Is peanut butter poisonous for dogs?

17th April 2018

We have noticed some stories on social media about peanut butter being poisonous for dogs so we wanted to clarify the situation.

It is not the peanut butter that is poisonous but an ingredient manufacturers have been introducing into it called xylitol. Xylitol is a sweetener and is HIGHLY POISONOUS for dogs and they must not have it in any amount. So yes, SOME peanut butters are highly poisonous for dogs, some are absolutely fine.

What is Xylitol?

Wikepedia says:

Xylitol /ˈzaɪlɪtɒl/ is a sugar alcohol used as a sweetener.

Xylitol is often fatal to dogs. Dogs that have eaten foods containing xylitol (greater than 100 milligrams of xylitol consumed per kilogram of bodyweight) have presented with low blood sugar (hypoglycemia), which can be life-threatening.[27] Low blood sugar can result in a loss of coordination, depression, collapse and seizures in as little as 30 minutes.[28] Intake of doses of xylitol (greater than 500 to 1000 mg/kg bodyweight) has been implicated in liver failure in dogs, which can be fatal.[29]

How do I know if my preferred brand of peanut butter has Xylitol in it?

Quite simply, read the label. From what we can gather it is the cheaper brands that add in the xylitol so be careful if you think ‘I’ll get the cheap one, it’s only for the dog’. This is a great article on the subject. https://www.dfordog.co.uk/blog/peanut-butter-xylitol-danger-to-dogs.html

What else contains Xylitol?

Increasingly more and more products but the big one to watch out for is chewing gum and many sugar free foods, sweets and cakes.

Is there anything else I can read on the subject?

There are many articles all over the internet about Xylitol and the danger to dogs. Here are just a few. The message is the same in them all, read the label before feeding peanut butter to your dog.

• https://www.bluecross.org.uk/pet-advice/can-dogs-eat-peanut-butter
• https://www.dfordog.co.uk/blog/peanut-butter-xylitol-danger-to-dogs.html
• https://www.pets4homes.co.uk/pet-advice/giving-peanut-butter-to-dogs-check-the-ingredients-carefully.html
• https://keepthetailwagging.com/homemade-peanut-butter-for-dogs-without-xylitol/

ENDS                                                                                                                                                     13 April 2018

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