Are Raisins Bad For Dogs?

There are several foods that can be poisonous to dogs, including raisins. If your dog gets into raisins or grapes, it may experience symptoms such as vomiting, diarrhea, and lethargy. Watching out for these symptoms is important as a pet parent because you never know what your dog is going to get into.

If your dog is lethargic after eating raisins or grapes, you should know what symptoms to watch for and what to do if your dog is experiencing raisin poisoning. Keeping table scraps away from your dog is a crucial part of making sure they don’t eat anything that makes them sick. If you want to know more about how raisins are bad for dogs, we’ll cover everything in this article.

• Can Dogs Eat Raisins?
• Why Can’t Dogs Eat Raisins?
• How Many Raisins Are Toxic To Dogs?
• Symptoms Of Raisin Toxicosis In Dogs
• What To Do If Your Dog Eats Raisins
• How To Treat Raisin Poisoning In Dogs
• How To Prevent Dogs From Eating Raisins
• What Are Other Foods That Are Toxic To Dogs?
• Final Notes

Can Dogs Eat Raisins?

So, are raisins safe for dogs? The answer is no. Grapes, raisins, and currants can all result in serious medical issues for dogs if ingested. What’s even worse is that dogs can get sick even if they only eat a small number of raisins. If you notice symptoms of grape poisoning, or if you left grapes out that your dog got into, you should take them to the vet as soon as possible.¹

As a pet parent, keeping your dog away from table scraps is one of the biggest things you can do to keep your dog safe. Dogs will eat just about anything you put in front of them because they often don’t know any better. If you leave raisins out on a plate that your dog can reach, chances are, they might go and try one.

Keep in mind that the toxicity of raisins also extends to other similar products, including grape juice, wine, trail mix, raisin bread, and snack bars that contain raisins. All of these products can lead to kidney failure or kidney disease in dogs, so you don’t want to take any chances.

Why Can’t Dogs Eat Raisins?

Why are raisins bad for dogs? While experts know that dogs can’t eat raisins, they don’t really know why. However, it’s found that ingesting raisins and other grape-based products can lead to kidney failure in dogs, which can be fatal. The particular substance in raisins that’s poisonous to dogs is unknown to this day, but every vet will advise you to keep raisins away from your dog. Additionally, the toxicity of raisins doesn’t affect every dog the same, so while one dog may be able to eat one raisin and show no signs of distress, another dog may experience life-threatening symptoms.

How Many Raisins Are Toxic To Dogs?

As a dog owner, you might be wondering how many raisins your dog can eat before you should be worried. With toxins such as chocolate, for example, dogs usually have to eat quite a bit before they’re in real danger. Unfortunately, even a small amount of raisins can be toxic to dogs and cause serious illness.

If you think your dog may have eaten raisins, grapes, or any other grape-based food product, you should take them to the vet as soon as possible. If your puppy is throwing up or showing any signs of raisin poisoning, getting them treated right away is important. Even a small amount of raisins or grapes can cause kidney failure in dogs, so a trip to the vet is an important precautionary step.

Symptoms Of Raisin Toxicosis In Dogs

Recognizing the symptoms of raisin toxicosis in dogs can be difficult, especially if you don’t know whether your dog may have consumed raisins. Recognizing the symptoms of raisin toxicosis in dogs helps you get your dog to the vet for treatment sooner. Here are some of the symptoms you may notice if your dog eats raisins:2

• Decreased appetite
• Lethargy
• Vomiting
• Diarrhea
• Weakness
• Dehydration
• Abdominal pain
• Increased thirst
• Frequent urination
• Kidney failure

Keep in mind that many of these symptoms can also be present with other types of toxicosis, as well as various medical conditions in dogs. If your dog only has one or two symptoms from the list above, it may not have a serious medical problem. If your dog is trembling, not eating, and displaying other signs of kidney failure, make sure you take them to a vet as soon as possible. In any situation, if your dog is acting abnormal and showing signs and symptoms that can be indicative of a disease or poisoning, seek help right away.

What To Do If Your Dog Eats Raisins

Preparation is one of the keys to being a good pet parent, and that means knowing what to do if your dog eats something they’re not supposed to eat. With toxicosis, the best thing you can do is get your dog to the vet right away. That way, your veterinarian can take the proper steps to ensure your dog is safe, healthy, and pain-free.

