![]() The winemaking industry has known for quite some time that tartaric acid levels in grapes vary in concentration with the type, the growing conditions, and the degree of ripeness, which may explain why it has been so hard to pinpoint what the toxic dose is and predict the outcome for those dogs that have eaten grapes or raisins based on the amount they’ve eaten. This is where we get to talk wine for a little bit! Cheers! With a bit more investigation it now appears that tartaric acid and its salt, potassium bitartrate, are the toxic principles in grapes leading to acute kidney failure in dogs. Researchers noticed some similarities between some toxicities of dogs who had eaten playdough containing cream of tartar, with those who had eaten grapes or raisins. (Ok I feel bad, but this was before I was in vet school and knew better). To deepen the mystery, and as mentioned earlier, the degree of illness was particularly inconsistent between animals.įor example, my old girl Pippa used to love eating grapes and I’ve fed her plenty of both grapes and raisins with never an ill day. Was it the seeds, the skin, maybe it was a pesticide on the skin?īasically, research eliminated all these as possible causes, and the reason for grape poisonings in dogs continued to remain elusive. Over the following two decades even though vets diagnosed illness in dogs, no one was able to identify what the actual toxic agent was. Grapes & raisins are not poisonous to cats (Any food that contains these ‘fruits’ will also be poisonous eg trail mix, fruit loaf, Christmas cake, hot cross buns).Ĭurrants of the genus Ribes have not been associated with toxicity resulting in renal injury.īack in 1999, the Animal Poison Control Centre first reported on the poisonous nature of grapes to dogs when they noticed a cluster of dogs that became seriously ill after eating grapes or raisins.Īnd a quick note for those cat lovers out there – there have been no reports to any animal poison control center that indicate that grapes or raisins are poisonous to cats. The only thing that is not poisonous is grape seed extract. That includes grapes, raisins, raisin bran, and currants. What we know is that any plant belonging to the Vitis species can cause toxicity. ![]() What Causes Raisin & Grape Toxicity In Dogs? The general consensus is that grapes, raisins, and currants are poisonous to dogs and we need to take extreme care. Ignore all Grape and Raisin Toxicity Calculators – they are incorrect ![]() Please note that if you see a grape toxicity calculator for dogs – please ignore it – these are highly inaccurate and you could be lured into a false sense of hope for your dog, and we don’t want that. It is extremely careless and inappropriate to guess, we explain why below. The individual toxicity profile of the grape or raisin fruit AND the susceptibility of the individual dog can not be predicted. How Many Grapes Or Raisins Will Kill A Dog?Īs noted above it is impossible to calculate how many grapes and raisins will kill a dog. Regardless of all the theories grapes and raisins and foods containing them are poisonous to dogs. Some thought the effects of poisoning may be due to individual dogs having different levels of susceptibility, or perhaps it was due to grapes and raisins containing various levels of a toxic substance. To add to the confusion, there doesn’t appear to be any correlation between grape or raisin ingestion and the bodyweight of the dog. The consumption of just one grape may be enough to cause severe, acute illness in one dog, while in another dog there will be no ill effects. When it comes to ingestion of grapes and raisins there are NO hard and fast rules or guidelines when it comes to their toxicity potential. While completely safe for humans, sadly the same can’t be said for our dogs. Why Is There Confusion About Grape & Raisin Toxicity In Dogs?įor humans, grapes and raisins are extremely common snacks either eaten on their own or mixed into other food products such as bread and cakes increasing the risk of exposure.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |