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Do not feed dogs grapes

Submitted by Sandie Pellerin

Do not feed dogs grapes. It will kill them.

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My own dog loves grapes... Comments By: Renee on 2005-10-06 So I found this "tip" very alarming, but not wanting to take any chances, I confirmed the info for myself. This is a bit of what I found out: Why are grapes harmful? As far as grapes and raisins go, no one is sure why they're harmful. It's been confirmed that even grapes grown without fertilizers or pesticides can be toxic to dogs. But not to every dog, and not every time. It's also not known whether small amounts eaten over a long time period could have a cumulative effect. What we do know is that the end result in nearly all reported cases of grape or raisin toxicity is acute kidney failure. (The term "acute" means that the condition is severe and comes on quickly.) The dog ultimately can't produce urine, which means they can't filter toxins out of their systems -- a process essential to life. During the twelve-month period in which the effects of grapes were studied, the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center handled 140 cases involving one or more dogs. Over a third of the dogs developed symptoms ranging from vomiting to kidney failure, and seven dogs died. The ASPCA based their study on reported cases, so naturally there may be cases where a dogs health is entirely unaffected by eating grapes. But until they know all the facts, the Society advises against feeding pets grapes or raisins in any amount. An ounce of prevention... So, your dog just scored himself a big box of raisins or some Valentines chocolates. What's a pet owner to do? The first line of defense, if the grapes or raisins were eaten recently, is to induce vomiting and administer activated charcoal (it absorbs toxins in the GI tract). Vomiting is also the first sign that your dog is in trouble, so skip right to the activated charcoal if vomiting has already occurred. (In a pinch you can make your own activated charcoal by burning a piece of toast until it's charred and crumbles easily.) Then call your vet right away. The vet will keep your dog on intravenous fluids for at least 48 hours and monitor blood chemistry daily. Normal blood work after 3 days usually means your dog is in the clear. Keeping a watchful eye out, of course, is the best way to keep your pet out of trouble. Like children, dogs (and other pets) have a knack for getting into mischief when we're not looking. It's Not Just the Grapes There are other foods your dog should be kept away from, and some of them may surprise you: Chocolate Who can resist chocolate? Like it your not, your dog. Chocolate is made with cocoa beans and cocoa beans contain a chemical called Theobromine, which is toxic to dogs. So on Valentine's Day, you're actually being kind to your best buddy if you eat all the chocolates yourself! Cocoa Mulch Mulch isn't food, but there's one type tempting enough for dogs to eat. Cocoa bean shells are a by-product of chocolate production (which is how mulch made it into the "foods" category) and are popular as mulch for landscaping. Homeowners like the attractive color and scent, and the fact that the mulch breaks down into an organic fertilizer. The coca bean shells can contain from 0.2% to 3% theobromine (the toxin ) as compaired to 1-4% in unprocessed beans. Fatty foods Fatty foods are hard for a dog to digest and can can overtax the pancreas, leading to pancreatitis. This can threaten your dogs health and is potentially fatal. Nuts Macadamia nuts should be avoided. In fact most nuts are not good for the dogs health since their high phosporus content is said to lead to bladder stones. Onions Onions, and especially raw onions, have been shown to trigger hemolytic anemia in dogs. (Stephen J Ettinger, D.V.M and Edward C. Fieldman, D.V.M. 's book: Textbook of Veterinary Internal Medicine vol. 2 pg 1884.) Stay away from onion powder too. Potatos Potato poisonings among people and dogs are rare but have occurred. The toxin, solanine, is poorly absorbed and is only found in green sprouts (these occur in tubers exposed to sunlight) and green potato skins. This explains why incidents seldom occur. Note that cooked, mashed potatoes are fine for a dogs health, actually quite nutritious and digestible. Artificial Sweeteners iXylitol is used as a sweetener in many products, especially sugarless gum and candies. Ingesting large amounts of products sweetened with xylitol may cause a sudden drop in blood sugar in dogs, resulting depression, loss of coordination, and seizures. According to Dr. Eric K. Dunayer, a consulting veterinarian in clinical toxicology for the poison control center, "These signs can develop quite rapidly, at times less than 30 minutes after ingestion of the product" states Dr. Dunayer, "...therefore, it is important that pet owners seek veterinary treatment immediately." Turkey Turkey skin is currently thought to cause acute pancreatis in dogs, partly due to it's high fat content. Here are the rest of the foods listed by the ASPCA as harmful: Alcoholic beverages Avocado (the only "fatty" member of the vegetable family) Coffee (all forms of coffee) Moldy or spoiled foods Salt Yeast dough Garlic The Bottom Line Thanks to a more educated public, fewer fatalities from foods like chocolate are being reported these days. But it's important to keep up with what's currently known about foods and their effects on dogs health. Grapes and cocoa mulch, for example, were only discovered very recently to have harmful effects.   Are you sure? Comments By: Rachel on 2005-05-22 It's well known that chocolate is very bad for dogs, but I've never heard of grapes being bad. Do you have any experience or research to back this up?   I don't think so... Comments By: Tina on 2005-05-27 ...my dog love's fruit. Grapes are her favorite and she's 14 yrs old.   grapes kill dogs? Comments By: arthur pena on 2005-05-28 how exactly does grapes kill dogs? Tipking says: My dog loves grapes. I do wonder if there is any truth to this.   deadly? Comments By: Meshy on 2005-05-29 If anyone knows more about this....grapes deadly for dogs..?? My little dog loves grapes...she in no way gets an overabundance of them, but she sure has to have her share....and has had for over 4 years.   