EAST TEXAS HOG DOGGERS FORUM

Written by:
Laurinda Morris, DVM
Danville Veterinary Clinic
Danville, Ohio

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
 that ate half a canister of raisins sometime between 7:30 AM and 4:30 PM
 on Tuesday.  He started with vomiting, diarrhea and shaking about 1AM
 on Wednesday but the owner didn't call my emergency service until 7AM.

I had heard somewhere about raisins AND grapes causing acute Renal
 failure but hadn't seen any formal paper on thesubject. 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 andthey sai d togive 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 IV
 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 or grapes
 could be toxic. Many people I know give their dogs grapes or raisins as
 treats including our ex-handler's. Any exposure should give rise to
 immediate concern.

Onions, chocolate, cocoa and macadamia nuts can be fatal, too.

Even if you don't have a dog, you might have friends who do. This is
 worth passing on to them.

Thanx, Lavon.  I'm sending this link to everyone I know with a dog.

Mark

Onions  ??? i wonder if a dog ever got sick or died from eatin scaps with onions in it?

I think it would have to be quite a bit of onions, like maybe a whole onion.  cause I gave my dog a left over barbecue sandwhich with a lot of onions on it yesterday.  Come to think of it, :-\ where is he?  I haven't seen him today!!  Just jokin :D

THat was funny gitdathawg  ;D  I used to feed my wifes dog grapes from time to time, until the vet told me they would harm him. 

I've always heard that chocolate will kill a dog.  Yeah.... horsecrap.  About 18 years ago, my stepmom's precious little pooches woofed down a huge bowl of hershey's kisses while she was gone to the store, wrappers and all.  Regretfully, both of those miserible suckers lived.  One dog was a boxer and the other was a miniature greyhound.  The boxer would literally eat anything.  I came to visit one time and he swallowed a pair of my dad's underwear, and then barfed them up in my opened suitcase.  He'd eat the dirt out of her potted plants, then barf that all over the house too.  Nothing was safe from those 2.  When the miniature greyhound was older, he once managed to wrestle a whole head of old lettuce from the kitchen, all the way into his bed in my folks' bedroom.  The little dog hardly had a tooth left in his head, I still don't know how he did it.

I was laughing my a$$ off about that boxer eaten the underwear, that's hilarious!! :D ;D