Can Dogs Eat Grapes, Raisins, Sultanas and Currants?

I, along with most people, don't really know the difference between raisins, currants or sultanas.

It doesn't matter though; for dogs, they are all toxic.

Same goes for their fresher counterpart. All variants of grapes are poisonous for dogs.

can dogs eat grapes raisins sultanas poisonous

So, if you were ever planning on feeding your dog a hot cross bun or something similar, think again! There are better dog treats available that won't hurt your four-legged friend.

Dogs can't eat raisins, without side effects. In large amounts, these fruits can cause acute kidney failure as your dog's body can't cope with the number of toxins in these foods.

Poisoning can occur when your dog eats any seeded or seedless grape, of any colour, pressed or not. It doesn't matter.

Symptoms:

  • Abdominal pain
  • Bad breath
  • Collapse
  • Coma
  • Decrease in urine or inability to urinate
  • Dehydration
  • Diarrhoea
  • Excessive thirst and urination
  • Lethargy
  • Loss of appetite
  • Oral ulcers
  • Seizures 
  • Tremors
  • Vomiting
can dogs eat grapes raisins sultanas currants

What's one of the biggest health reasons dogs can't eat sultanas or similar fruit?

Eating these fruits can cause acute renal failure. It will occur within 24-72 hours of your dog eating grapes or raisins, sultanas or currants. If you don't treat the symptoms quickly, it can severely damage the kidney.

Depending on how severely poisoned your dog was and how quickly they received treatment, recovery time can vary. 

As long as you decontaminate your dog quickly, and depending on their size, eating a couple of sultanas won't trigger many side effects. They might vomit or have an upset stomach, but they will be alright. 

However, if your dog's kidneys are damaged, and they aren't urinating, it's probably fatal. The kidneys aren't able to regenerate sufficiently enough to come back from such damage. Even if they did, they would never function the same again. 

If you are ever in any doubt, contact your vet for their advice. Grapes, sultanas, currants and raisins all are potentially deadly so you can never be too careful.

It's unknown what specific component of these fruits are so toxic to dogs; however, the sensitivity to it does vary. Some dogs tolerate the toxin better than others, whilst some can get seriously ill from a small amount. 

Resistance to the toxins isn't specific to a breed, so there is no way of knowing whether your dog is more or less sensitive to the fruit. 

If you really want to offer your pet some fruit, you should always avoid grapes for dogs.

All fruit contains lots of sugar, and so most will cause some stomach upset if eaten often. 

However, if you want a healthy treat to give your dog, red peppers can work well; they have several health benefits and, unless your dog ate a lot of it, wouldn't have any side effects. 

Top Tips:

  • Grapes are bad for dogs, regardless of how you prepare them. Therefore, any time you are eating grapes/raisins, keep them out of reach from your dog. 
  • In small quantities, your dog will likely experience some stomach upset, but these fruits won't be fatal. 

Treatment Plan

If your dog ingests any of the mentioned fruit in large quantities, there are several treatments available:

Monitor - Firstly, watch to see if any symptoms start developing after your dog eats the fruit. If they do begin displaying signs of poisoning, take them to your vet immediately. 

Emesis - The first thing to do is remove as much of the fruit as possible from your dog's digestive system. Your vet might induce vomiting to speed this process up. 

Activated Charcoal - To prevent your dog's body from absorbing any more poison, your vet will administer activated charcoal to bind the toxins after emesis. 

IV Fluids - Your vet will most likely give your dog intravenous fluids as this can help the decontamination process. It will help flush out the toxins quicker, assist with kidney function whilst also rehydrating your dog. 

Medications - If there are signs of potential kidney problems, your vet might give kidney function medication to help your dog recover better. They might also administer anti-nausea drugs when required.

Dialysis - In extreme cases, your dog might need dialysis to support their kidneys.

Any treatment given will be purely supportive, as there is no cure for this type of poisoning. So take caution and always consult your vet.