YES it is true. Look it up Comments By: Anon on 2005-06-02 Look at the ASPCA poison control center. Dogs have died from grapes and raisins. They can cause kidney failure. Just because people can eat it does not mean animals can. It seems to bother some and not others....so why take that chance?   The Vet said it. Comments By: The Beck on 2005-06-05 The vet told me that the one food never to give dogs is grapes/raisins due to causing kidney failure.   Grapes - no problem... Comments By: Beverly on 2005-07-15 I don't know where you got this information, but I have a grape arbor more than 30 ft. long at my house, with 4 kinds of grapes. My dog (black lab and setter mix) loves fruit of any kind. She eats the grapes on the bottom 3 feet of the vines. And, never even been sick from them.   grapes and dogs Comments By: John on 2005-07-15 My understanding is that grapes or raisins in very high amounts (like eating a large box of raisins) can cause kidney failure. No need to be alarmist about giving the pooch grapes occasionally.   Incorrect Comments By: Marie on 2005-07-19 I asked my veterinarian about this and she told me that grapes actually help with digestion in dogs. Smaller dogs shouldn't eat large amounts of raisins because of the harmful preservatives that they contain.   grape-lover Comments By: Dani on 2006-05-01 My dog, (a cocker spaniel, who turns 11 this month) has been fed grapes since she was a pup. The only problem that's ever come up is the fact that we have to peel the skin off for her before she'll eat them.   grapes Comments By: kd on 2006-07-06 my last dog ate grapes regularly and lived to be 16. My current dog is a very fit and healthy, 2 years old and also enjoys grapes!!!   Not all dogs! Comments By: vinze on 2006-09-13 Maybe its like human cigarette smokers, some will die early of cancer, some will live till there 93 and still run a marathon! I know my pups had a few grapes but as now i know i wont take the risk to be honest   Please Be Careful Comments By: Shelley on 2006-10-05 My small 8mth old terrier is currently on a drip in the vets because she ate a small bunch of grapes. She has shown no signs of illness as yet, but in the UK, vets are advised by the 'poisons bureau' to induce vomiting and administer fluids as a precaution whenever grapes or raisins are ingested. I had read somewhere that grapes were toxic, and I now know they can kill. Not all dogs are affected by the grape toxin - are you willing to take the risk??   Grapes-What about Sultanas? Comments By: Anon on 2006-10-20 My dog eats a mix of shreddies and sultanas most mornings. He is a 5 year old trim Cavalier King Charles Spaniel. However he does not like ordinary raisins, he much prefers the sultana variety!   Corn bad for Cats Comments By: Catsrus on 2007-02-25 Corn will turn cat feaces into gasoline, this only happens in USA   deadley Comments By: jim on 2007-07-17 i gave my rottweiler a few grapes acouple of months ago the very next day she was sick and refused all foods idid not connect this with feeding the grapes but over the weekend igave her some more and she had the same symptoms again but only worse irealise now that it must have been the grapes i induced her to vomit and gave her gaviscon which made her drink and be sick ialso gave charcoal which helped she did not pass urine for at least twelve hours my other two rottweilers are ok with grapes but i will not be giving them to any of my dogs   Trust the specialists... Comments By: Mr. Mister on 2007-08-22 In response to the information that i have read, i will not ever ever ever feed my dogs grapes/raisin/sultana or any other foods listed. the reason is that i look at my dogs as my kids and i wouldnt feed my kids anything that a specialist prohibited...the same applies to my dogs. thanx for the info   grapes of wrath! Comments By: steve on 2007-09-02 don't let your dog eat grapes. my little girl has been sneaking hers to my Boxer Erik from her high chair. The result? Borderline renal failure and thick, blood filled urine. I'm convinced there is a connection between the two. The Vet agrees.   what to do? Comments By: Sunmi on 2007-09-10 my Bonnie (shepherd mix) is 15 years old and she loves catching grapes in mid air. i've fed her over 1000 grapes and she's completely healthy (except a little bit of osteoarthritis). her blood tests confirm her health too. But, I think I was lucky in the past and I do NOT want to risk losing her. I love my baby and if her health deteriorates by eating grapes, I would never forgive myself. From now on, I'll throw her other snacks in the air to catch!   DO NOT FEED DOGS GRAPES Comments By: Heather on 2007-10-14 My dog(black lab, 6 months) is currently at the vet on a drip. It is a proven fact it can cause kidney damage, even death. She ate them off our vine. Hopefully we are lucky and caught it in time. At this point her levels are ok, but we don't know yet. Don't risk losing your baby.   yea Comments By: erica on 2007-11-10 my aunt gives her dogs grapes all the time and guess what they are still alive!!   You IDIOTS! Grapes etc. are BAD Comments By: TG Veterinary Surgeon on 2008-02-03 Im sorry, but you foolish people who have been given the facts and still refuse to accept them. Well done if you fed your dog grapes and it's fine. That may be that your specific dog has a genetic predisposition to prevent the necrosis of the kidney cells which causes the renal toxiticy, it may be that your dogs blood pressure is so high that the blood passes through the bowmans capsule without incidence, or it may be pure blind luck. Stop being idiots. Grapes, and other things mentioned here are bad for your dogs, as a side note so is acetominophen (Tylenol), Ibuprofen. SO please take care of your animals, listen to us professionals, and stop feeding your animals things proven to be fatal! Think of it like this, would you knowingly feed your dog arsenic? No, so don't feed it another known poison.   Grapes for dogs Comments By: Paulene on 2008-02-19 12 years of feeding our dog 8 - 10 grapes a day ended up killing him of renal failure. He was so adept at catching them as we threw them to him, it just seemed like a fun thing to do - and he loved them - until he developed renal failure because of it.....   