Xylitol is a type of carbohydrate that looks like sugar but has almost half the calories and is sweeter than sugar.

Xylitol is found naturally in many fruits and vegetables like strawberries, mushrooms, cauliflower, and raspberries. 

Xylitol is extracted from birch bark and corn cobs and used as a sweetener in place of sugar.

Xylitol is a common ingredient in sugar-free chewing gum.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the World Health Organization (WHO) approved the use of Xylitol as a sugar substitute because it's known to block the growth of bacteria in the mouth and Xylitol is digested much slower than sugar which is beneficial for diabetics.

**Xylitol is NOT SAFE for Dogs.  More companies are using Xylitol in their products (like peanut butter) for diabetics, so it's important to keep any products containing Xylitol away from your dogs.**