[Grovenet] Dog Owner Alert

[AumaMarie at aol.com]

I don't know who has a dog, so I'm sending this  to everyone that might know 
someone that does.  They can alert them to this  unfortunate thing!!  
 



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 the subject. 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 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 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 d iuretic. 
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. 

 
Confirmation from Snopes about the 
above..._http://www.snopes.com/critters/crusader/raisins.asp _ (http://www.snopes.com/critters/crusader/raisins.asp) 










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