Raisins, beware!!!

[Carol Burke]

Just read an interesting post on another list. It seems a Collie died from eating too many raisins which reacted like a poison. The concensus was that both raisins and grapes could cause poisoning if eaten in quantity.

------------------
Carol
Darrlburg Rottweilers

[Carol Burke]

I'll try to get some more info. The post I read said the Collie ate raisins on a regular basis and one day finished a quantity that was left out. Became ill, took him to the vet where he finally died, vet said it was from the raisins and that grapes could cause the same thing. The poster said they were having a necropsy done to get more info. If I hear more I'll let you know.

------------------
Carol
Darrlburg Rottweilers

[CarolineS]

Carol,

Can you get any more info on this or point me to somewhere I can?

Since Maggie has so many food allergies, I use a lot of grapes as treats, especially on therapy visit days. She has her retinue of tricks she performs for the patients and can easily eat up to 50 grapes in one visit!! I take the grapes because she can eat them quickly and they're very portable.

With the exception of hospital visit days, she gets maybe 4 or 5 a day. I'm going to stop feeding them all together, just to be safe. Thanks very much for the warning. http://www.rottweiler.net/rottie/smile.gif

[judy v]

I thought you all might be interested in this message which I received today.

Collie died from raisin overdose.

Date: Mon, 29 Jan 2001 16:13:19 -0600

McGee died of a RAISIN OVERDOSE.
Three days ago, he ate 18 ounces of raisins which were sitting on the coffee
table. He loved raisins, and he would sit politely waiting for his turn
while my two rabbits begged for their raisin treats.

The overdose caused renal (kidney) failure which in turn caused an unusually
high concentration of calcium in his blood. The veterinarian originally
suspected rat poison.

He vomited repeatedly and by the second day, he could not walk. He died at
the Metropolitan Emergency Animal Clinic in Rockville, Maryland with me and
one of his other human housemates at his side.


MCGEE'S DEATH IS THE FIRST DOCUMENTED CASE OF RAISIN/GRAPE TOXICITY IN
MARYLAND.
Please help me to spread the word!!!!. As much as veterinarians warn us
about chocolate and anti-freeze, your veterinarian MAY NOT KNOW about raisin
and grape toxicity. Tell your fellow dog owners (especially those who keep
raisins for their rabbits), newsletters, breeders, pet food stores, rescue
groups, your veterinarian, and anyone else you can think of. And if your dog
eats a lot of raisins or grapes and begins vomiting, get him to the animal
hospital IMMEDIATELY, and treat it like as seriously as any other poison
overdose.

McGee's body has been donated to the National Center for Poison Control for
an autopsy. I hope that his sacrifice will help bring awareness to dog
owners everywhere. I would like to thank Doctor Carole Foster and Doctor
Deborah Weiss and the rest of the staff at the Metropolitan Emergency Animal
Clinic for their help and compassion during my friend's last days.

I am forwarding this with permission..please read..My dogs love raisins and
grapes..but beware of too many!!

Darlene

[CarolineS]

Thanks, Judy. No more grapes, ever, for Maggie.

[Monika Malow]

Everything in moderation. A few grapes or raisins will not harm them. That collie ate over a pound of raisins, most people wouldn't feed their dogs such a large amount. Just be carefull what you leave laying around for them to snatch.

[ February 05, 2001: Message edited by: Monika Malow ]

[rlogle]

As a nurse I don't understand how this could have happened. Renal failure? This doesn't seem right for some reason. I deal with human patients, however, just think about this. Naw don't think the fruit caused it.

[Judi W]

It might be considered that Collies and some of the related breeds have a few unique characteristics. I know they are limited in the kind of heartworm meds they can take (I believe filaribits only) and a few other things that they can be fatally suseptible to. So, while it is possible that the raisins did cause the problem, that does not mean they are universally toxic to dogs most likely breed specific.

[judy v]

There is also the possibility that it wasn't the grapes, but rather whatever it was they used to process them into raisins. Nothing was really said about grapes although they are porous. I remember a long time ago a case of a baby getting very sick from eating grapes that had been fed to him unwashed. He reacted to the insecticide they had be sprayed with.