Listen to the pros you idiots. Comments By: Ron V on 2008-02-23 My wife dropped some grapes on the floor and our 8 month old Lab ate some before she could pick them up. A few hours later the dog was throwing up, she threw up several times. Just google "dogs and grapes" and you will get many references to how grapes are toxic to dogs.   grapes & turkey & potatoes Comments By: twopuppies on 2008-07-09 grapeseed extract is put into some dog food. why are grapes not good for dogs but grapeseed extract is okay? Turkey & potatoes are also put into dog food. if not good for dogs why is it put into dog food?   GRAPES AND GLOBAL WARMING Comments By: Carole from Texas on 2008-07-26 I've read all the comments and came to the conclusion that feeding your dog grapes and global warming have a lot in common. There is just a certain percentage of the "I'm from Missouri" crowd that are not going to believe that it's harmful unless it's staring them right in the face. Pity the fools who can't learn from other people's experience.   True Comments By: Veterinary Surgeon on 2008-08-27 Its true.. not every dog and not every time but why take the risk? Just because your dog has eaten a grape and not died doesn't mean another won't. I'm a vet and I've seen it happen. Don't take the risk!   Grapeseed - And Grapes Comments By: Dawn Walker on 2008-09-01 I think you will find it is rapeseed or at least it is in the UK and it is very true grapes cause renal failure, my little jack russel bitch is in the ER overnight whilst she is being watched to see if there is any deteriation of her condition. I wasnt aware of this until today - My other JR dog and Mastiff pup love grapes - I guess they wont be having them again!   My dogs and grapes Comments By: BS on 2008-09-20 I was eating grapes last night and I gave my terrier some and she loved them! Which is surprizing cos she's normaly very picky. I have her on a diet though and I think she's just hungry, also they are a very sweet variety. Anyway, I looked grapes and dogs up on the internet just to see if they were harmful and I'm glad I did. She wont be getting any more of them (only maybe an occasional treat of one). I also gave some to my Doberman yesterday, he had no problems. It must be just some dogs that grapes affect badly. Possibly to do with how healthy they are in the first place, for example a dog fed on a raw diet may not have any problems while a dog fed on a dry dog food may have weakened defences to grape poisoning. Just a thought.   Dogs and grapes - risk it if you dare Comments By: MrG on 2008-11-20 You can risk it if you like, but last week my three dogs ate a bag of currants betrween them. On calling the vet for advice, they were taken in, given injections to induce vomiting and once the contents of their stomachs had been checked (lovely job!) the youngest, a six month old lab was kept in overnight on a drip as she'd eaten the most. Two bloodtests later we were lucky - no renal damage. Having owned dogs all my life I didn't know about the problems with grapes until I read an article in a shooting magazine two months ago. Otherwise, I could have lost one or more of my dogs.   Really? Comments By: Cam on 2008-12-20 My dog just got 4 grapes. I hope he is Okay he is acting normal. I then looked it up. D= he won't be having anymore!   This is true but varies from dog to dog Comments By: Diane on 2008-12-22 I have a 4 yr old boxer and a 6 month old boxer. They got into a bowl of grapes saturday and ate basically the whole medium sized mixing bowl full of them. I got them to the vet within an hour of it happening. After blood work and induced vomiting along with Charcoal I was able to bring them home. My 4 yr old is doing fine, she only ate a few. My puppy however ate most of them (around 30-40 grapes) and he is not ok. He does not care to drink any water now, he doesn't want to get off his bed, lethargic and sleepy. The good news is I have gotten him to eat the prescribed ID food from the vet, since it's canned he is getting some water. I had to take him back to the animal hospital this morning for more blood work and IV fluids. He is VERY sick. The vet did say that he thinks he will be okay but he is just spent from eating the grapes and from being so sick from them and the induced vomiting. The vet told me that he has seen as little as 12 grapes kill a medium sized dog. He said that it seems to affect varies dogs differantly and they really haven't figured out what is in them that causes this. He also said raisins are worse than grapes because they don't have the fluid content grapes do. Anyway, from personal experience I'm telling you do NOT feed your dog grapes, I don't care how old they are or how many they have eaten, one of these days it may be more than their bodies can handle. It's totally avoidable, don't let them have them. If it hasn't affected your dog, then your lucky, why continue to risk it.   Get the facts. Comments By: Kate on 2009-01-26 The reason grapes are determined to be dangerous to dogs is because it contains arsenic. Now, not all grapes will have it and not all dogs will get sick from it. Arsenic is often used as a pesticide to protect grape vines from pests. If you think you are in the safe by simply washing grapes and then feeding them to your dog you are wrong! The reason aresenic isn't noticable by some dogs is because of different immune systems. Naturally, dewarming medicine contains small dose of arsenic to kill internal parasides. However, if overdose occures, it might result in liver failure. Considering how many variables go in identifying thether your dog is in the clear if he or she ingests some grapes I would simply stay away from it.   Don't feed your dog grapes!!!!! Comments By: Zoe on 2009-01-27 I have a 4 month old Jack Russell who recently ate about 15 grapes (he managed to get on my kitchen table, seems impossible I know!) I had read on the internet not to give dogs grapes and with him being a puppy I was very worried! I rang the vet who told me to bring him in immediately they gave him something to make him sick and fortunately he brought them back up quite whole, I think the advice I could give anyone is don't risk giving your dog grapes, yours may be the one that does suffer from eating them and it's not worth it. I would have been devastated if my little dog had died from eating them. There are plenty of things you CAN give your dog without taking unneccessary risks.   