My dog ate grapes or raisins – what should I do?
Call a vet nowCall your vet or the nearest emergency vet right now. Grapes and raisins can cause kidney injury, and signs may begin within 6 hours.
What to do right now
- Call your vet or the nearest emergency vet.
- Note what, how much and when.
- Bring the packaging.
- Remove what is left.
- Keep your pet calm.
Don't
- Do not make your pet vomit unless a vet tells you to.
- Do not give any human medicine.
Why it can be dangerous
Grapes and raisins are toxic for dogs.[3] Ingestion can cause gastrointestinal upset followed rapidly by kidney injury and kidney failure.[3] Reports describe kidney failure after as little as four to five grapes in an 8.2 kg dog, while other animals remained asymptomatic after up to 1 kg of raisins.[4]
Signs to watch for
Vomiting, diarrhea, abdominal pain and lethargy usually begin within 6 hours; kidney injury can develop after 1–3 days.
Where it is found
What the experts say
“Ingestion of the fruit of the Vitis spp plants including Common Grape, Muscadine, Raisin, Sultana, Zante or Corinthian Currant is toxic for dogs. Clinical signs of poisoning begin with gastrointestinal upset followed closely by kidney injury.”
“some animals were reported to remain asymptomatic after ingesting up to 1 kg of raisins while others died following the ingestion of just a handful”
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Common questions
How much is dangerous?
A published report identified kidney failure after as little as four to five grapes in an 8.2 kg dog, and another reported renal failure after an estimated raisin dose as low as 2.8 mg/kg.[4]
Which signs should I watch for?
Possible signs include vomiting, diarrhea, abdominal pain, lethargy, kidney injury and kidney failure.
How soon can signs start?
Vomiting, diarrhea, abdominal pain and lethargy usually come within 6 hours; kidney damage can develop after 1–3 days.[2]
Sources
- US FDA – Center for Veterinary Medicine
- Giftinformationscentralen (Swedish Poison Information Centre)
- Pet Poison Helpline
- Cortinovis & Caloni 2016, Household Food Items Toxic to Dogs and Cats, Front Vet Sci
How this page was made: written with the help of AI from the sources below, then checked claim by claim against those sources. Urgency levels follow OkPaw’s fixed safety rules. It is guidance, not a diagnosis. How we write our pages
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