If you enjoy the tart, sweet, and fruity flavor of raisins, you might have questioned whether you could give some to your dog. Unfortunately, the answer is a resounding “no!”. Both raisins and the grapes that are used to make raisins are extremely toxic to dogs. In dogs, raisins and grapes can result in severe acute kidney failure. Read on to discover more about grape and raisin toxicity in dogs and what to do if your pet has consumed these treats.
Symptoms of Raisin Poisoning in Dogs
Vomiting is the initial sign of raisin or grape toxicity and typically occurs within the first few hours. After that, your dog might appear better for 24 to 48 hours before deteriorating from kidney failure. Symptoms of raisin or grape poisoning and kidney failure are:
Raisin or Grape Poisoning
Kidney Failure
Are all dogs affected, and how do I tell if my dog will be?
No, some dogs appear to be able to tolerate grapes and raisins without experiencing any negative effects. There are anecdotal reports of large dogs sadly dying of kidney failure after eating just a few raisins, and breed, sex, and size of the dog does not appear to play a role, and veterinary surgeons and scientists have so far not discovered why. Additionally, there are conflicting accounts of small and young dogs consuming entire Christmas puddings without suffering any consequences!
There is currently no way to predict whether your dog will experience issues as a result of consuming these things. No protection is provided by prior blood tests that showed healthy kidney function. Additionally, eating them previously without experiencing kidney failure is not a guarantee that they will be fine if they manage to get some again.
Due to the information gap, we are also unable to estimate the vulnerability of the dog population. A 24/7 emergency advice line for veterinarians with concerns about possible canine and feline poisonings is provided by the Veterinary Poisons Information Service (VPIS). This service kept track of 180 cases of grape/raisin toxicity between August 1994 and September 2007. Although it doesn’t seem like a lot, only some cases will be reported to the VPIS. 68 of these 180 cases (or 37% of them) went on to exhibit symptoms. There were differences in the types and amounts of raisins or grapes consumed, and it didn’t seem to matter whether symptoms manifested or not.
This suggests that even though cases are not very common, a significant portion of dogs will be harmed if they consume even small amounts of these foods, whether they are consumed raw or cooked into cakes, puddings, or other baked goods.
Why Are Grapes And Raisins Poisonous?
For more than 20 years, there has been awareness of the issue of grape and raisin toxicity. But up until recently, the big mystery has been why.
Recent evidence suggests that it is the presence of tartaric acid and potassium bitartrate (aka Cream Of Tartar) in grapes and raisins that results in the potentially deadly kidney damage seen in cases of poisoning.
The ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center’s veterinarians noticed a case of homemade low-salt playdough poisoning that was similar to cases of grape toxicity, which led to the discovery of this potential breakthrough.
And as for why some dogs get poisoned after eating grapes or raisins while others are completely fine, the wine industry is aware that tartaric acid levels in grapes vary in concentration depending on the variety, growing conditions, and degree of ripeness.
There might not be a variation in each dog’s sensitivity, but rather in each person’s sensitivity to grape toxicity.
This information also emphasizes the necessity of exercising extreme caution when limiting your dog’s access to baking (or other food products) that contain cream of tartar.
Along with homemade playdough, which is dangerous due to its high salt content, this also includes the African fruit tamarind.
As more research is done in this area, which should help predict the possibility of poisoning and result in more effective treatment options should poisoning occur, keep an eye on this space for even more clarity.
When dogs eat poisoned raisins and grapes, kidney damage occurs. Depending on how severe the damage is, a dog may later experience life-threatening acute kidney failure.
If detected quickly, kidney damage may be repairable, and a full recovery may be possible. But the longer the damage goes unattended, the more difficult and unlikely this recovery will be.
No amount of treatment may be able to stop a dog from dying if left untreated for too long or if the level of toxicity is too high, regardless of how quickly treatment is initiated or how vigorously it is pursued.
Making your dog vomit will likely be the first step in their treatment if you take them to the vet within a couple of hours of them eating the raisins or grapes.
Any that are still inside their stomach will be eliminated by doing this.
Then, in an effort to prevent any toxin from being absorbed and to help the intestinal contents leave the body more quickly, activated charcoal and laxatives may be administered.
In order to maintain hydration and guarantee that the blood supply to the kidneys is optimal, intravenous fluid therapy will also be started.
Your dog will be closely watched during this period to check for any changes in health and to make sure they are urinating frequently. A complete loss of urine production as a result of acute kidney failure carries a very poor prognosis.
Depending on your dog’s medical history, how much was eaten, and whether vomiting was successful, different levels of treatment and monitoring may be required.
Last but not least, blood tests will be performed to more closely watch for indications of renal stress and overt kidney damage. In minor poisoning cases, only one blood test may be required. Other dogs may undergo a number of tests each day throughout their hospital stay.
After 24 to 48 hours, if your pet is still fine, you’ll give them the all-clear.
FAQ
How many raisins will hurt a dog?
Grapes and Raisins Toxic Dose: Zero can have serious negative effects. 7 ounces per kilogram of grapes and 0. 1 ounce per kilogram of raisins. This implies that a 2 could die from eating 3 grapes (or 3 raisins). 12 grapes (or 12 to 15 raisins) and a 5 pound puppy could possibly kill a 10 pound animal.
What should I do if my dog ate 1 raisin?
Treat the situation as an emergency if your dog eats raisins. Take your dog to a nearby vet or a clinic for sick or injured animals. When you are planning to visit the clinic, call and let them know that your dog may have eaten raisins or that it did.
What if my dog ate raisin bread?
Even if you don’t notice any symptoms, you should visit a veterinarian or animal hospital right away if your dog ate any raisins or grapes. Failure to do so may result in fatal kidney failure very quickly.
What happens if my dog eats 5 raisins?
Within 6 to 12 hours of consuming grapes or raisins, the majority of canines with raisin or grape toxicosis experience vomiting and/or diarrhea. Lethargy, anorexia, abdominal pain, weakness, dehydration, polydipsia, and tremors (shivering) are additional symptoms.