Can Dogs Eat Raisins or Grapes

The short answer is, no. Grapes and raisins are toxic to dogs. Read on for symptoms.

We do not yet know just why, what the substance in them that is the problem, but there is definitely a problem. Dogs should not eat grapes and raisins because even small amounts can prove to be fatally toxic for them.

So, that was the short answer. Want some more information about this? I did, so I did some research.

Let’s start with the most important information. You may be googling this topic because you think your Rusty may have consumed some raisins or grapes.

If you KNOW Rusty consumed some, please get to a vet as soon as you can. Whatever it is in grapes and raisins that dogs react to, it can do damage very quickly with very little consumption.

Now if you come home from work and rusty is displaying any of these signs or symptoms, get him immediate veterinary attention.

Signs or Symptoms

Vomiting and/or diarrhea – You might be within a few hours of ingestion. Check the “matter” for clues as to what may have been eaten. If you find pieces of grapes or raisin, get thee to the emergency vet.
Loss of appetite. Can be a sign of a number of issues. Not all are life-threatening. But if in conjunction with other symptoms, you probably need to get to an emergency vet.
Lethargy, weakness, unusual quietness- Again, can be a sign of a number of issues, but in conjunction with other issues, get to an emergency vet.
Abdominal pain- see above.
Dehydration-see above
Very little urine (Oliguria) or none at all (Anuria)
Foul breath- this is why kissing your dog often is important. If you don’t know what Rusty’s breath usually smells like, you won’t be able to determine if it is now bad. I’m saying this only partially in jest. While I do kiss my dogs a LOT all day long, you just need to be reasonably familiar with your dog’s breath… no tongue is necessary, but I leave that to you.
Oral ulcers- you may not see these right away. In fact, you may already be at the vet when they are noticed.
Tremors, Seizures, Coma- fingers crossed that a vet is not far away.

Some of these symptoms, on their own, are serious enough to get to an emergency vet, whether you suspect raisins/grapes or not.

Others, as they would be in people (loss of appetite, upset tummy), unless you have other evidence of poisoning or an event, are often not life-threatening.

However, my legal caveat here is you likely don’t want to take any chances.

If you are positive that Rusty ate some raisins or grapes or any part of them, let your vet know that and they might give you directions on how to induce vomiting.

Side note here, always have some hydrogen peroxide and a clean syringe on hand. (add-on side note: hydrogen peroxide is also needed in about a liter, to deal with skunks. So, just have it around. I don’t think it expires.) I’m going to link you to a two-pack at Amazon.

Don’t bother with the spray bottles. And if you have one single small dog, you can likely get away with just one bottle of this stuff. I have a story about a skunk, I’ll link it here when I write it. We have a couple bottles… all the time.

Grape/raisin toxicity can cause severe kidney damage leading to sudden (acute) kidney failure with lack of urine production (anuria).

We really don’t know exactly what the minimum dose is. So, don’t assume that your 100 pound mastiff is fine just because he only ate a few raisins or grapes. He may not be.

Vomiting and diarrhea are often the first clinical signs of grape or raisin toxicity. According to petmd.com, these symptoms will usually develop within 24-48 hours of ingestion. However, the Merck Vet Manual (link below) says “Most affected dogs develop vomiting and/or diarrhea within 6–12 hr of ingestion of grapes or raisins.”

I’m going to error on the side of caution and just take my Rusty to the vet if I have any reasonable suspicion that he has consumed either grapes or raisins.