**For all dog owners**
**DOG LOVERS**
In case you did not know, Raisins are very toxic to dogs.
Subject: Important Information for Dog Owners I received this from
a friend. They checked it on Urban Legends link and it is true. I decided to
make a page out of it to help give dog owners some info for our pets!
IMPORTANT DOG INFO:
This week I had the first case in history of raisin
toxicity
ever seen at Med-Vet. My patient was a 56 pound, 5 year
old male neutered lab mix who ate half a box 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 Med-Vet, 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
Med-Vet for a urinary catheter to monitor urine output
overnight as well as overnight care. He started vomiting
again overnight at Med-Vet 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.
Laurinda Morris, DVM
Danville Veterinary Clinic
Danville, Ohio