If you know or suspect your dog has eaten raisins, you should take note of any symptoms they’re experiencing and take them to the vet immediately. Keeping your dog comfortable during their trip to the vet may be especially important during this time. If your dog is having trouble breathing or is showing other physical signs of distress, your veterinarian may recommend inducing vomiting at home. Getting the toxins out of your pet’s body is the main priority at this stage. However, if your dog has trouble breathing, is unconscious, or showing signs of distress, don’t induce vomiting.²

How To Treat Raisin Poisoning In Dogs

Even if you know your dog shouldn’t have raisins, it can be hard to keep dogs out of human food if you’re not careful. If your dog does happen to get into raisins, grapes, or any similar food product, you should take them to the vet to figure out the best treatment option.

Your vet may perform GI tract decontamination to help your dog get rid of the toxins they may have ingested. There are several different types of GI tract decontamination and different techniques used. In most cases, vets use an injectable medication called apomorphine to induce vomiting. Your vet may use activated charcoal to get as many of the toxins out of your dog’s stomach as possible.³ The specifics of this treatment depend on clinical signs and how soon you bring your dog to the vet.

IV fluid diuresis is a type of medical treatment used to treat kidney failure in dogs. Because kidney failure is one of the common symptoms of raisin poisoning in dogs, IV fluid diuresis can help treat the problems your dog is experiencing as a result of eating raisins. This treatment can be crucial if your dog is already experiencing kidney failure as a result of eating raisins.³

In addition to the above treatment methods, your vet will also closely monitor renal function to make sure your dog’s kidneys aren’t failing as a result of renal failure. When you take your dog to the vet, make sure you ask them about steps you should take to monitor your dog’s health and whether or not their condition requires a hospital stay.

It’s important to remember that treatment can vary depending on the severity of the case, as well as your dog’s medical history. Before you decide on any treatment options, you should talk them over with a vet.

How To Prevent Dogs From Eating Raisins

The best thing you can do to prevent dogs from eating raisins is to simply keep them out of reach. Any food that’s potentially toxic to dogs should be placed in a spot that your dog can’t get to, whether that’s a drawer, a cupboard that’s high up, or the top of the fridge. As long as you’re not keeping raisins in a spot where your dog can get them, raisin poisoning shouldn’t be a huge concern.

It’s also important to alert kids and guests to the dangers of raisin poisoning and make sure they know not to feed your dog raisins. Everybody loves giving a dog a treat, but it’s important to make sure people are giving your dog treats that won’t harm them. This is also a concern with guests who like to feed your dog table scraps or other human treats.

Keeping raisins in sealed containers is typically enough to keep dogs away from them. Try keeping your raisins in a plastic storage container so your dog doesn’t get to them. For dogs who chew through these containers, it’s best to simply keep food out of reach.

You also need to watch out for other grape-related foods, such as wine, grape juice, and raisin bread. Because even a small amount of grapes or raisins can be harmful to dogs, it’s important to make sure they’re not getting into anything that’s potentially toxic. If you spill wine or grape juice on the floor in the kitchen, keep your dog away from it and clean it up with a paper towel.

What Are Other Foods That Are Toxic To Dogs?

Keeping dogs away from foods that can harm them can be a full-time battle, but it’s important to protect your pooch. While chocolate is at the top of the list of the well-known common dog poisons, there are a lot of other foods you should keep away from your dog. Here are some of the foods that can be toxic to dogs:

• Alcohol
• Avocado
• Chocolate
• Citrus
• Fruit containing seeds or pits
• Macadamia nuts
• Xylitol

As a pet parent, it’s your job to make sure your dog isn’t getting into anything that could be harmful to them. As a general rule, you should only feed your dog food that’s made for them. If you’re going to feed your dog human food, make sure it’s healthy food, such as lean meat like chicken. If you’re not sure if something your dog ate may be toxic to dogs, you should call a vet. Getting your dog to the vet early is an important part of treating food-related poisoning in dogs.

Final Notes

Like many foods, raisins are toxic to dogs. Unfortunately, even a small number of raisins can cause serious medical issues in dogs, so you should take your dog to the vet if they’ve eaten raisins and are showing symptoms of raisin poisoning. Vets can typically treat food-related poisoning by getting the toxins out of your dog’s body through vomiting, oral rinsing, or other methods.

If your dog ate raisins and you’re worried, Dutch can get you connected with a vet online who can offer advice. Telemedicine for pets makes it easy to video chat with a vet and get the treatment your pet needs delivered to your door. Try online vet help from Dutch today.