Hi Fellow Foodie dog owners. Thought you might be interested in this.
jen


DANGER OF RAISINS FOR DOGS Saturday, April 17, 2004 7:00 PM



"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
who ate half a cannister 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
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 could be
toxic. Many people I know give their dogs grapes or raisins as treats.
Any exposure should give rise to immediate concern.

I burst into tears reading this - as it was very close to home.

We nearly lost out 13 yrs old female Labrador - Sandi last week.

Every year we have given her a treat of a slice of ham - and every year she has loved it - until this year.

We found her in her kennel the next morning in a pool of vomiit and semi comatosed. Screamed off to the vet and it was severe acute pancreatitis - confimred by blood tests. Her pancreatic enzymes were 3 times higher than normal.

3 days of IV fluids and antibiotic etc and we have her home again with view of revieiwing in a week to redo blood tests to check.

Of course we were shattered to think we had caused this - but didn't know. Apparently as they get older they can't tolerate a sudden influx of fat in one lot - just like us I suppose if we have a niggly gallbladder. We ahve all heard stories of people ahving a roast or fish and chips and ending up in E.Dept.

So it is so good to have stories like this to warn people.

I knew about chocolate - my vet told me that when she was a puppies as he had had this poodle that had eaten all the choclate decorations off the tree and was found dead under the Xmas tress that morning by the children who had raced downstaris to check if Santa had been - isn't that so sad.

So thank you Jen for passing that one on - I am beginning to think our dog has 9 lives tho as when we lived in Whangarei our pool fence was surrounded in grapevine and Sandi would frequently be seen standing on her hind legs gobbling - she was lucky those times - and we are hoping she has been lucky with the ham.

We have had a rather stressful last 6 months in our family and the thought of losing her as well jsut seems too much at the moment - I hope we have been spared this time.

Regards

Raewyn, what a shock for you! I shall post stuff like this when I come across it, which is frequently...be warned! Unless anyone is unhappy for me to do so?
As much as I love my guys it is a firm rule in this house not to feed things like ham, bacon, sausages etc, because of the high salt, fat, and nitros used to cure/season them. My husband grumbles 'cos he gets to eat the above, when I won't give them to the "furkids"! Mind you, his choice, he likes his bacon and sausages etc... and turns his nose up at a raw chicken wing!

Fingers and paws crossed for Sandi...

Thanks for that information, Jen, - much appreciated.
I knew about chocolate, but had never heard of raisins and grapes, (especially so few being so dangerous), and with Raewyn's dog, - the ham being so serious.
I must admit we have from time to time given just a little ham, bacon or sausage to our dog. The big, brown pleading eyes of a golden retriever are hard to resist sometimes. However, never again.
Our first golden retriever lived to 18 years, and had over the years been given some of these "treats" without a problem, but he must have been lucky. This information wasn't known then, or he certainly wouldn't have been given them either.
Thinking of you Raewyn and Sandi, - hope she will soon be well again.
Heather

Likewise Heather - when we have our bacon and eggs, we always give the bacon rind to the dogs. I had no idea it could be fatal!

Goodness me,

My husbands dog,who lives with the dragon,oops I mean MIL, she feeds it everything under the sun....

Now if I emailed this to her both the inlaws would laugh it off and say it wasnt right...They know everything!!!!!


Zeetra

Thanks Jen for the valuable information. We too have a lab that would eat anything and we are very careful and treats are few and far between. She is, like her human mother, prone to weight gain. She enjoys the food at her evening meal and one biscuit in the morning when she fetches the newspaper off the drive. Only other thing she has is a raw beef bone at bed time. She is healthier for routine and controlled amounts. Wish the same could be said for me!!!!
Please Jen do keep the info coming as I certainly am interested.
Thank you again,
Raewyn G

Thank you sooooo much for this information. What I think is a traet for my dogs, I may be slowly killing them.

Will have to think of different kind of "treats" for them

Another dog lover.?:-(

Lyn

I had an Irish/English setter cross (I called him my Anglo-Irish Red Fetcher) who loved to stand on his hind legs and eat the grapes off the grape vine. He lived to a ripe old age, and was always very slim and so active. When I took him for a walk on the beach, I would take my book, a milk bottle of water and an ice cream container for him to drink from and just let him go. He would run up and down the beach, tirelessly, hour after hour, just stopping now and then to have a drink. This after walking up over the cliff and down the other side to get to an isolated beach where he wouldn't bother other people.

Lorna

how do you stop your dog from eating the grapes of the grape vine. We have a vineyard and the dog loves ripe grapes

That would be a very tricky task! If your dog has got into the habit of helping himself, I don't really know how you'd stop him. A bit like the dog playing with the laundry on the washing line!

