My Dog Ate A Grape – What Should I Do?
My Dog Ate Grapes But Seems Fine
There isn’t any dog (either breed, gender, or age) that is not affected by grapes. In a nutshell, grapes or raisins are a NO! NO! for dogs, because aside from being toxic, they cause serious kidney damage, which can lead to kidney failure.
However, kidney failure is not experienced by MOST Dogs.
In general, most dogs that eat grapes/raisons are fine, but your dog is most at risk if they eat more, and some dogs have signs after just eating a few grapes..
The Symptoms and Types
It is important to note that raisin and grape poisoning affect all dogs. For this reason, they can develop a combination of the following symptoms:
In general MOST IMPORTANT to watch for are the intestinal signs of vomiting/diarrhea- IF they happen within 1-2 hours of grape/raison ingestion, then your dog is reacting and NEEDS to see a veterinarian ASAP
Causes
As mentioned earlier, even small amounts of grapes or raisins can be toxic to dogs; although there are some that can withstand small amounts without developing any obvious symptoms. The sad truth is that the toxic agent in the fruit has not yet been identified, but it is assumed that it is associated with the fruit’s flesh. It is believed that seedless and peeled grapes are still toxic.
Treatment
This should be treated like an EMERGENCY.
INDUCE VOMITING
If you are sure that your dog ingested raisins or grapes within the last 2 hours, you will have to induce vomiting immediately, before all toxins are absorbed.
You should not induce vomiting if your dog is:
Showing signs of severe shock or distress
Having problems breathing
Unconscious
Or when not sure what it ate
On the other hand, if you have already induced vomiting, do not force more vomiting. The next step is calling a veterinarian to seek consultation. If they recommend inducing vomit at home, then you should follow the following steps.
Step 1: If your dog has not eaten anything within the last 2 hours, offer it a small meal. Doing this increases the chances of it vomiting, but do not force the dog to eat if it is not interested in the food, because it is not necessary.
Step 2: Using 3% hydrogen peroxide, measure 1 ml (milliliter) per pound of the dog’s actual weight. You can either use a syringe (remember, no-needle) or a teaspoon and squirt the solution into the back of the dog’s mouth. Note: the maximum amount of the solution (hydrogen peroxide) to be given to a dog at one sitting is 45 ml, even when the dog is over 45 pounds.
Step 3: If the dog does not vomit within 15 minutes of the first administration, you can try again using the same amounts. However, you should know that this method should not be used more than 2 times, especially if they are spaced within 15 minutes.
NOTE: If the dog does not vomit after the second hydrogen peroxide administration, do not use it again. Also, you should not use anything stronger than the solution mentioned without seeking consultation from a veterinarian.
It does not matter if your dog has vomited or not; you must treat the situation as an emergency. Therefore, you should rush the dog to a veterinarian immediately. From there, the veterinarian will take over.
Dog Grapes Diagnosis
Diagnosis takes place only because the owner suspects or knows that the dog has eaten grapes or raisins. Even though there are times when partially digested raisins and grapes will be seen in a dog’s vomit, the doctor will perform routine laboratory tests. These tests include biochemistry profile, blood count, and urinalysis. These tests diagnose most kidney failure, no matter the cause.
Treatment For Dogs
The treatment process is long, and the first thing the veterinarian will do first is; inducing vomiting. If the dog ingested it not-long than 2 hours ago and the dog has not vomited; the veterinarian will perform gastric lavage (which simply means washing out the stomach). After this, they will then use activated charcoal to absorb any remaining toxins.
After this, the doctor will start intravenous fluid treatment to remove toxins from the dog’s bloodstream. This form of treatment encourages the kidney to maintain urine production. If the doctor sees fit, they will give the dog any necessary medication to reduce vomiting as well as maintain kidney function. The veterinarian will insist on remaining with the dog so that he/she can monitor its kidney functions and conduct regular blood work.
If the dog’s kidneys have totally failed to a point where they are no-longer producing urine, treatment becomes serious. Hemodialysis may be applied to support the life of the dog until the kidneys recover (if it can recover). Kidney transplant is another option in the worst-case scenario (when they have totally shut down).
