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How can I prevent my 20 kg dog from eating sugar-free desserts containing erythritol at a family BBQ this weekend?

Dogs · Food safety

Last reviewed: 2026-09-05 · Reference ranges: ASPCA, Pet Poison Helpline & Merck Veterinary Manual

Short answer

Keep all desserts and sweeteners well out of reach on high tables or inside closed containers. Inform your guests not to share any human food with your dog, especially anything labeled sugar-free. Consider setting up a designated, safe area for your dog away from the buffet table, perhaps with a chew toy to keep him occupied. While erythritol is not as toxic as xylitol, it can still cause significant diarrhea and gas, so prevention is much easier than dealing with an upset stomach later.

Erythritol — Food safety facts

Feed with care · Dogs · full breakdown on the linked food page

A sugar alcohol that causes diarrhoea and gas. Do not confuse it with xylitol — that one is toxic.

Dogs and cats carry the same rating (Feed with care), so the notes below hold for either pet.

Erythritol is not poisonous to dogs, but it is easy to over-feed. Rich fat, salt or seasoning can bring on vomiting or diarrhoea within a day, and repeated large portions are a recognised trigger for pancreatitis.

If it ate some before you noticed, watch for vomiting, diarrhoea, loss of appetite, unusual tiredness or a painful, swollen abdomen over the next 24 hours. A one-off small amount in a healthy adult usually passes with water and rest; repeated exposure, a puppy or kitten, a senior, or a pet with an ongoing illness is a reason to call your vet the same day.

Why these cautions matter

Even a gram or two of xylitol can trigger a sharp drop in a dog's blood sugar, and larger exposures go on to damage the liver.

Added sugar brings empty calories, and over months that means weight gain and dental disease — both far harder to undo than to avoid.

Erythritol can turn up now and then, but not as a daily habit: keep the rest of the day's food unchanged and watch the next walk and the stool that comes with it.

The full verdict, portion guidance and serving notes are collected on the Erythritol food facts page.

Open the full food page: Erythritol food facts →