Stevia
CautionThe stevia plant (Stevia rebaudiana) is listed non-toxic to dogs by the ASPCA. The catch is that packeted stevia is rarely pure stevia: it is cut with sugar alcohols, and if xylitol is one of them this becomes an emergency.
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
- Vomiting
- Abdominal pain
- Excess gas
- Dehydration
- Low blood sugar
More about this food
Stevia is a sweetener extracted from the leaves of Stevia rebaudiana, a South American member of the aster family. The ASPCA's toxic and non-toxic plant database lists the plant as non-toxic to dogs, cats and horses, with the toxic principles field reading simply non-toxic. A dog that chews a few leaves off a windowsill plant is not a poisoning call.
So why is this not filed as safe? Because the packet on your counter is usually not pure stevia. Steviol glycosides are 200 to 300 times sweeter than sugar, which makes them impossible to measure by the spoonful, so manufacturers add a bulking agent. Erythritol is the most common one, which is why Truvia and most tabletop stevia blends are mostly erythritol by weight. Others use maltitol, dextrose, or in some products xylitol. The word STEVIA on the front of the box tells you nothing about what else is in it.
If xylitol is in the blend, this is a different event entirely. The Merck Veterinary Manual reports that doses above roughly 100 mg/kg have been associated with hypoglycemia in dogs, and doses above 500 mg/kg may produce severe hepatic insufficiency or failure. Hypoglycemic signs can begin within 30 minutes or be delayed 12-18 hours, and liver injury may not show until 24-48 hours. The FDA advises reading the ingredient list for xylitol on anything advertised as sugar-free or low sugar. Even without xylitol, a large dose of the sugar-alcohol bulking agent draws water into the gut and produces watery diarrhea, cramping and gas, and a small dog dehydrates from that quickly.
Stevia is also now baked into protein bars, flavored waters, zero-sugar sodas, keto desserts and Greek yogurt, where the rest of the ingredient list matters more than the stevia does.
If your dog got into a stevia product, bring the packet or bottle over and read the entire ingredient panel. If xylitol appears, call your veterinarian, an emergency clinic, or the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center at (888) 426-4435 immediately, symptoms or not, and take the packaging with you. If xylitol is not listed, leave water out and watch; call if diarrhea repeats or your dog becomes flat or wobbly. Do not induce vomiting at home.
Frequently asked questions
- Stevia is natural, so it must be safe for dogs, right?
- The leaf itself is listed non-toxic to dogs by the ASPCA. The packet is a different product: it is mostly bulking agent, and if that bulking agent is xylitol it is an emergency. Judge it by the ingredient panel, not by the word natural on the box.
- My dog chewed leaves off my stevia plant.
- The ASPCA lists Stevia rebaudiana as non-toxic to dogs, so a few leaves are not a poisoning concern. Watch for vomiting or loose stool from the volume of plant material, and consider whether potting soil, fertilizer or insecticide came along with it.
- He drank some zero-sugar soda sweetened with stevia.
- Read the whole label first, because stevia is usually listed alongside erythritol, maltitol or occasionally xylitol. If xylitol is there, call your vet right away even with no symptoms. If not, watch for diarrhea and lethargy and keep water available.