My Dog Ate Comments By: Todd on 2009-01-25 My dog ate 3 pounds of red grapes a few days ago.I was afraid he was going to die after reading all the web-warnings. He's a 70 pound black lab, and seems to have no illness from the meal. Has a dog ever really died from chocolate? I have heard this for forty years,and have known dogs that ate 2-5 pound boxes of See's candy and lived. I have also asked countless friends and family members. Send me a vet journal that scientifically proves death by chocolate. I think it is a myth.   Grape Diet Comments By: Beaglelover on 2009-02-11 My Beagle literally ate grapes every day of his life since he was a puppy. And I'm talking dozens of grapes. We used to let him snack on grapes, apples and carrots. He was never really sick until he died at age 12 from a heart problem. He never had any kidney-related illness. Furthermore, none of his vetrinarians, when told about his diet, ever warned against feeding him anything other than chocolate (poison) and foods high in fat (dietary purposes).   Vomiting from Grapes Comments By: Schnauzer Owner on 2009-02-18 My Miniature Schnauzer has eaten grapes twice, and both times she got really sick! Every time it lasts for at least a month, with vomiting, diarrhea, fever. Avoid feeding grapes to dogs, and teach children not to!   I fed my dog a grape Comments By: Andrew Bowker on 2009-02-22 I fed my dog a grape about a year ago at my caravan but after reading all this i will never dream of doing it again. I love him and will never dream of doing it again.   please!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Comments By: please on 2009-03-06 i feed my dog grapes and raisons and chochlate er day!!! ans its as healthy as a chicken sand witch!!! with BBQ sauce!!!! Please!!!!......PLease!!!!!   oh for shizzle Comments By: micheal jackson kidding on 2009-04-02 damn will 5 grapes kill a dog my dad gave him some organic grpaes by accident and will he die waaaaaaaaaaah oh yeah dogs can have chocolate its just a wives tale   Grapes: Deadly Toxins or A Delicious Treat? Both. Comments By: Awaken on 2009-04-12 My opinion in this article would be to primarily not feed your dogs or pups grapes, raisins, or any other foods related to these. I agree that grapes are deadly to some dogs, but harmless to others. It just depends on your dog. Because this program has tested and discovered that grapes can cause kidney vulnerability and other failures in your dog's system, I'd say that you probably shouldn't feed them to your dog even though your dogs might love them or are just one of those dogs who aren't affected by grapes. But still, why risk the chance of seriously harming them?   Chocolate- Absolute Poison. Don't feed them. Comments By: Awaken on 2009-04-12 Some people are saying that chocolate is harmless and are nothing to worry about. But really, chocolate is definitely a dangerous toxin. According to many reports, dogs have even died from just one bite of chocolate. Again, maybe it depends on your dog, but what I'm trying to say is no matter what, dogs will definitely be affected by the harms of chocolate to dogs, unlike grapes.   This has nothing to do with the questions people are asking or answers they are giving. Comments By: Concerned Animal lover on 2009-05-29 Why are scientist testing on animals? its cruelty!!! I tell you. I mean, really, what if you were the dog or other animal? I am just expressing how I feel. I mean they test on humans, but the humans have a choice to be tested on or not. Animals don't. Even if you find out what is causing it, you are still killing the poor animals. I just love my dog,and I will never let her be used in a test. So if you have another view on this,pleas let me know what it is. Really, think about it. They have no choice like we do. So sorry if I wasted your time. just speaking my mind.   it's like this !!!! Comments By: keith lybbert on 2009-06-12 I raised my dogs from birth on veggies and fruit,,, both are very old now , one 13 and the other nineteen... They both love veggies, and think if their bodies are raised with it. No harm, no foul.... keith   Is it worth the risk? Comments By: Kieron on 2009-07-23 My dog has just come out of the vets after eating an 1/8th of a 10" fruitcake she should not have got hold of. IV fluids for 48 hours, activated charcoal and medication, at least she survived. Read: http://www.ukvet.co.uk/ukvet/articles/toxicology%20-%20raisins.pdf My vet was dubious until putting a call to the UK National Poisons Line.....owner beware.   It's the seeds Comments By: Joan on 2009-07-24 My vet says the seeds in grapes contain arsenic. I don't know if he's right, but my very healthy lab eats seedless grapes right along with me.   How dumb are you people? Comments By: Tammie in Va on 2009-07-28 Why would you take a chance and feed your dog grapes or raisins? You know that children get hit by cars if they continuously play on the highway.....So, would you like to increase your childs street play time, hoping you can beat the odds? Think people.....As a "parent" you SHOULD tell yourself its not safe! Does YOUR dog have to die or be very ill OR your child actually get hit by a car for you to understand? Perhaps your animal was one of the lucky ones.....But think of all the dogs who weren't. Ignorance is bliss.....But NOW you should be educated and apply your knowledge.   were wating to see if our dog will suvive Comments By: anon on 2009-07-29 the dog ate grapes of the side late last night and all morning he has been down then started pooping blood and a lot of it!! then beeing sick hes at the vets now on a drip and getting treatment all we can do it wait see if he will come tho it, he never stole food off the side b4 eather! GRAPES CAN KILL DOGS PLEASE DONT LEAVE THEM ON THE SIDE OR TABLE PUT THEM AWAY!!!   uhhhh Comments By: Anon on 2009-08-26 i have a question. can dogs die from eating at least three grapes???   EVERYONE OF U GRAPE HATERS SUCK! Comments By: Sarah on 2009-09-04 Ive been feeding my dog grapes since it was 1 year old! She is now 14 years old and still going strong!   sour grapes Comments By: boompa on 2009-09-08 have read the comments about giving grapes/rasins to dogs but where are the comments from vets and other medical personal?   