Mind if I ask a tricky question about vineyard and wineries? I don't wish to cause offense but I need to ask someone. Last summer we spent a couple of days at homestay attached to a vineyard, and they shot all the birds! Guests were permitted to walk amongst the vines, but you had to watch where you stepped because of all the dead birds on the ground. Do you know if this happens all the time? I wonder the price of a bottle of wine, as it was most disturbing seeing them, and no birdsong at dusk.
jen

What is poisonous in grapes and raisins? And why are they poisonous to dogs?

I suspect that this might be another urban myth, my lab eats grapes all the time......Jan

It is correct I have looked it up and several sites say its very bad for dogs to eat Grapes / Raisins, causes vomiting, diarhea, abdominal pain, lethargy. So I apologise for suggesting it might be an urban myth...Jan

The original post mentioned grapes/raisins being toxic. Doesn't say in what way. Maybe it is overdose of laxative ( too many of lots of things have that effect on humans). I'm still interested in the actual mechanics of the toxicity. Anyone know?

We have a lab cross, a pointer frame with a lab appitite, (wish I could be so lucky), but that also means he eats everything and anything. my apron string that was approximately 1meter long dissapeared one day and turned up... in full! pretty disgusting really. He is also partial to grapes... will have to put a stop to that, he is only 7 months old, I would be horrified if we caused any problems with his digestive system. I too knew about chocolate, and we have been cutting down his fatty treats, but we have always given him left overs! I don't see much wrong with a bit of off cut meat, some gravey if he is lucky, and plenty of vegetables.
two things though... can you feed dogs chicken wings? I was always worried the bones would splinter??
and how DO you stop them pulling the washing off the line?

Abi, we "raw" feed our dogs. They get chicken wings, necks, thighs etc.
Have never had a problem with bones splintering. Most of the chickens are processed at approx 6 weeks so their bones haven't become strong, nor have the bones had to do any work. However, my guys under no circumstances get cooked bones of any discription. If you want to learn more about raw feeding try the address below and ask questions.

[groups.yahoo.com]

There's lots of other info available. Do a google search for Ian Billinghurst, or Tom Lonsdale.

The 'washing on the line' thing is a matter of training.

About the grapes and raisin issue, I don't really know why they are so toxic to dogs, I too used to feed our old poodle grapes, she just loved them, but with the info above it's just way too risky.
But I suspect, and this is only a 'gut' feeling here, but as I understand it, grapes and consequently raisins, sultanas etc are highly sprayed and treated, and maybe it's a build up and/or the concentration of the spray residue that is the problem?

Try your dogs with watermelon instead...doesn't seem to have any health issues and once they get a taste, they just love it...or at least mine do!
jen

Jen, thanks so much for sending that website. I was never told that I shouldn't feed cooked bones to our dog, I asked everyone I knew with a dog, I read plenty of web sites and books and even the vet, what they would advise feeding Moses (our first dog, so needed as much help as I could) and they all mentioned bones, but never specified they had to be raw, so he has had primarily cooked bones (mainly because raw bones tend to encourage flys if he gives up and leaves it in the back yard for a while.)
Stupid me thought I was doing him a favour. Thanks, I'm sure his stomach will be thanking you too.
It makes me wonder why all the pet shops sell so many smoked/cooked bones? I think I will stick to the softer - less likely to splinter raw variety from now on.

Its not just old dogs that get pancreatitis either - our 2 yr old slim male foxy has had it twice - both after a visit to the nana's place (nana yum yum is her nickname...) . Certain dog breeds are susceptable to it.

Abi, my crew get their raw food, with a little veges, but they also get what I call recreational bones, ie the great big canon bones, sometimes lamb/mutton shanks etc. These are the ones that often keep dogs out of mischief, especially the canon bones. 80cents for 2 at PNS, that's good value!

The little processed ones like bobbits etc I have given to my guys but only occasionally, but I'm not 100% happy, and I do watch them. The most scary are the little tube/cigar type chews, my senior boy had one stuck in his mouth between his upper palate and his bottom jaw, luckily I was home and able to dislodge the offending object...if I hadn't been at home, I shudder to think what might have happened, fortunately no damage was done...phew!

Raw feeding is a contencious issue,almost political, and you will find many who will knock it, but just from personal experience, it is the best for my guys, and you know what? They have the whitest pearlies imaginable, and that goes for the above mentioned senior who is now 14 years old.

Enough rambling from a devoted dog person who measures a good day by finding a tube of tennis balls for under $2.00! Bargin!
jen

.......just back from the vet (and I had read this thread BEFORE we had our huge wedding weekend of guests sneakng the puppy everything from sausages to wine!!!) Poor wee thing - they really suffer when their diets get upset..... lets just say that the vet advises the puppy sleeps in a well ventilated room for the next few days, while she recovers on a diet of rice and natural yoghurt!!!