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Grape
and raisin poisonings in Dogs
Recently,
there was a letter in the AVMA Journal from Dr. Gwaltney-Brant and
others at the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center discussing grape
and raisin poisoning in dogs. Apparently, grapes and raisins can
be toxic to dogs when ingested in large quantities.
The
grapes and raisins came from varied sources, including being eaten
off the vine directly. The dogs exhibited gastrointestinal signs
including vomiting and diarrhea and then signs of kidney failure
with an onset of severe kidney signs starting about 24 hours after
ingestion of the grapes or raisins. The amount of grapes eaten varied
between 9oz. and 2 lbs., which worked out to be between 0.41 and
1.1 oz/kg of body weight. Two dogs died directly from the toxicity,
three were euthanized due to poor response to treatment and five
dogs lived. Due to the severity of the signs and the potential for
death, the veterinarians as the poison control center advocate aggressive
treatment for any dogs suggested of ingesting excessive amounts
of grapes or raisins, including inducing vomiting, stomach lavage
(stomach pumping) and administration of activated charcoal, followed
by intravenous fluid therapy for at least 48 hours or as indicated
based on the results of blood tests for kidney damage.
I
have fed my dogs a few grapes every now and then for years, so I
don't think there is a need to panic if a dog eats three or four
grapes but if the whole bunch is missing from the table one day,
it would be good to think about watching for any signs of a toxic
reaction.
Michael
Richards, DVM
6/5/2001
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