Raisins and grapes

[MNpurple]

Maybe you've seen it before, if not, keep in mind...

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 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 IV 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.

[rockman]

Thank you for posting this.My GSP's eat that stuff like it is nothing,but not in that large of a quantity, at one time.Just to think what would happen if one of them got into a can of raisins.That really bothers me, considering we have those foods around my house.Thanks, again.

[PikeBayCommanche]

Personally I think it has to be a individual dog case because if this were the case all of our families 3 labs should be dead by now.

During harvest season at our vineyards the dogs run around the winery and eat lots and lots of grapes and not once have they ever gotten sick off them. Maybe its raisins but I don't think they really have much different as far as chemistry concerns.

There are lots and lots of things that can make dogs sick but dogs individualy react to certain things I believe.

[rockman]

The wife and I were just talking about that after I read, and replied to the original post.She said basically the same thing you did, that it probably is a reaction in that individual dog.I vaguely remember hearing something about this kind of reaction in a dog a number of years ago.The info. is good to be aware of,although I am not super overly concerned where my own dogs are concerned.I should have posted previously that it bothers me to read a dog suffer so badly.I was more shocked, than anything, as to the whole situation.It's too bad it had to end the way it did.

[fasternu]

We had a problem with our 7 yr old Golden two years ago, when he suddenly quit eating and was vomiting. We took the dog to the vet. Before we could get a diagnosis, we had to answer many questions about foods/chemicals it could have eaten to check for a reaction. While waiting, the vet had a handout titled something like "101 things you didn't know could harm your pet", and it is NOT an individual thing. Grapes/raisins are one of the most poisonous foods a dog can eat. Nuts, mushrooms, sugar and fruit seeds are also among many things on the list. Ask your vet, they probably have a similar list they can give you.

[BLACKJACK]

I think its a matter of exposure and quantity, if I ate five lobster tails in one sitting I'd probably get sick too. My dogs eat apples off the trees, bad tomatoes that I throw in the weeds, green beans, brocoli stems, p00p of any kind but especially deer p00p, shelled corn, sunflower seeds, etc. It saves on the dogfood Just kidding!!!! They get their ration of good quality dogfood morning and evening also but all these other things are irresistable. Just don't let your dog eat mass quantities of something.

[djb1]

There is alot about this on the web. Here is one link http://www.aspca.org/site/DocServer/McKnight-Tox_Brief-Feb_VT_05.pdf?docID=3782

[PikeBayCommanche]

 Quote:

and it is NOT an individual thing. Grapes/raisins are one of the most poisonous foods a dog can eat.

Well then our dogs must have super powers. Because over the last few years during our harvest of 20+ acres of grapes which lasts for more than a month. Over that month they eat lots of grapes off the ground, has to be pounds.

Still have never seen any studies or other evidence of this before just this post on the internet. Also my dad is a Phd in Animal Science and Nutrition.

So I still think that it is an individual case, where as the it seems the only documented case on this is the one above.

[djb1]

It doesn't look like it is very widespread. Here is what the APCC said: Approximately 140 cases were seen by the APCC(Animal Poison Control Center) in the one year from April 2003 to April 2004, with 50 developing symptoms and seven dying.[2]