We think of our pets as family so when they get sick we panic and have a million questions. Well, no fear, Dr. Alice Weiss is here! Dr. Weiss has been working for 30 years as a licensed veterinarian and is here to answer any questions you may have about your best furry friends.
If you have a question for Dr. Alice about your pet, email it to: AskAlice@PetInsider.com.
Dear Dr. Alice, What is bad about human toothpaste for dogs? Sincerely, Paste-y
Dear Paste-y,
Most of the pastes have an artificial sweetener in them called xylitol. And this fake-sugar causes the insulin circuit within the dog to get screwed up unlike our insulin circuitry. They can suddenly get really low in blood sugar as a result of ingesting the xylitol and can get very sick. Xylitol is in a few other things like chewing gum…so be aware if you have a dog that gets into things at your home. But still try to brush their teeth!! And find no-xylitol toothpaste or don’t even use toothpaste.
Read more of Dr. Alice’s sage advice here.
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