No sultana for dogs!!! Comments By: June on 2009-09-13 My 10 weeks old Chihuahua picked up a sultana on the floor, next day, he got jelly bloody diarea everywhere!!! that's only one piece of sultana!!!(luckily He's ok now).so don't feed your dog any grapes or sultana anymore!!!   Don't do it! Comments By: Anon on 2009-09-29 If all of these people are warning and warning you, DON'T DO IT! I love my dog, and I found the HELPFUL comments very helpful. When will you guys learn that grapes can be toxic to dogs? I would never take the chance. I hope you understand! Also, I didn't know that salt was bad for dogs...? I don't want to take the chance, though!   no problems until now.... Comments By: Liz on 2009-10-14 My dog is 11 and the grapevine about 15, we have never had any problems with it before, however he ate some dried grapes from the vine and has been in the vets for 2 days, it look as tho we were lucky, he will get over. The vine is coming down later today and will never be replaced.We have had other dogs since we have had the vine and never had any problems. Like they say some dogs are affected some not, we will never take a chance again.   Bringing your dog up as 'vegetarian' is animal cruelty! Comments By: A. Vet on 2009-10-21 On the grapes issue - listen to the vets and believe the science! Just don't ever feed a dog grapes. As for the person who brought up his dog soley on fruit and vegetables - that is just plain straight forward cruelty. Dogs are carnivores - you might not be because of your personal tastes or beliefs but to force your dog to live on a vegetarian diet is a cruel and despicable thing to do. If you do not approve of meat-eating, then don't keep a carnivore as a pet!   losing dodger Comments By: megan pomeroy on 2009-10-25 we lost our 2 1/2 yrs old extrely healthy high energy springer spaniel yesterday to kidney failure and other horrible complications that followed due to eating grapes!!! who would have thought my baby throwing grapes to my dodger would kill him! dont do it it was the most horrible experience of my life,   4 month old boxer pup dies Comments By: hart broken on 2009-10-26 i rushed my pup to vet he had not been eating and started to vomit i was told his kindys wear shuting down i was told only rat posion or radiortor fluid would cause this and we needed to put him down i had told my vet he had been eating grapes not even my vet new grapes CAN KILL YOUR DOG my pup had not been around posion but had been eating grapes when ever my 2 year old son did so weather it the bread or the amout they will KILL YOUR DOG dont risk it i will be killing the 50 year old grapes vines befor i get a new pup   Not All Bad... Comments By: Marie on 2009-11-13 it depends on the dog you have. smaller dogs, such as a chihuahua, are more likely to get sick from grapes or chocolate but cause their immune system won't be as strong as a bigger dog, such as a great daine. my dog is a beagle and ate a half tube of chocolate frosting and was fine my aunt's chihuahua wasn't as lucky when he ate some grapes off the floor. so it all depends on the dog and its health.   Trust the experts Comments By: Anon on 2009-12-09 I have worked as a Pet nurse in Vet hospitals for years. I have met many animals that are fed a variety of table scraps and for the most part most of them are a little overweight, but otherwise healthy. Still, I have had to perform many services for clients who are scared to death because they're "baby" has pancreatitis from eating fatty foods, or acute kidney failure from eating grapes or raisins. This is not something that should be argued about. It is serious and for those of you who put it off as some old wives tale makes that pet's suffering and sometimes death worthless. I love animals and have seen a lot of rare cases so in my mind these are more commonly found than someone who just owns a dog or cat. These things happen every day all over. The best thing you can feed your pet is a high quality dog or cat food and maybe a dental chew a day. They don't know the difference between a grape or a kibble. As long as they are receiving something from you (the person they love) it doesn't matter. Take good care of your babies. Keep them healthy and fit and spoil them with love and affection, not food. It's not worth it. As a side note... there are many people I have to deal with who love their dog so much but have to put finances first. Not everyone has a bank account ready for an emergency Vet bill. And every time I talk to these people they always say the same thing... " I didn't know!" This forum is TELLING you! DON'T FEED YOUR PET PEOPLE FOOD!!! Period. If you have to look it up online, maybe you shouldn't put it in the their mouth FIRST! Good luck to each and everyone of you. For those with babies in the hospital.. I hope all goes well and not too much damage is done.   My dog recently stole Comments By: Graham Russell on 2010-01-05 My dog recently stole a box of six Christmas mince pies out of the shopping bag that were loaded with sultanas and raisins and she ate the lot in about one minute. I gave her a good smacking and sent her to her kennel. The smack must have worked as an antidote to the sultanas and raisins because she seems to have recovered alright.   let me try to help clear up the confusion Comments By: zsazsa on 2010-01-13 It seems that people are having trouble understanding the essay. Let me help clarify the more confusing points: *SOME dogs have serious adverse reactions to consuming grapes* *SOMETIMES dogs that have had no previous problems with grapes will have an adverse reaction* The words some and sometimes are presumably the cause of confusion. Some and sometimes meaning that other dogs at other times may not have acute kidney failure from eating grapes. My dogs too have eaten grapes and haven't suffered, this does not empirically prove to me that it's ok for them to do so. Since learning of this potential threat to their health, I no longer allow them. I had a dog eat an entire box of chocolates once and he was fine too. Although, a friend of mine was less fortunate when her dog drank her hot cocoa and became seriously ill.   