Qtip seems off

[qtipthebun]

Unfortunately in the US, people think artificial sweetener is better for people than real sugar....I haven't found any without it either. We live in a really crunchy granola area and I couldn't even find one here!

 

[Mariah]

I don't have the box mine came in anymore. The 0.25cc was as per my fabulous vet lol I'll have to check what it says on the box next time I buy some, which will be shortly ha I always like to have at least a half of bottle on hand, and I only have about 1/4 in the bottle left. I to find his to be a wonder drug. Mine is a minty flavour which my buns lick right up (usually).

 

[Imbrium]

Huh. I didn't realize that all simethicone had sucralose in it. I just know it's a HUGE no-no for my sugar gliders and I've heard things about avoiding it with other pets, plus I know we're supposed to get unflavored pedialyte for rabbits if they need it because it's the only one without an artificial sweetener. If it's in all simethicone suspensions, then I see no harm in going for the raspberry flavored stuff.

 

[JBun]

Huh. I didn't realize that all simethicone had sucralose in it. I just know it's a HUGE no-no for my sugar gliders and I've heard things about avoiding it with other pets, plus I know we're supposed to get unflavored pedialyte for rabbits if they need it because it's the only one without an artificial sweetener. If it's in all simethicone suspensions, then I see no harm in going for the raspberry flavored stuff.

Does yours have sorbitol too? I think the adult gel caps might not, but the trick is getting the liquid out of the cap to administer.

There is also gripe water. I know it works for upset stomachs in babies, and I've read about people using it with their rabbits. I've never used it but have looked at it, and I know at least one didn't have an artificial sweetener.

I think with the pedialyte, it kind of defeats the purpose in having an artificial sweetener in it. Even though a lot of sugar isn't good for rabbits, a little bit is helpful and sometimes necessary when they are dehydrated. Glucose is important too, when a person or animal is dehydrated.

 

[Imbrium]

The flavored pedialytes have both sugar and an artificial sweetener, for some reason:

Ingredients: Water, Dextrose. Less than 2% of the Following: Citric Acid, Potassium Citrate, Sodium Chloride, Sodium Citrate, Sucralose, Acesulfame Potassium, Zinc Gluconate, and Artificial Flavor.

Apparently the simethicone I buy does have an artificial sweetener (maltitol):

Inactive Ingredients: Citric Acid, Flavor, Hypromellose, Maltitol, Methylcellouse, Mono-Anddi-Glycerides, Polyethylene Glycol, Polyethylene Glycol Stearate, Polysorbate65, Purified Water, Sodium Benzoate, Sodium Citrate, Sorbic Acid, Xanthan Gum.

I found an article that suggests sugar alcohols (which maltitol is) are comparable in safety to honey and sugar, while citing (among other things) aspartame and sucralose as being some of the most unhealthy sweeteners. It also mentions:

You've probably heard the claims that the FDA has reviewed over 100 studies on Splenda and are satisfied that it's a safe product, but what you don't hear is that most of those studies were on animals, and that they actually revealed plenty of problems! For example, some of these studies revealed:

• Decreased red blood cells -- sign of anemia -- at levels above 1,500 mg/kg/day
• Increased male infertility by interfering with sperm production and vitality, as well as brain lesions at higher doses
• Enlarged and calcified kidneys
• Spontaneous abortions in nearly half the rabbit population given sucralose, compared to zero aborted pregnancies in the control group
• A 23 percent death rate in rabbits, compared to a six percent death rate in the control group

So I guess I stick by my assertion about avoiding simethicone products containing sucralose after all. There aren't details regarding the study that produced a 23% death rate in rabbits... based on what I know about scientific studies, I assume they were being given pretty ridiculous quantities (vastly exceeding what little bit of sucralose would be found in a few doses of simethicone) - obviously a dose or two of simethicone containing sucralose doesn't have a 1:4 chance of killing a rabbit or it would be common knowledge by now... but it's still definitely something that should be avoided if at all possible, just because there's no reason to take an unnecessary risk.

As for sorbitol, that's also a sugar alcohol (like maltitol), so that would presumably also be a better option than sucralose.