I, personally, have know for a little while that raisins and grapes are bad for dogs. But I’ve never known just HOW bad until this weekend after my 7 pound Dachshund ate two boxes. Just a few grapes and raisins can cause kidney failure, and they have been known to be fatal.
I felt stupid at first for not knowing, seeing my life revolves around dogs, but when I brought my dog in to work with me, the veterinarian didn’t even know that raisins and grapes were really THAT bad.
It can take up to 3 days after ingestion for kidney failure to start, so we’ve had my guy on fluids and checking his blood twice a day. So far, so good. If everything looks good tomorrow, he’s in the clear. So far, the only symptoms he’s had are the vomiting on Sunday (a lot of it), vomited once last night, and drinking a lot of water.
Other symptoms would be hyperactivity shortly after consumption, later they would be lethargic, won’t eat, vomiting, diarrhea, drinking a lot of water, then trouble urinating as the kidneys start shutting down.
I’m trying to be optomistic, I can’t lose two dogs in one month. Bama, my Cocker Spaniel, was hit by a car a couple weeks ago, and we had to put him down.
For more information, I found a really great article from the ASPCA’s Animal Poison Control called The Wrath of Grapes. Their Animal Poison Control site also has a lot of great information on other common foods, plants, and household items that are dangerous for pets along with a lot more helpful information regarding pets and toxins.
The Animal Poison Control Center is your best resource for any animal poison-related emergency, 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. If you think that your pet may have ingested a potentially poisonous substance, make the call that can make all the difference: 1-888-426-4435. A $60 consultation fee may be applied to your credit card. If you are a member of the new HomeAgain Microchip Program, you can call 1-888-HOMEAGAIN to speak with the Animal Poison Control Center for free.
