If you have a dog... PLEASE read this and send it on If you don't have
a dog, please pass along to friends who do.


Written
by:
Laurinda
Morris, DVM
Danville
Veterinary Clinic
Danville
, Ohio

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 that ate half a
canister of raisins sometime between 7:30 AM and 4:30 PM on Tuesday.
He started with vomiting, diarrhea and shaking about 1AM on Wednesday
but the owner didn't call my emergency service until 7AM.


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 IV 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 including our ex-handler's.
Any exposure should give rise to immediate concern.
Onions, chocolate, cocoa and macadamia nuts can be fatal, too.
Even if you don't have a dog, you might have friends who do. This is worth passing on to
them.
Confirmation from Snopes about the above..
http://www.snopes.com/critters/crusader/raisins.asp

and here is another helpful link
http://www.peteducation.com/article....articleid=1030

 

What kinda dog do you have?

 

Dude.... sugar over dose... yeah it happens.

 

Its not sugar is a toxin. I heard it is in the skin, but i may be wrong.I know i have given my dogs sugary foods before. not alot but it definately had more than a grape or rasin.
This is so sad i hope they figure out what is causing this so they can treat more dogs more effectively.

 

I used to give my yellow lab grapes all the time and nothing ever happened to her. She loved them! Of course I would never give them to her in any kind of quantity either, just one here and one there. Maybe the dog in the article had some kind of allergic reaction? I've also heard to never give a dog chocolate and never give a dog lettuce either because there is a certain chemical in those items that they cannot have and will kill them.

 

I think its common sense that you dont let your dog get into a **** load of fruits.....?

 

I have a welsh corgi

 

i heard your not supposed to feed dogs pork too.

 

Pork bones...cause they will splinter when they eat them.

 

awww what a cute puppy!! It's so sad how much you have to watch out for your dogs.. that and they eat ANYTHING even without permission in my case. I have a great dane and she's tall enough that anything on the counter, table, anything is fair game lol.