Wood sugar, birch sugar, birch bark extract are other names for xylitol. Xylitol used to be listed by its name, but lately there’s been a change in what’s listed in an ingredient panel. Xylitol is found in a variety of “sugar-free” snacks and condiments as well as oral care products, over the counter medicines and supplements. This matters because xylitol is toxic to dogs. Cats and ferrets can suffer adverse effects, too, but dogs are particularly susceptible because they have more sweet receptors in their tastebuds, so they’re more likely to consume something sweet. “[Xylitol] is rapidly absorbed, causing insulin to be released from the pancreas and blood glucose levels…