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 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 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 this 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...Urban Legends Reference Pages: Raisins and Grapes Harmful to Dogs (I checked this out...true...LD)

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"Philosophy is a walk on a slippery rock
Religion is a smile on a dog."

Thank you. Many human foods are also toxic to cats, including chocolate. I don't know about grapes and raisins, but my cat has kidney disease, so I am especially aware of the danger of feeding animals people food. In fact, some ingredients in commercial cat food are bad for cats, and I imagine the same is probably true for dogs.

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"For small creatures such as we the vastness is bearable only through love."
- Carl Sagan

I had a cat, who had urinary tract problems (died of them actually), and your telling me that the food marketed for cats could be bad for them? Is that right?

__________________
"Philosophy is a walk on a slippery rock
Religion is a smile on a dog."

She is correct.

We have 4 dogs ( we just adopted our foster on friday!) and feed them only natural dog food on which we can pronounce all the ingredients and know what they are. Unfortunately I only recognize the label and couldn't tell you the name of it as I have just blanked on it...I think its Nutra....something.

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- Wisdom comes when you stop looking for it. -
"If God were alive today, he'd be an atheist" - Kurt Vonnegut

Please visit my foster dog blog: The Colbert Report.

Thanks. I noticed something else about most commercial dog food. It all has onion extract in it. Onions are supposed to be bad for dogs and it is in dog food. What is up with that?

__________________
"Philosophy is a walk on a slippery rock
Religion is a smile on a dog."

I've never seen onion extract in dog food labelling. I must have studied two dozen brands by now. When i read it here i wondered if you were thinking of beet pulp. It is the most common ingredient in many brands not counting chicken, corn or wheat parts, or bone meal. Occaisionally there are some fancy brands of dog food here that have garlic advertised as in them, which they also do not need. Local dog food is also very important. People in Canada will pay over a dollar a pound for California dog food. If there is onion extract in dog food i imagine it appeals to the people who are only thinking for the best of their snarling wolfish creature.