Eastern and Southeastern USA

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Comment by Grace of GreenGablesLabradoodles on June 6, 2010 at 10:59am

FYI:

It has been checked out on snopes.com. It is a fact! Can be checked on the ASPCA site also.

Read and send it on. If you don't have a dog, please pass along to friends who do.

Written by:
Laurinda Morris, DVM
Danville Veterinary Clinic
Danville, OH

This week I had the first case in history of raisin

toxicity ever seen at MedVet.

My patient was

a 56-pound, 5 year old male neutered lab mix

that ate half a canister of raisins sometime

between 7:30AM and 4:30PM on Tuesday.

He started with vomiting,

diarrhea and shaking

about 1:00AM on Wednesday but the owner didn't

call my emergency service until 7:00AM.

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 IV 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 5:00PM and the BUN was over 40 and creatinine

over 7 with no urine production after a liter of fluids.

At that 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 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 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, avocadoes 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.

Comment by Lin D & Yogi on May 5, 2010 at 8:09am

Your dog is so neat. Just love his face.