Grapes contain Toxins Comments By: Andy Pandy on 2010-01-15 I have heard that Grapes contain the same ingredient that is present in chocolate which is toxic to dogs.....i heard this on a radio show i listened to,but i didnt hear what the ingredient or toxin was called.   My Great Dane ate a whole BAG of grapes... Comments By: Laura on 2010-01-20 Luckily, I caught it within about 6 hours of her doing it. I work in a vets office and knew that grapes were toxic to dogs, but I didn't know why. I took her in with me and immediately we induced vomiting. She vomited up about 15 grape skins (that's the part that's toxic) but she ate a whole bag - so there was still more in her system. Blood work looks good so far. We'll have to keep checking for kidney damage. She's on an IV for three days, so she's hospitalized for three days. JUST from day one, the bill is $1100. Luckily I get a discount since I work there, but it's still very expensive. So my question to all of you doubters: Is it really SO important that your dog have a few grapes that you would risk their kidneys, their life, and your bank account??? NOT worth it people.   dog eeating grapes Comments By: kim on 2010-02-23 I had a Doberman that would stand on her hind legs and eat grapes right off the vine. She also would get into our garden and take a tomato. She was never hurt by eating either one.   I'm very worried Comments By: ?confused? on 2010-02-26 my pomeranian got to a BIG bowl of grapes sitting on my coffee table yesterday while i was out of the room and she ate them all! i was freaking out and..well she seems okay still..and very energetic..but i'm still very worried..i feel like it's the calm before the storm, i don't wanna lose her!   Seriously people, grow a brain! Comments By: Not Stupid on 2010-03-08 If you knowingly feed your animals foods that EXPERTS (ie. not most of you, you know, the smart people who did really well in school and went to university) say are poisonous, you should NOT own a pet. Anyone willing to play Russian Roulette with your animals lives should have their animals seized. One dog might be alright, but your next dog might not, and the only way to find out is to take the gamble, and if your dog gets sick are you going to foot the thousands for vet treatment or just "put it down"? BY THE WAY THE TOXIN IN CHOCOLATE IS CALLED THEOBROMINE AND IT IS NOT AN OLD WIVES TALE! I'm sure that you idiots that don't believe this can ask one of your less stupid relatives to show you how to use google and look this up.   Grapes for dogs Comments By: Anon on 2010-04-03 I used to give my dog grapes all of the time, but soon as i gave them him he would sick all his food up again, it makes him very ill and will not eat for a day or two.he also suffers with tummy cramps. I asked the vet and they said that they are highly poisonous for dogs.   My dog ate sultanas Comments By: Janine on 2010-04-06 My female greyhound ate some sultanas she managed to take off the side (I forgot they were there) 2 days ago. She was lethargic, tired and had diarrohea yesterday but today she seems to be back to her normal self. I would never usually have left sultanas lying around, and I would never give them to her as a snack. She has dog food, not human food for a reason. I would have been distraught if she had become really I'll. I won't be making that mistake again.   We are worried 12 hours later, no symptoms thankfully. Comments By: Worried and not out of woods yet. on 2010-04-23 My daugther left her bookbag by the door after school and it contained a small ziplock bag containing red seedless grapes, although she said she ate most of them and left a few in the bag, our 3 yr. old male dog managed to sniff and dig the grapes out, while we were out of the house. We are not sure how many red grapes our 8 pound Maltese/Poodle (Maltipoo) mix ate. Perhaps 4 or 5 we are guessing. It is now 14 hours later and he is spunky and bright eyed as ever. Noticed his urine is pretty clear and pale yellow (no blood trace). We are hoping he will be unaffected and my kids have learned a big lesson from this scare. I took some advice I got online, do not know if if worked. The advice said use charcoal to induce vomiting, but if no charcoal is available toast a piece of bread until it is charred, I did and our dog ate half of the slice, the advice also mentioned keeping his heartrate up to get the toxin to flow quickly in and out of his bladder. I do not know if any of this is true, I am not a vet. I did run him as much as possible up and down the street until he was worn out completely. He usually vomits if I run him this hard after eating, the food just will not stay down in his stomach. But no such luck, he did not vomit the grapes or the charred toast. Perhaps he may have eaten it earlier than we thought. I hope all of you with this issue have your dogs come out of it ok, it is a terrible feeling to have this happen to your dog.   german sheppard ate 5 grapes Comments By: crystal on 2010-05-29 its late at nite , age 5 sheppard ate 5 grapes..what should I do, give her hydrogen peroxide to throw up ???   Yes, it is true. My dog is suffering as I type Comments By: aj on 2010-06-05 YES, Grape Toxidity is very true! My 3 year old dog is at the vet being treated for grape toxidity. She is on an iv and was given drugs to stop the vomiting. She is a very sick little girl and we are praying she makes it. She was vomiting blood this am. Do not feed your dogs grapes! She got into a bag that had grapes. We did not purposely feed them to her. The research says that even if your dog has eaten grapes with out a bad reaction, they may at some point. Avoid the grapes! Do you want your dog to die of Kidney failure. I can not believe the amt of blood and vomit coming out of my little 8lb dog.   MY DOG ATE 8 GRAPES AND SHE IS 5 MONTHS OLD!!! Comments By: Lissa on 2010-06-18 What should i do!!??!!?? she ate them about 2 hours ago.   