That night, the dogs were transferred to the emergency practice, Vets Now, in Witham, Essex, where they were put on intravenous drips, given activated charcoal, which absorbs poison, and monitored for problems with their kidneys. For this reason, if a pet is suspected of having eaten grapes, he or she should be monitored closely. Make sure they are out of the reach of your dog and if accidentally your dog has eaten them then it is an alarming situation. Following decontamination, more treatment might be necessary including aggressive intravenous fluids to flush any absorbed toxins out of the body as quickly as possible and to help maintain kidney function. The symptoms may progress after 24 hours and become more severe as the extent of kidney damage increases. Ideally, dogs should be hospitalized on intravenous fluids for 24 to 48 hours following ingestion. As grapes and raisins stay in the stomach for a prolonged period of time, inducing vomiting is of the utmost importance (even up to 4-6 hours after ingestion). A veterinarian should induce vomiting and provide dogs with activated charcoal within an hour or two at most (McKnight 136). Providing fluids to encourage urination over the first two days may prevent acute renal failure (McKnight 136). The more time that passes before a dog properly empties its system of toxins, the more serious the situation becomes.
Raisin poisoning or grape poisoning can cause ammonia buildup in dogs. You should consult your nearest vet if you notice symptoms of raisin toxicity or grape poisoning in your dogs. It’s one of the early symptoms of raisin toxicity.If your dog is facing raisin toxicity then sometimes the vomiting could be beneficial for him. At the vet’s, vomiting was induced and the true culprit was revealed. Your veterinarian will take immediate action to block absorption of the toxins (by inducing vomiting and administering activated charcoal) and to prevent or minimize damage to the kidneys (by aggressively administering intravenous fluids to flush any absorbed toxins out of the body and using medications to help maintain kidney function). Treatment for raisin toxicity includes giving your dog IV fluids to flush their system and help prevent kidney damage. Unfortunately, the symptoms of grape or raisin poisoning are non-specific and are similar to kidney failure from many other causes. Unfortunately, there is no well-established toxic dose for any of these fruits but two principles seem to prevail: 1) Dogs are more likely to become poisoned if they ingest large amounts of fruit and, 2) there is significant individual sensitivity amongst dogs.
Some dogs can tolerate raisins more than others; hence it is hard to establish a general toxic dose. Carol Spurling, 64, of Maldon, Essex, who has been breeding the ‘Dulux’ dogs for six years, had dumped her supermarket shopping, full of ingredients for the Yuletide favourite in her utility room, when pooches Teddy and Gabby, both five, sniffed out the enticing goodies. Discussing the incident, Carol said: ‘I started panicking and rang my dog ate rock salt vet in Chelmsford. Gabby produced only one raisin, leaving the finger of suspicion pointing firmly at Teddy,’ said Carol. If your pet has accidentally ingested grapes or raisin, you should visit the vet immediately to prevent kidney failure as this can be fatal. Between 1999 AND 2001, 10 dogs were reported to the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center (APCC) because of acute gastrointestinal and renal toxicosis after they had ingested large quantities of raisins or grapes.1 The grapes ingested included fresh grapes of both red and white varieties from grocery stores or vines in private yards and fermented grapes from wineries. Since dogs cannot eat grapes, you’re wondering if any fruits are safe for your pup. Your veterinarian will base a presumptive diagnosis of this poisoning on a history of eating grapes, raisins, currants, or the presence of pieces of grapes or raisins in the dog’s vomit.
Foods containing grapes, raisins, and currants (such as raisin bran cereal, trail mix, granola mix, baked goods) are all potential sources of poison. How Soon After Eating Raisin Bread Will A Dog Get Sick? There are no risk factors that have been specifically identified – any age, breed, or gender of dog is considered equally at risk of developing kidney failure after eating raisins. How to Prevent Dogs From Eating Raisins? Whatever the case, the number of identified cases of illness or death in dogs after they have eaten raisins or grapes is on the rise. If you suspect that your pet has eaten any of these fruits, please contact your veterinarian or Pet Poison Helpline, an animal poison control service, immediately. Your veterinarian will also recommend diagnostic tests such as a complete blood count (CBC), a serum biochemistry profile, and a urinalysis to assess the amount of damage to the kidneys. Once the kidneys have shut down and urine output has dropped, the prognosis is poor. If the kidneys are damaged and no urine is produced, the prognosis is poor and fatality is likely. The dog may lapse into a coma due to a buildup of substances which the kidneys usually eliminate from the body through urine.
