Can Dogs Eat Raisins?

Do you like raisins?

I love them and I always associate them with Christmas, then we buy more of them so I can include them in the baklava that I make or in some other sweet baked goods. My nieces love to have them as a snack.

But we should be careful with raisins when our dog is around. Why?

Let’s first see if can dogs eat raisins and then you will know why you should be careful.

What Are Raisins?

A raisin is a dried grape. Raisins can be found throughout the whole year everywhere around the world. They can be eaten raw or to be used in baking, brewing, and cooking.

Soon I tried rice with raisins, was too sweet for me but with a bit of chili sauce everything was fine.

I prefer golden raisins and by the way, they are called “sultanas”, and the word “currant” is used for small Black Corinth seedless raisins. Actually, the word “raisin” had to be used only for dried dark-colored large grapes.

In this guide, I will be talking about all raisins because there aren’t exceptions, and will use only the word “raisin”.

Can Dogs Eat Raisins?

There are many fruits and veggies that aren’t good for dogs and most often they are even toxic.

Unfortunately, grapes and raisins are toxic to dogs.

Even one raisin is enough for dogs to have signs of raisin toxicity. If you notice any of the signs, mentioned down below, call your vet immediately and it’s even better to get the dog to the nearest vet clinic if it’s possible.

Why Dogs Should Not Eat Raisins?

The reason why dogs shouldn’t eat raisins is still unknown. I know you will be like: What? Why? and I completely understand you. But the experts are sure that if dogs consume raisins they can get kidney failure which in many cases ends fatally.

I am sure that if you had asked your vet about fruits or veggies that you can include as treats for your dog, the vet had advised you that grapes and raisins should be avoided as they are toxic.

Many cases showed that grape toxicity is different for dogs. Some dogs don’t show any signs by eating one raisin while others show life-threatening signs.

Dogs can’t metabolize flavonoids, tannins, and monosaccharides. All of them are contained in raisins and some experts believe that this is the reason for the toxicity.

Symptoms of Raisin Toxicity In Dogs

As you already know raisins are toxic to dogs and it’s time to see what symptoms you can notice if your dog had a few raisins. Don’t forget that even one raisin is dangerous for a dog’s health.

• Decreased appetite
• Not eating
• Frequent urination
• Kidney failure
• Increased thirst
• Diarrhea
• Vomiting
• Abdominal pain
• Difficulty in breathing
• Lethargy
• Dehydration
• Seizures
• Not passing urine

The most common sign of these all is kidney failure. Which isn’t a joke and you shouldn’t give even one raisin to your dog. Symptoms like not passing urine, seizures, and even coma are the result of kidney failure.

What to Do If My Dog Ate Raisins?

As with any other toxicosis, the first thought that should come to your mind is to contact your vet but also go to the nearest vet clinic. Because of the number of eaten raisins, symptoms can show up very fast and be severe. If you do this fast enough the vet can take fast actions which can prevent any toxicosis symptoms. But that is possible only if your dog had a maximum of just a few raisins.

With bigger amounts, it’s a bit different. If your dog somehow got its paws on the package of raisins, monitor for any signs while going to the vet clinic. Don’t wait for any signs to show.

If your doggo shows signs like difficulty in breathing may be your vet will advise inducing vomiting at home, usually they will do it in the clinic but with such severe signs, it’s best to act fast. That’s also the fastest way to get these toxins out of the dog’s body.

You shouldn’t induce vomiting at home without the permission of the vet as it can be unnecessary or you can cause choking which can be life-threatening.

Note: While I was preparing myself for this article I found that on many sites people advise different medicine for inducing vomiting at home. You should induce vomiting at home only if your vet said so and only by the way the vet recommended. Instead of searching on sites for what to do if your dog ate raisins, you should contact a vet and try to get your dog to a vet clinic as soon as possible. Raisin toxicosis spreads fast and you should take fast action.

Treatment of Raisin Toxicosis

Treatment of raisin toxicosis can’t be done at home, as this toxicosis is very dangerous for a dog’s health. The treatment is done in the vet clinic and it includes a few different types of treatment. For every case of raisin toxicosis, can be used different types of treatments and some may need longer treatment while others shorter.

GI tract decontamination

GI tract decontamination is used to get out all the toxins from the dog’s body. There are different types of these treatments and which will be done to your dog depends on the health condition, how rapidly the toxicosis is spreading, and if you brought the dog soon.

For some mild cases, vet use activated charcoal to get the toxins out.

For severe cases, vets may use apomorphine, which is an injectable medicine. This medicine is used to induce vomiting.

IV fluid diuresis

This treatment is the next step and is used to treat kidney failure and it’s better actually if it is used to prevent kidney failure. It’s good to be used before any signs of kidney failure as a preventative. When the dog is already experiencing kidney failure it’s almost impossible for this process to be stopped and without working kidneys, dogs can’t live for long.

Monitoring of renal function

This monitoring is performed to see if there is kidney failure or signs of renal failure. This monitoring is done as an addition to the other two treatments. To check how kidneys are working vets may do blood and urine tests.

Will My Dog Survive Raisin Toxicosis?

Here, I can’t answer with yes, no, or maybe. Recovery depends on a few factors:

1. The quantity that was consumed
2. How fast you reacted and when the vet started the treatment
3. If there were signs of kidney failure or no
4. If there was kidney failure
5. How soon after treatment there was an improvement

Raisin toxicosis is much more dangerous than some other toxicities and it’s rapid. That’s why for recovery no one can tell you anything in the beginning.

Facts About Raisins

1. Raisins are all-natural, cholesterol and fat-free, and low in sodium. In other words, they are good for us, humans!
2. It takes four tons of grapes to produce one ton of raisins.
3. The “Raisin Capital of the World” is Fresno, California.
4. The first raisins were made by an accident. Few grapes were left in the sun, they got dry, and growers tasted them, and found how good they actually are.

Summary

Raisins are toxic to dogs, make sure that you store them in places that can’t be easily reached by your dog. A small amount of raisins is enough to cause life-threatening issues. The most common sign of raisin toxicity is kidney failure. You should contact your vet as soon as you get to know that your dog ate raisins.

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