My god... people use your brain. Comments By: None on 2010-06-30 Ok, this is like saying "you will die if you smoke" It is proven that smoking raises your chances to die from cancer and other problems, but it doesnt mean you will. You might feed your dog grapes from puppy to late adulthood and he might be fine... and you might have a dog you have never fed a grape to and dies from kidney failure. Just like I smoke everyday and I am fine and my little cousin died at 18 from lung cancer having never touched a cigarette. My point is, if you feed your dog a lot of grapes already then you might want to reduce the amount a bit and if your dog never eats them and someone gives them one then don't panic thinking they are going to die. Its like catching your son/daughter smoking and inmediately thinking he/she is going to die of cancer wuthin a few mins or something. All this article is saying is that there is a higher chance your dog could develop kidney problems due to eating grapes   2 grapes are more than enough !!! Comments By: Elaine HULL on 2010-07-16 After reading other peoples comments its obvious that some dogs can tollerate grapes while other cannot, my boxer dog was given just two grapes as a treat, unaware of the affects they later caused, vomiting & diarrhoea, this lasted the night but gradually deceased, i was lucky, he is now back to nornmal health, my advice is if you own a dog dont risk giving even one grape no matter how much he looks at you with thoses big pleading 'i want one' eyes !!!!!!   HEY DOGGIE Comments By: Kirsten on 2010-07-16 Well my dog allways begs when we have fruit so we throw it around when we r whatching a movie to get him out of our hair and I have thrown many things bluberris blackberris Grapes green and pink never rasberries I luv them 2 much well I think tat maybe my dog just has a hard stomach! :P ta ta for now!   Regrets I stopped feeding pug grapes Comments By: Irish Rose on 2010-07-17 Since she was very small, I gave my pug red grapes as a treat. When I read grapes could be harmful, I still gave them to her (about four grapes a day). Two months ago when I visited our vet she told me even one grape possibly could hurt a dog and since our dog was almost 13, I stopped completely. This past two weeks my pug was drinking too much and urinating frequently. I went to the vet two days and confirmed my suspicion that she had diabetes and it was very high. I could not give her the daily shots of insulin that were recommended and yesterday I had her put down. We're still grieving and my biggest regret is stopping the grapes. I think the grapes helped protect her from diabetes.   PLEASE keep grapes away! Comments By: anon on 2010-07-31 My one year old cockalier is currently at the Veterinary hospital for two more days because he ate a handful of grapes. My pup had gotten into a bag of groceries and ate some red grapes. I called the hospital immediately and they told me to give him hydrogen peroxide to induce vomiting. Giving him a teasponn and then making him run around should've done the trick, but it didn't. I ended up taking him to the hospital. By the time we got there, it had been approximately 40 minutes since he ate the grapes. At this point, they gave him a shot, which made him get sick right away. They followed this with charcol to absorbe anything in the GI track. He is currently hooked up to an IV, getting fluids, and a cathitor. They are testing his blood several times a day, and if all is well for the next 48 hours, we will be able to take him home. Please keep in mind that this all started only 40 minutes after the grapes were eaten... I can't imagine the shape he would be in if I hadn't noticed that he ate them and if we started this process after symthoms began (once the body started digesting the grapes... aka poisoning the body). As of this moment, we are not 100% sure that he will be okay... we should have caught it early enough to prevent any perminant damage, but we can't be sure. The only way to avoid this situation is to ensure that your dog doesn't ever come in contact with grapes/raisins. Please don't be naive in thinking that your dog would be fine.. by the time sympthoms show, it may be too late.   An ounce of prevention Comments By: Hans Frans on 2010-08-19 What is wrong with you people??? "My dog has ate grapes everyday for 14 years..." This is a recommendation based on expected results. Just like smoking, there are people that live to be over 100 that smoke everyday. Do you think doctors are wrong for suggesting that we don't smoke?   IM SO SCARED!!! I CANT STOP WORRYING AND ITS MAKING ME SICK TO MY STOMICH Comments By: Kailee Fair on 2010-09-03 okay, i was not aware of the fact that grapes are poisonis to dogs. So i gave my dogs (three - one chihuahua, two poms) like 3 halfs of small red grapes to them each.. so like 2 full baby grapes in total and then i went online to double check that grapes were okay for themm.. and turns out there poison and omg im so stupid i wish i could take it back.. i love my dogs so much.. and if any of them die im going to hate myself.. But i called the vet and the vet said it was okay since they only had two.. but still my dogs are puppies and that probably effect it as well.. so this vet said they would be fine but i cant stop worrying. im making myself sick to my stomich.. and then my friend told me to induce vomiting since this happened only a hour ago.. and i dont have peroxide so she said salt.. so i gave them salt and they went to bed.. so i dont know what to do now. omg im going crazy.. i wish i knew this before i gave them damn grapes.. ugh i thought only chocolate was bad..   Chocolate not an old wives tale Comments By: Anon on 2010-09-05 There are some very dumb people on this thread..people who should not be allowed to keep a pet. Any vet who doesn't know about the danger of grapes should be struck off. Grapes kill, we have dogs at my place of work and someone fed them grapes, 2 out of four were very ill. Chocolate kills..as little as quarter of an ounce of high cocoa quality dark chocolate. My sister's dog died from eating chocolate. He got into a tin of chocolates one Xmas and died the day after. He was a healthy 4 year old lab. The comment by the vetinary nurse was right...don't feed dogs people food! A little raw carrot or apple in their food is ok or as treats but that is it. By the way dogs are not carnivores they are omnivores.   