Sorbitol
CautionSorbitol is used in veterinary medicine as a laxative, so a large dose in a dog does exactly that: watery diarrhea and dehydration. And sugar-free products containing sorbitol very often contain xylitol as well.
This food guide has not been reviewed by a veterinarian. It summarises general information from sources and should not be used to decide whether a food is suitable for an individual dog or to assess an emergency.
Check before feeding
Check the precautions before sharing
Risk depends on preparation, ingredients or amount. Read the precautions below; body weight alone cannot establish a safe portion.
Signs and health concerns
This list includes both observable signs and conditions identified through examination or testing. It cannot establish the cause or whether an exposure is safe.
- Diarrhoea
- Loose stool
- Abdominal pain
- Vomiting
- Excess gas
- Dehydration
- Lethargy
More about this food
Sorbitol is the sugar alcohol in sugar-free gum and candy, toothpaste, liquid human medications and diet foods. You do not have to speculate about what it does to a dog's gut, because veterinary medicine already uses it for that purpose.
The Merck Veterinary Manual's chapter on treating toxicosis states that sorbitol, an osmotic cathartic, is often added to activated charcoal to decrease GI transit time and evacuate charcoal-bound toxic agents more rapidly. Pulling water into the bowel and producing a bowel movement is sorbitol's job. A dog that eats a lot of sorbitol has effectively taken a dose of laxative.
The result is predictable. Watery diarrhea starts within hours, along with cramping, gut noise, gas and sometimes vomiting. The diarrhea is not the real problem; the dehydration behind it is. A 7 lb dog, a puppy or a frail senior can be in circulatory trouble after a few watery stools. Tacky gums, sunken-looking eyes or a dog that will not get up means fluids are already needed. Merck notes that hypernatremia is a risk with activated charcoal administration and that the risk rises with repeated doses, which tells you what kind of fluid shift osmotic catharsis produces.
One more point outranks all of that. Products containing sorbitol, especially sugar-free gum and mints, very frequently contain xylitol too. Per Merck, xylitol above roughly 100 mg/kg has been associated with hypoglycemia and above 500 mg/kg may cause severe hepatic insufficiency or failure, with hypoglycemic signs appearing within 30 minutes or delayed 12-18 hours. The FDA advises checking sugar-free and low-sugar labels for xylitol specifically. Concluding it is fine because the front of the pack says sorbitol usually means one line of the ingredient list went unread.
So: get the package and read the entire panel. If xylitol appears, call your veterinarian, an emergency clinic, or the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center at (888) 426-4435 right away even with no symptoms, and bring the package. If it does not, still call if the amount was large or the dog is small. Keep water available, and go in if watery diarrhea repeats or the gums go dry and the dog goes flat. Do not give human anti-diarrheals on your own, and do not induce vomiting at home.
Frequently asked questions
- My dog ate sugar-free gum and the label says sorbitol.
- Read the panel to the end. Sugar-free gum commonly lists sorbitol and xylitol together. If xylitol appears anywhere, call right away even with no symptoms, and either way tell your vet how many pieces were eaten, because the gum itself can obstruct.
- He just has diarrhea. Can I give him an anti-diarrheal?
- Do not give human anti-diarrheal medication on your own. Osmotic diarrhea from sorbitol stops once the sorbitol clears; what matters in between is fluid loss. Keep water available and let your vet decide about fluids if watery stools repeat or your dog goes flat.
- She licked a liquid medication that contains sorbitol.
- With a medication, the drug itself and any xylitol matter far more than the sorbitol. Have the bottle, the drug name, roughly how much was licked and your dog's weight ready, and call your veterinarian or poison control now.