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My 10 lb dog ate gum with sorbitol. Should I be worried about him?

Updated On September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Dog | Yorkshire Terrier | Female | spayed | 11 years and 9 months old | 11 lbs

My dog (10 lbs) ate a half a pack of gum with these ingredients: sorbitol, gum base, glycerin, mannitol, natural and artificial flavoring; less than 2% of: acesulfame potassium, adipic acid, aspartame, bht (to maintain freshness), blue 1lake , soy lecithin, sucralose, tartaric acid, yellow 5 and yellow 5 lake. Should I be worried?

2 Answers

Most Helpful Answer

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Answered By Dr. Strydom, DVM

Veterinarian

Published on November 25th, 2017

Sorbitol is essentially safe and unlikely to cause your pet significant illness; it may, however, cause minor to moderate stomach upset. While these symptoms typically subside quickly and without treatment, contact your veterinarian if they persist for more than 24 hours. We cannot diagnose over the internet so it is always best for you to call your local vet and take Acorn in for an exam based on their recommendation. Our recommendation is to always get a vet exam when your pet has ingested an unusual substance. Hope this helps.

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    Answered By Ricardo Fernandez, DVM

    Veterinarian, Veterinary Oncology Resident

    Published on November 3rd, 2017

    Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! This specific brand of gum does not contain xylitol which is the concerning ingredient I was talking to you about in the previous message. Instead, it contains sorbitol which is not as toxic to dogs and he would to eat a lot of gum to have any stomach upset. I do not think that you need to worry to much about it if this is the kind of gum that you lost, especially since it may not be even at home for Jake to have access to. Good luck!

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Thanks for using Boop by Petco! This specific brand of gum does not contain xylitol which is the concerning ingredient I was talking to you about in the previous message. Instead, it contains sorbitol which is not as toxic to dogs and he would to eat a lot of gum to have any stomach upset. I do not think that you need to worry to much about it if this is the kind of gum that you lost, especially since it may not be even at home for Jake to have access to. Good luck!
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