Grapes Comments By: Anon on 2010-09-17 I had NO idea that grapes were not safe for dogs.. I have a 2 year old rottweiler who I have given grapes to the odd time while I am eating them. She has never been sick at all from it, but I will now stop giving them to her! Also with the chocolate, she once had gotten into the halloween candy while we were sleeping and ate 4 boxes of smarties! (including most of the boxes! lol) and she also never got sick at all, even though I was super worried for her! Maybe she's just a toughy :)   What i see Comments By: anon on 2010-12-16 On the odd occasion i give my dog a grape or 2 and he is fine. i also did this to my old dog who lived to a ripe old age of 15. from reading all the comments it seems to me that the animals most likely to get really ill seems to be young between 3 and 9 months.as human babies also have large intolerance to things untill they get older. maybe some dogs have an intolerance to it. i guess in a way how some people have an intolerance to egg.   My dog has eaten grapes years, now is reacting to them! Comments By: Poochie's Mommy on 2011-01-02 My Bichon-Shih Tzu has happily eaten grapes for ten years, two days ago he had about five large green grapes and has been lethargic, weak and not eating and drinking since!! He began to eat and drink a bit again this morning. This is over New Years' Eve and New Years' Day, so I've just spoken to a vet. We will take him in to the vet tomorrow, because he is getting better. I wanted to let others know because I did not believe that grapes were bad for MY dog, and losing my dog is not the way for me to find out that I was wrong. We've been so worried and I don't want other pet owners to find out like our family has, the hard way!! It's not worth it, my dog will never have grapes again, only dog treats for him!   Thanks for saving my dogs Comments By: Kim on 2011-01-06 I had no idea that grapes were dangerous for dogs. I usually give mine some pear or apple with their breakfast but for a change I sometimes give them grapes, 1 dog won't eat his so I share them out to the others. They won't be getting them any more. Thank you   I experienced it Comments By: Chrissy on 2011-02-15 I have seen first hand what grapes can do to a dog. It was awful to see my dog dieing so quickly and there was nothing I could do to help her. It came on fast and she went just as quickly. Why risk losing your beloved pet and putting him or her in such a terrible way / death.   Ignorance is bliss....until the worst occurs! Comments By: Andrea on 2011-03-05 Whilst the tip is genuine and succinct, the lack of information to back up the statement has led to a huge number of ignorant people posting ignorant and damn-right bloody-minded statements. Any person who knowingly feeds their pet/child/dependent something that has been scientifically proven to cause illness/death (howsoever infrequently!) is akin to an abuser. Those adverts you see where children or pets or elderly people have been neglected or physically or mentally abused are shocking and I'll bet every single person who has posted here would claim to be horrified at such cruelty. But the truth is, all the people who have posted comments in defiance of the advice on offer here are equal to the types of people who starve or beat their pets. Suffering is suffering and I can say, with a clear conscience that I will never knowingly cause suffering to my dog - this means avoiding grapes from now on. How many of you can say the same? If you can't/won't, you should be ASHAMED!   Grapes CAN be deadly Comments By: Orly on 2011-03-10 I know first hand grapes can be lethal. I unknowingly killed my chiuaua with grapes. At he time I had no idea that was why and my vet didn't suspect it either but within 2 days of him eating a lot of grapes he died. It was not pretty to watch. I found out six months later that grapes were toxic.   TRUE Comments By: Michelle on 2011-03-27 I have checked this out on SNOPES urban legends and it is true. Grapes and raisins for some unknown reason can be poison to dogs.   the so called experts are not always right Comments By: Mika on 2011-07-25 both my GSD's love grapes one is now ten very fit and still go to fridge to ask for her fruit.every day there is something new that we should not do or should not eat. wild dog like animals eat all manner of fruit and nuts. Problems are more likely to be things done to the fruit by man than the fruit itself. When I was a child in 40's and 50's nobody had allergies now everyone jumps on the bandwaggon.   Certain Dogs Comments By: Dog Lover on 2011-08-06 The grape fact only applies to certain dogs. I would say a good 70% of dogs can digest grapes and have no health issues what so ever. The other 30% may be lighter, younger, older, have other health issues, etc. So, don't let the grape theory hit you too hard. I'm sure if your dog has had them for four years she'll be fine. But next visit at the vet mention the fact that your dog is fine with digesting grapes and has been for a while now. Ask for a 0-10 rating for the condition of his pancreas or any other body part that might be affect by the digestion of "harmful" foods. If he gets an overall average of above 6 I'd continue giving him the grapes. Grapes have a significant amount of protein according to my nutritionist. 1 cup of grapes gives you 1 gram of protein and other helpful vitamins and minerals. Overall, if his rating comes out good, I'd continue with the grapes. I have a 3 year old Corkie. ( Cocker Spaniel mixed with Yorkshire )He LOVES grapes but I, myself, am horrified to see the outcome of too many grapes. So I give him 3-4 occasionally. And by occasionally, I mean whenever we have them. ( every other week or so ) GOOD LUCK!   I think it's best to listen......... Comments By: Dobbie Lover on 2011-08-26 I occasionally gave my dobermans grapes...not a lot but a few. They are fine. I gave them the seedless ones because I don't like giving them seeds. As I read all the postings....I ain't giving them no more grapes! If you have common sense...if something is going to kill you then why play Russian roulette......yeah it's your choice what you wanna feed your dogs but I think I'd listen to the folks who had bad experiences with feeding them grapes....And some lady posted how it's animal cruelty to run these tests on the dogs to find out what's good and bad for them......well lady they don't do that! How they have concluded what is good and bad for dogs are all based on Vets treating animals for consuming wrong foods, fruits etc....If they have 50 cases where people had last fed the dog grapes before they croak...then a Vet can say it is bad for dogs....Ain't nobody using dogs for laboratory testing..... Â