If you have a dog, PLEASE read this and send it on. If you don't have a   
 dog yourself, please pass this along to friends who do.  

  Laurinda Morris, DVM   

     This week I had the first case of raisin toxicity ever seen at Med Vet.  
 My patient was a 56-pound male neutered lab mix that 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 and Med Vet, 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 is    
 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 IV       
 catheter and started the fluids. Rechecked the renal values at 5 PM and   
 the BUN was over 40 and the creatinine over 7, with no urine production   
 after a liter of fluids. At that point I felt the dog was in acute renal  
 failure and sent him on the Med Vet for a urinary catheter to monitor     
 urine output overnight as well as overnight care.                          
  He started vomiting again overnight at Med Vet, 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 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 to this   
 very serious risk. Poison Control said as few as 7 raisins or grapes could
 be toxic. Many people I know give their dogs grapes or raisins as treats, 
 including our ex-handlers. Any exposure should give rise to immediate     
 concern. Onions, chocolate, cocoa and macadamia nuts can be fatal, too.  

   Even if you don't have a dog, you might have friends who do. This is very 
 much worth passing on to them.   Confirmation from Snopes.com about the above can be found at              
 http://www.horsetrailerworld.com/forum/     

Just thought you all should be aware of this problem

Gard                   
  

Poor little fella.I feel badly for his owners who tried their best to save him.

I am of the opinion albeit may sound "goofy" that dogs and horses should only be fed what is intended for them: dogs getting good quality dog food,dog treats and fresh water,and horses getting forage first,and good quality horse feed and occasional horse treats.

Horses will usually turn away from something foreign or not to their normal liking but dogs for some reason,won't.They will accept a lot of things that they shouldn't eat.

Condolences to the owners for the loss of their beloved pet.

My husband poo-poos all these warnings and often gives my dogs a few raisins and also onions (I heard these are quite toxic too). I shall reiterate what I have read here and try to pound it into his stubborn head. Physically if necessary ( just kidding)

What about dried cranberries. I wonder if they are toxic too. My whole family loves these and toss a few to the dogs now and then. Any research on Craisins?

There is an excellent list at www.aspca.org of toxic foods not to feed your dogs and cats.  Grapes, raisins, chocolate, etc...macadamia nuts are on there as well, avacadoes, etc..many things that you would not think about.  In general it is best to stick with products specifically for dogs, don't be tempted to give them your leftover liver and onions.  There are many people who will say "i have been feeding my dog such and such for years with no problem"...to these people I say that doesn't mean you WONT have a problem at some point.  BTW the website also has a list of toxic plants for horses and lots of other good info!