No, McDonald’s ice cream does not contain xylitol, a sugar substitute dangerous to dogs

With warmer months approaching, a rumor about a potentially dangerous treat began circulating among some pet owners, rescues and groomers on Facebook. The post warned that McDonald’s added xylitol, a sugar substitute dangerous to dogs, to its ice cream. One post with the warning was shared more than 19,000 times.

Xylitol is a natural sweetener often used as a replacement for sugar in sugar-free foods.

A VERIFY viewer, Lou, emailed the team to ask if the rumor was true.

THE QUESTION

Does McDonald’s ice cream contain xylitol, a sugar substitute dangerous to dogs?

THE SOURCES

THE ANSWER

No, McDonald’s ice cream does not contain xylitol. There are other reasons, however, why you might not want to feed your dog ice cream.

WHAT WE FOUND

A McDonald’s spokesperson confirmed to VERIFY that its ice cream does not contain xylitol. The ingredients listed online for the fast food restaurant’s vanilla cone does not list xylitol in either the ice cream or the cone. Sugar, for which xylitol is used as a replacement, is listed in the ingredients for both items.

According to the nonprofit International Food Information Council, xylitol is a sweetener that is naturally occurring in many fruits and vegetables. For people, xylitol is better for oral health than sugar, and is also safer for people with diabetes than sugar. It’s often used in toothpaste, chewing gums and sugar-free foods.

But dogs absorb xylitol into their bloodstream quicker than humans do, the Food and Drug Administration says, and that can lead to a rapid and severe drop in blood sugar that is potentially fatal.

While McDonald’s ice cream doesn’t have xylitol in it, you might not want to feed ice cream to your dog anyway. The American Kennel Club says many adult dogs are lactose intolerant to varying degrees or have allergies to proteins in milk or dairy products.