach......I had just called for advice.
Live and learn, I guess...two lessons I've learned...always be pushy and talk with the vet directly and keep a close eye out for xylitol.....
did you know that it's even in the Bachs Rescue Remedy that is sometimes used to calm dogs? I picked that up in my overnight researching!

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

I really hope they are going to be fine, Mary. If it's been a couple of days, I think they will; they probably didn't get enough to do any harm. Calling the vet wouldn't hurt, though, and I would definitely let him know about the way his new employee is treating a long time client.
It's so great that we have this forum & each other to share this kind of information; I would never have known about these issues otherwise.
Hugs to Scrappy & Grover...& you!

[Joy Originator of GiantSchnoodles]

Hi Mary, First thing MOn AM, call the company & request an MSDS be faxed to you. They are required to have one & supply it by law. Tell them the lot # & date of the treats so that you get the MSDS that is applicable to those treat. Vet won't know. What did your neighbor's dog die of? If they are okay now, they are probably fine but I would get the MSDS anyway so you'll learn about how to read one for future.Also, where on the ingredient list is the x? bcs its also a matter of amount. Xena is a prize gum under stadium seats eater. She's done it for years until I learned it could be poisonous. She's 6 yrs & alive to tell the tale and wag her tail. Pls post results. PUppy love from Joy & furry folk

[Mary, Scrappy, Sully and Olive]

Hi Joy,
funny thing is that there is no ingredient list, as I know them anyway, on the bag.....
"contains the two most widely used dental abrasives used in tartar control formula toothpastes for maximum cleaning and tartar reduction. Chew is entirely digestible. It is made of dried beef meat meal, beef bone meal, dried chicken, dried chicken liver, corn starch and rice. Dental chew is sterilized at time of manufacture. Guaranteed salmonella free. It does not contain rawhide, fluoride, or human toothpaste surfactants."
then goes on to say:
"Toothpaste Ingredients: Dental silica: a toothpaste abrasive cleaner. Dicalcium phosphate (dental grade): a toothpaste abrasive cleaner. Xanthan gum: a natural toothpaste thickener. Sorbitol: a toothpaste thickener and base carrier for toothpaste cleaners. Xylitol: helps promote mineralization of the dental enamel."

The way they're listed could mean it's the last ingredient? or not. As Karen mentioned above, the website says almost the same thing, only no Xylitol is listed...........so I'm thinking this just may be a really old bag of dental chews:( making me feel worse about giving them to my doodle babies, a mistake to assume other pet owners are as vigilant as I am.
By the way............The Rottweiler had to be put down because he could no longer hold himself upright at 150 lbs......his back legs were bad and he had a large inoperable tumor on his hind quarter. He was just over 10 years old and I can only wonder now what else was going on with him besides "old age".....
I'm going to be on the phone first thing tomorrow with both the vet and the manufacturer.........I'll keep you posted.
I'm feeling better at this point, after 48 hours, but have been imagining symptoms the last two days.....no vomiting or lethargy.....good appetites and normal activity....Unfortunately, after reading all the symptoms online, I could have sworn their gums were not normally that pale and they both were very thirsty most of the day....from drinking too much salt water at the beach today, I'm sure....... it's awful how worrying can quickly turn into paranoia ;)
Thank you so much for your advice and I can't blame Xena...until recently, I've never noticed how many chewed up pieces of gum there are laying about on sidewalks...and so colorful!

[LuvMyAbby&Kaela]

My senior dog (12 yrs old) has eaten chocolate many times in his life. (kids....need I say more) Anyways he has never had any ill effects from this food that is supposed to be toxic for dogs. I wonder if it is a matter of volume?

[Mommy2Max]

I've been using Perodex Breath Spray on Max for two days now because he has some funky teething breath. I read the label this morning and I see Xylitol listed as one of the ingredients. Ugghhh! I went to their website to find information and this is what I find:

Will Xylitol in Petrodex Breath Spray harm my pet?
Petrodex Breath Spray was formulated specifically for dogs and cats. It was formulated to be safe and effective. The xylitol in the product is in small amounts compared to the amount of xylitol in human products such as gum, candies and baked goods using xylitol rather than sugar. One (1) piece of gum contains 24 times more than 10 sprays of Petrodex Breath Spray.

I think I'll stop usuing it because I just don't trust it enough. I'll let you all be the judge for yourselves.

JAVMA News Warning

~Danielle

[Joy Originator of GiantSchnoodles]

Doggy bad breath is a sign of other problems. You should check for rotten teeth, throat infections & have his teeth cleaned & scaled. You can see my web site at www.pettoothfairies.com for additional info but I do not have a list of doggy dental hygenists to refer you to at this time. sorry. PUppy love from Joy & furry folk

[Mommy2Max]

Thanks. I've been to the vet. Max is 5 months old so, in his case, it's due to teething. His baby teeth's roots are being reabsorbed and that causes some bad breath issues. I'm brushing his teeth and since doing so, along with losing all his canines and a few molars - the breath is no longer bad.

[Mary, Scrappy, Sully and Olive]

After the lesson I learned, the worrying isn't worth the product use. I'd stick with the bad breath until the teething is finished!

[Mommy2Max]

I discontinued the use of the breath spray. I'm just using the chicken flavored toothpaste now. It has no xylitol.