Can Dogs Eat Grapes?

Can Dogs Eat Grapes?

The other day my five-year-old daughter came up to me and asked, “Can dogs have grapes?” Fortunately I’d just been to the vet and had overheard a conversation about this very thing. And the answer is that apparently dogs and grapes and raisins can have fatal results if mixed. Wanting to know why, my daughter and I did some research to find out more about the hazards of dogs eating grapes and how it can be fatal for them to do so. We discovered some great information, so I wrote this article to share with others that might have similar questions about feeding dogs grapes.

Soon after devouring even a small number of grapes or raisins (which are dried grapes) your dog will start vomiting. If the grapes are not removed in the vomiting process, they can begin to affect the renal system and cause it to shut down.

Why Are Grapes Bad For Dogs?

Oddly, scientist have been unable to uncover exactly where the toxicity lies within the grape, but there hasn’t been enough extensive research to find anything conclusive. So without knowing what the exact cause is, the general statement is that grapes and dogs do not mix at any level. What goes into a grape can vary from pesticides, fungal contaminants, elements like zinc that are taken in from the soil, yet all of these things have been cleared as causes of renal toxicity in dogs.

What To Do If Your Dog Eats Grapes

You will know almost immediately if there are signs of poisoning if your dogs eat grapes. Hyperactivity followed by vomiting is the first sign. Your dog will then become quite lethargic and start to have diarrhea. You will see the grape remnants in both vomitus and feces. Dehydration will set in and the dog will stop urinating. If nothing has been done to rectify this, your dog’s renal system will shut down and it will die within two days.

If you see your dog eat grapes, get some hydrogen peroxide and pour one to two tablespoons down the dog’s throat. You can use an eye dropper, but a turkey baster works best.

1. Place the baster between the dog’s back teeth and squeeze the peroxide into its throat until your dog begins to swallow.
2. Wait up to 15 minutes to see if it starts vomiting. If not, repeat the process.
3. Once your dog has vomited, you should use activated charcoal that you get from a pharmacy to help block any grape juice from absorbing in its system.
4. Let your dog rest and after 3 to 4 hours allow the dog to drink a small amount of water.
5. It should be given a bland food diet of boiled hamburger and rice every 3 to 4 hours as well.
6. If your dog does not vomit up the grapes, get it to a vet immediately.

The only real preventative is to not give dogs grapes. It can be a little more difficult to stop them from eating grapes or raisins when they sneak the opportunity but you should avoid giving grapes as treats.

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