Xylitol dog poisoning claims rise by 950%

Yorkshire-based pet insurance company The Insurance Emporium revealed the top 10 toxins triggering the most insurance claims for poisoning in dogs during 2017 and 2018.*  Xylitol-related claims rose by a staggering 950% during this time.  Happily all of the dogs survived in these particular cases.  However, instances of poisoning can prove costly in general, with the average claim being £320 and the highest claim for ingestion poisoning being £4,219.  The highest claim of all poisoning types was an adder bite at £5,138.

Chewing gum containing Xylitol was involved in 91% of the Xylitol dog poisoning cases.  Mints with Xylitol also featured. Highly toxic and potentially lethal for dogs (but not humans), Xylitol is one to beware especially as it is increasingly being used as a natural sugar substitute in human foods including sweets, cakes, biscuits and some brands of peanut butter and vitamin tablets.   

Young dogs aged 3 and under were at greatest risk, with the average dog poisoning claim age being 2 years 4 months. 

From stealing tiffin cake to mince pies, raiding the Easter eggs to munching packets of paracetamol left lying around the house, consequences of eating items they shouldn’t were serious and even fatal for some dogs.  Other human foods also caused harm, including everyday items such as garlic bread, onions, caffeine, mushrooms and kitchen waste.  Outdoors proved risky for some dogs too, with cases of dogs drinking screenwash, eating plant fertilizer, raiding the garden compost and licking weedkiller off their paws.  Blue algae and adder bites added to the toxic mix.

Aston spoke to the Marketing Manager of The Insurance Emporium, Daniel Clark on Daytime:

*Statistics derived from The Insurance Emporium’s internal claims figures for dog poisoning claims actioned during Jan 2017 – Dec 2018