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For dog owners....raisin toxicity warning - 3/12/2008 7:34:26 AM

windchymes

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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 s haking 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.

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RE: For dog owners....raisin toxicity warning - 3/12/2008 7:38:17 AM

kittinSol

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Did she publish a research paper?

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RE: For dog owners....raisin toxicity warning - 3/12/2008 7:38:58 AM

LaTigresse

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In addition to that list, dogs should not eat tomatoes or potatoes. Another overlooked item the pretty, brown, cocoa shell mulch. It you have pets, you should not use this mulch in your yard. It has a higher level of the toxins than chocolate candy.

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RE: For dog owners....raisin toxicity warning - 3/12/2008 7:40:11 AM

camille65

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True. According to Snopes.http://www.snopes.com/critters/crusader/raisins.asp

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RE: For dog owners....raisin toxicity warning - 3/12/2008 7:42:09 AM

kittinSol

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I wonder if this mean by extension that raisins could be toxic to humans too.

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RE: For dog owners....raisin toxicity warning - 3/12/2008 7:43:28 AM

LaTigresse

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I just go by the information provided by the vets I work with through the shelters.

The best thing we can do for our pets is not give them people food/table scraps. Unless you are preparing the people food in a manner recommended by a holistic vet. Similar to a whole foods diet like Sojos, where you add fresh meat and vegetables that are not toxic to dogs.

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RE: For dog owners....raisin toxicity warning - 3/12/2008 8:03:30 AM

camille65

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I have to admit that my dog does get table scraps but I am careful with what she gets. I spent most of the day yesterday cooking ground chicken and ground turkey (poundsssss of the stuff) then pureeing/packaging it up for my dog and cat. I mix veggies in with the dogs stuff, the kitty won't go near it unless it is plain meat and I supplement her with dry cat food. Cooking my own meat up is a lot cheaper than buying canned stuff and I know it is fresh.

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RE: For dog owners....raisin toxicity warning - 3/12/2008 8:06:29 AM

LaTigresse

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Yes, I am pretty fussy also. It keeps me from having too many around because it would just be too expensive. Two horses, three dogs and one cat. The fish don't cost too much to feed.

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RE: For dog owners....raisin toxicity warning - 3/12/2008 8:14:06 AM

camille65

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Yeah but can you hug a fishie?

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RE: For dog owners....raisin toxicity warning - 3/12/2008 8:14:26 AM

windchymes

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Thanks, Camille, I didn't think to check it out on Snopes, I just saw it published this morning, and never heard of it before. I'm surprised it's been around since 2004, but I'm glad it did check out! And, since I grew up near Danville, Ohio, the vet seemed credible, lol.

Like it said, a dog's not going to keel over from a raisin or two, but this dog ate 1/2 a canister.

What was alarming to me was, I don't feed my dog what I call "table scraps", which in my mind meant greasy stuff, sugary stuff, processed junk with preservatives and chemicals, etc. But my thinking was that things like fresh fruit, vegetables, things they would eat in the wild, would be okay. My own dog loves carrots, watermelon, apples, and surprisingly, red peppers and portabella mushrooms. Now, I only give her a tidbit or two. But this article still shook me up a little, and it seemed worth posting, if it saves another dog....

About a year ago, my 10 lb. dog ate maybe 1/4 of a big Hershey bar that I stupidly left on the end table. When I realized, I panicked....got an answering machine at her vet's, so I went online while I waited to get information. What I learned was that chocolate can be toxic to a dog, but they have to consume really large amounts. And, the darker the chocolate, the more dangerous, milk chocolate was much less dangerous. My little dog would have to have eaten a couple POUNDS of the milk chocolate to have any symptoms of toxicity. But still...it scared me and I'm much more careful now.

I think we've all heard about anti-freeze...it tastes sweet, dogs lap it up, and it's extremely toxic. Don't ever leave anti-freeze out where a dog can drink it.

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RE: For dog owners....raisin toxicity warning - 3/12/2008 8:16:59 AM

camille65

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Mickey loves green beans. Any kind of bean actually.. refried beans, red beans, white beans.

Occasional gas is emitted. I'm glad you posted this, I had no idea about raisins. She likes dried fruit but I've never fed her raisins simply because I hate them.

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RE: For dog owners....raisin toxicity warning - 3/12/2008 8:21:12 AM

windchymes

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Penny likes green beans, too, lol. Penny likes EVERYTHING! That dog loves to eat!

At least if the dog has gas, it makes blaming your own gas on the dog more credible!

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RE: For dog owners....raisin toxicity warning - 3/12/2008 8:30:16 AM

Termyn8or

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I know people with dogs, thanks.

I have also heard that you are not supposed to give them onions. I am not sure exactly what they do, but it was a relatively stern recommendation from a vet to somebody I know. They have a chocolate Lab BTW. I do not know if it applies to all breeds.

As for the raisins, I would not eat one at gunpoint.. I like grapes fresh. Also I heard that some of the time, I guess enough worth mentioning that when they perform an addendectomy sometimes they find a raisin in the diseased appendix.

I had not heard about the potatoes or tomatoes, and my friends' Lab loves salad scraps. The bottom stalks of broccolli, the core of the lettuce, just about anything. They had given him onions, but have stopped. They might not be good but apparently not immediatley toxic.

I have to call my buddy and tell him to keep the raisins out of the reach of ------dare I say it ? Children. (the human kids have moved on)

T

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