Doggie Don'ts

[Dover]

IMPORTANT DOG INFO:

This week I had the first case in history of raisin toxicity ever seen at MedVet.

My patient was a 56 pound, 5 year old male neutered lab mix who ate half a box 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 I V 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 could be toxic.

Many people I know give their dogs grapes or raisins as treats.
Any exposure should give rise to immediate concern.

Laurinda Morris, DVM
Danville Veterinary Clinic
Danville, Ohio

If you have a dog or know anyone w/a dog please share this.............

Grapes and raisins aren't the only people foods known to be dangerous to man's best friend:
Chocolate and cocoa can prove deadly to them, as can onions and macadamia nuts.

[nothingshocksmeanymore]

1. Damn, I never knew that

My dog eats grapes if one drops on the floor...I'll be more careful..I am pretty vigilant about not giving him "people food" but every once in a while my neighbor (who grows grapes) puts them up on the wall for me to take and if one drops..the dog is right there..I'd DIE if I poisoned my own dog.

[TorchTheWitch]

2. very sad that doggie didn't make it

Lucky for me, my beast hates raisins, and grapes are only good for rolling across the floor and giving chase until such time as he decides to put the grape out of its misery and shoulder slams it till it's good and mashed into the carpet (gotta leave something for mommy to clean up). He'd happily eat dirt, bugs, poison ivy, lick tree bark, and nothing is more tasty then something unidentifiable squished in the road (fur or feathers optional)... but EAT raisins or grapes? - just plain yucky.

[Dookus]

3. wow

that sounded so unlikely, I checked on Snopes, and it's true!

I've never heard that anywhere! You'd think a LOT of dogs get fed grapes or raisins every day. Weird...

[RebelOne]

4. Yes, that has been a known fact for quite a while.

If you are a member of animal rescue group lists, you would know about it.

[RC]

5. Missing URL

http://www.snopes.com/critters/crusader/raisins.asp

[Richardo]

6. :-(

So sorry this dog did not make it...but thank you for the warning. Our six little Hoover vacuum cleaners hang out around my feet in the kitchen 'cause they KNOW I'll drop something at some point. I'll make sure it's not anything on the list.