Living in Spain we are surrounded by vineyards but did you know that these delicious grapes that we love so much can be deadly to your favourite pet.

Within the last couple of years a number of dogs have been found to have been suffering from grape and raisin poisoning.  Presumably, this has occurred in the past but was attributed to other causes.

What Kind of Grapes & Raisins?

Grapes of all varieties and growing conditions (including homegrown) have been implicated. Raisins are usually made from white seedless grapes, but all raisins of any source should be considered kidney toxic (chocolate covered raisins as well).

Why?

The toxic principle is unknown.  Although the toxicity seems to mainly affect dogs, feeding grapes or raisins to cats and ferrets is also discouraged.

How Many Would Poison Your Dog?

The toxic dose is approximately 1 grape per pound of body weight.

15 lb dog = 12 grapes could be deadly
25 lb dog = 23 grapes could be deadly
50 lb dog = 50 grapes could be deadly
75 lb dog = 75 grapes could be deadly

Raisins, having lost their water content are considered 2-3 times more toxic for their weight. Think how many raisins are in ONE small snack pack of raisins - maybe enough to kill your dog.

15 lb dog = 30-45 raisins could be deadly
25 lb dog = 50-75 raisins could be deadly
50 lb dog = 100-150 raisins could be deadly
75 lb dog = 150-225 raisins could be deadly

What are the symptoms?

Symptoms appear 6-24 hours after the dog eats raisins or grapes (average is 12 hours). Initially, symptoms are gastro-intestinal signs, followed by kidney problems.

Vomiting is usually the primary sign, with diarrhoea, depression/lethargy, anorexia, colic, dehydration and sharply decreased urine output. The course of the toxicity is anywhere from 3 days to 3 weeks. Dogs with pre-existing kidney problems have a poor prognosis.

Treatment...get him to the Vet as soon as possible!