Case of Raisin Toxicity
This week I had the first case in history of raisin toxicity ever seen at
MedVet. My patient was a 56 pound, 5 yr old male neutered lab mix who ate half a
canister of raisins sometime between 7:30 AM and 4:30 PM on Tuesday. He started
with vomiting, diarrhea and shaking about 1 AM on Wednesday but the owner didn't
call my emergency service until 7 AM. I had heard somewhere about raisins AND
grapes causing acute renal failure but hadn't seen any formal paper on the
subject. We had her bring the dog in immediately. In the meantime, I called the
ER service at MedVet, and the doctor there was like me -- had heard something
about it, but... Anyway, we contacted the ASPCA National Animal Poison Control
Center and they said to give IV fluids at 1-1/2 times maintenance and watch the
kidney values for the next 48-72 hours. The dog's BUN (blood urea nitrogen
level) was already at 32 (normal less than 27) and creatinine over 5 (1.9 is the
high end of normal). Both are monitors of kidney function in the bloodstream. We
placed an I V catheter and started the fluids. Rechecked the renal values at 5
PM and the BUN was over 40 and creatinine over 7 with no urine production after
a liter of fluids. At the point I felt the dog was in acute renal failure and
sent him on to MedVet for a urinary catheter to monitor urine output overnight
as well as overnight care. He started vomiting again overnight at MedVet and his
renal values have continued to increase daily. He produced urine when given
lasix as a diuretic. He was on 3 different anti-vomiting medications and they
still couldn't control his vomiting. Today his urine output decreased again, his
BUN was over 120, his creatinine was at 10, his phosphorus was very elevated and
his blood pressure, which had been staying around 150, skyrocketed to 220. He
continued to vomit and the owners elected to euthanize.
This is a very sad case--great dog, great owners who had no idea raisins could
be a toxin. Please alert everyone you know who has a dog of this very serious
risk. Poison control said as few as 7 raisins could be toxic. Many people I know
give their dogs grapes or raisins as treats. Any exposure should give rise to
immediate concern. Feel free to contact me if you have any questions.
Laurinda Morris, DVM
Danville Veterinary Clinic
Danville, Ohio
