March Pet Poison Prevention Month
Grapes & Raisins are Toxic to Your Pets
Causes: As few as 7 Raisins or Grapes will cause a toxicity in your pet that can lead to Acute Renal Failure.
Signs & Symptoms:
- Vomiting and Diarrhea (look for pieces of grapes in the V/D
- Shaking
- Weekness
- Unable to urinate (a sign of Kidney Failure)
What to do if you suspect Raisin Toxicity:
- Call the Pet Poison Hotline @ 800-213-6680 (there is a $$ for this call)
- Call your vet
- Evac or Transport to your Veterinarian or 24-hour Emergency Animal Hospital
Treatment by the veterinarian:
- A BUN (Blood Urea Nitrogen) level test is performed (-27 is normal)
- Creatinene Test (1.9 is the high end of normal)
- Both of the above tests are monitors of kidney functions in the bloodstream
- Hypercalcemia Test (elevated blood calcium levels)
- Emesis = Induction of vomiting
- IV Fluids (1.5 to 2 times the maintenance level)
- Oliguria (decrease in urine production): This can be treated with dopamine or furosemide to stimulate urine production
Your pet will continue to be monitored until he or she is out of the woods. Raisin toxicity is very dangerous and there are times when pets will not survive this type of poisoning.
Again, it is very important that you safeguard your home and kitchen for your pet(s) as you would your child(ren).
Personal Note: I love grapes and never realized how dangerous they were to my dogs until I started learning animal medicine. I now make sure when I am eating them that my dogs, that normally beg me for people food, can not get to them.
Teri Ann Tate is a Pet Tech Instructor and teaches Pet CPR,
First Aid and Pet Care Classes in Arizona.
She is also a certified Emergency Animal Medical Tech I (EAMT I);
certified Large Animal Rescue Tech II (LART II); and a certified Wilderness
First Responder (WFR). She runs a pet
care business, Comfy Pets of AZ and has a passion for animals as well as the
great outdoors. To learn more about her
business and classes, go to http://www.comfypetsofaz.com
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