Claim: Raisins and grapes can be harmful to dogs.
Status: True.
Example: [Collected on the Internet, 2004]
WARNING Dog Owners
This week I had the first case in history of raisin toxicity ever
seen at MedVet. My patient was a 56 pound, 5 yr old male neutered
lab mix who ate half a canister of raisins ometime between 7:30 AM
and 4:30 PM on Tuesday. He started with vomiting, diarrhea and
shaking about 1 AM on Wednesday but the owner didn't call my
emergency service until 7 AM.
I had heard somewhere about raisins AND grapes causing acute renal
failure but hadn't seen any formal paper on the subject. We had her
bring the dog in immediately. In the meantime, I called the ER
service at MedVet, and the doctor there was like me—had heard
something about it, but.... Anyway, we contacted the ASPCA National
Animal Poison Control Center and they said to give I V fluids at 1
1/2 times maintenance and watch the kidney values for the next 48-72
hours.
The dog's BUN (blood urea nitrogen level) was already at 32 (normal
less than 27) and creatinine over 5 (1.9 is the high end of normal).
Both are monitors of kidney function in the bloodstream. We placed
an I V catheter and started the fluids. Rechecked the renal values
at 5 PM and the BUN was over 40 and creatinine over 7 with no urine
production after a liter of fluids.
At the point I felt the dog was in acute renal failure and sent him
on to MedVet for a urinary catheter to monitor urine output
overnight as well as overnight care. He started vomiting again
overnight at MedVet and his renal values have continued to increase
daily. He produced urine when given lasix as a diuretic. He was on 3
different anti-vomiting medications and they still couldn't control
his vomiting.
Today his urine output decreased again, his BUN was over 120, his
creatinine was at 10, his phosphorus was very elevated and his blood
pressure, which had been staying around 150, skyrocketed to 220. He
continued to vomit and the owners elected to euthanize.
This is a very sad case—great dog, great owners who had no idea
raisins could be a toxin. Please alert everyone you know who has a
dog of this very serious risk. Poison control said as few as 7
raisins or grapes could be toxic. Many people I know give their dogs
grapes or raisins as treats. Any exposure should give rise to
immediate concern. Feel free to contact me if you have any
questions.
Laurinda Morris, DVM
Danville Veterinary Clinic
Danville, Ohio
Origins: It's a rare pet owner who doesn't slip his critter the
occasional treat. Our pets add so much to the quality of our lives that we
look for ways to return the kindness, or to at least impart some measure
of thanks for all they do. Yet though the urge to do good is there, the
mechanism often isn't.
Humans and the pets they keep have widely differing views on what
constitutes welcome rewards or recognitions — your dog, for instance,
wouldn't think much of a thank-you card, nor would your cat feel properly
appreciated were he the recipient of a dozen roses presented in a nice
vase. (Likewise, you would probably feel far less than delighted by the
gift of a headless mouse.)
Yet food transcends the species. Almost every creature we would think to
keep as a companion appears to take some delight in eating, so a gift of
tasty yet out-of-the-ordinary ingestibles becomes a workable way of
communicating "I love you," "Well done!" or just "Thanks." Unfortunately,
good intentions can have deadly consequences when pet owners make the
mistake of assuming
all their favorite snacks are also suitable for their animals.
This sad tale about raisin toxicity began circulating on the Internet in
April 2004. Unlike many of the pieces being forwarded from one inbox to
the next, this one has a good deal to it.
According to the ASPCA, around 1989 a disturbing trend began to emerge
from the AnTox database used by its Animal Poison Control Center: Nearly
all the dogs reported to have eaten grapes or raisins developed acute
renal (kidney) failure. These cases were noted all across the USA, with
the amount eaten varying widely, from over a pound of grapes to as little
as a single serving of raisins.
The database showed that dogs who ate the grapes and raisins typically
vomited within a few hours of ingestion. Most of the time, partially
digested grapes and raisins could be seen in the vomit, fecal material, or
both. At this point, some dogs would stop eating (anorexia), and develop
diarrhea. The dogs often became quiet and lethargic, and showed signs of
abdominal pain. These clinical signs lasted for several days — sometimes
even weeks.
When medical care was sought, blood chemistry panels showed consistent
patterns. Hypercalcemia (elevated blood calcium levels) was frequently
present, as well as elevated levels of blood urea nitrogen, creatinine and
phosphorous (substances that reflect kidney function). These chemistries
began to increase anywhere from 24 hours to several days after the dogs
ate the fruit. As the kidney damage developed, the dogs would produce
little urine. When they could no longer produce urine, death occurred. In
some cases, dogs who received timely veterinary care still had to be
euthanized.
Although it is not known what component of the grapes or raisins causes
renal failure in dogs, certain possibilities have been ruled out,
including various pesticides, some heavy metals such as zinc and lead, and
fungal contaminants. That dogs react in this fashion to both
commercially-produced grapes and those grown informally in their owners'
back yards indicates the likely culprit has nothing to do with the growing
or cultivation process but is instead basic to grapes themselves.
In other words, all grapes are potentially dangerous to dogs — both grapes
in the plump, "just picked" form and as their dried counterparts, raisins,
and regardless of whether they came from the store or off the neighbor's
vine. Don't feed your dog grapes or raisins, and don't leave these
foodstuffs out where he could help himself to them.
This is not to say you need live in fear of your pooch's keeling over dead
if he swallows a grape or two. However, if he downs a handful of grapes or
even a smaller amount of raisins, get him to your veterinarian right away.
Aggressive treatment with intravenous fluids and close monitoring are his
best chance for survival.
Grapes and raisins aren't the only people foods known to be dangerous to
man's best friend. Chocolate and cocoa can prove deadly to them, as can
onions and macadamia nuts.
Barbara "killing them with kindness" Mikkelson
Additional information:
Pets and Poisons
(ThePetCenter.com)
Human Foods That Poison Pets
(Petalia.com)
Last updated: 8 February 2007
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Sources:
Bowen, Jill. "It's Wise to Watch What Your Dog Eats."
Roanoke Times & World News. 25 April 2004 (p. NRV20).
Dale, Steve. "Skip Grapes, Raisins As Laxative for Dogs."
The Houston Chronicle. 19 August 2003 (p. 3).
Krzeckowski, Cathy. "Expert Finds Grapes Can Be Harmful to Some
Dogs."
The [Bergen County] Record. 17 October 2002 (p. F5).
Means, Charlotte. "The Wrath of Grapes."
ASPCA Animal Watch. Summer 2002 (Volume 22, No. 2).
Sayler, Catherine. "Kidney Failure and Sour Grapes."
Santa Fe New Mexican. 27 July 2003 (P. E6).
Whitcomb, Tiffany. "Pets."
Buffalo News. 30 January 2004 (p. B22).
The Augusta Chronicle. "Grapes Are a Dangerous Treat for Pets."
31 July 2003 (p. D4).