# My dog ate some grapes - will the damage be permanent?



## Jagader (Jul 2, 2014)

I know this might not be the right forum, but I have searched all over google and can't seem to find the information

Will the damage be permanent to my dog for eating grapes 

The situation

Day 1 ate 1-2 grapes raw. Day 2 - maybe 4-5. Day 4 - 3 grapes.

On day three it looked like it was totally exhausted, with open mouth, I thought it was because of the heat.

Day 4 - it still looked like he was tired, lethargic, is usually very excited about food, but today wasn't - although he eats he doesn't actively seek food. 

Haven't seen it vomiting.
No noises as if he is in pain.
Water, urination, etc. Seems normal, although he does those things slower.
I tested if it could run and throw one of the toys and he did run - seemed almost like it wasn't a problem.

Overall the dog is a bit more sluggish as if tired a bit. It's around 12-15 pounds.

Will the damage be permanent is my question ? (veterinarian is not an option)


----------



## ireth0 (Feb 11, 2013)

It is possible for eating grapes to kill a dog, you need to see a vet. It not being an option could be the difference between life and death for your dog.


----------



## Kyle071785 (Nov 28, 2013)

so the dog ingested grapes for 3 days in a row...err, first question is why did it happen on 3 straight days?

Anyways some dogs can ingest them with no problems and others it can have an effect on. This isn't a vet clinic though and we don't know you or your dog (first hand) so everything is just a guess. If a vet isn't an option (for whatever reason) then there isn't much we can really do. See a professional (you should have done so on the first day and/or induced vomiting then), don't consult the internet for something of this matter.


----------



## aegis (Jul 15, 2014)

While some dogs can safely ingest grapes, for most dogs it is fatal. See this article from PetMD: Grape and Raisin Poisoning in Dogs.

This is an emergency, your dog need to have a vet visit. May I ask what prevents you from getting help for him? There might be a workaround, and this is a matter of life and death.


----------



## ChaosIsAWeim (Feb 12, 2011)

Why did you feed him grapes? 

I'm not sure why you wouldn't do everything in your power to get your dog to a vet to make sure everything is alright.

He is already exhibiting two signs, lethargy and loss of appetite. He very well could have damaged kidneys. But the only way you are going to know for sure is if he sees a vet for some tests.


----------



## Kayota (Aug 14, 2009)

first-- why did you keep feeding him grapes? you obviously knew they were bad for him.

second-- vet. NOW.


----------



## Jagader (Jul 2, 2014)

I didn't feed him on purpose ( i didn't knew it was bad) its approaching autumn and grapes are plentiful here, so whatever I eat i give small amouts to the dog, even if its a bit of pizza, or one lick of icecream etc. Then I noticed this strange behavior and tried searching online, and found that grapes, chocolate mushrooms are toxic to dogs, and i remembered that I gave him grapes this morning (yesterday morning) again. Then I tried searching everywhere and even asking here - "will he be able to recover" is the "damage permanen't"


----------



## Kayota (Aug 14, 2009)

how is your dog?


----------



## Jagader (Jul 2, 2014)

Kayota said:


> how is your dog?




She seems fine, although she isn't ecstatic about food like before. Sometimes if it's not delicious enough, it will fall off from her mouth, I feed her by hand. She isn't as enthusiastic perhaps, she doesn't give off the impression of a strong dog like before.

A short video from half an hour ago.


----------



## SoulDogs (Aug 14, 2014)

you say a veterinarian is not an option. Can you explain to us why?


----------



## ireth0 (Feb 11, 2013)

I don't really know what you're looking for here. 

If the damage is permanent, nothing random people say on an online forum is going to change that. He could absolutely have permanent kidney damage, and possibly die from this, or have lasting long-term health problems as a result.

He needs to see a vet, as others have said. This is an emergency situation.


----------



## aegis (Jul 15, 2014)

Jagader, I know you want the best for your dog, and so does everyone here. Please tell us, why can't you see a vet?

How is his health? Has he deterioated any more? You said you had to hand feed him--this is beyond a "maybe", this is LIFE OR DEATH critical.


----------



## souffoue (Jul 7, 2014)

Hope Jagader responds soon, I know we are all worried about the dog....


----------



## theairedale (Jul 15, 2014)

Is there any way you could _call_ a vet at least? They might be able to suggest something, although I admit I don't know what that could be... (Maybe next time you could look up if what you're feeding is safe, to avoid situations like this.)

Best of luck, I hope all goes well!!


----------



## CandyLeopard (Oct 14, 2013)

Why is veterinarian _not _ an option? It should always be an option if you have a pet..

And I'm confused as to how you know how many grapes the dog ate on what days.. did you feed it the grapes? :s 

Very confused.. but I hope the dog is ok.


----------



## hanksimon (Mar 18, 2009)

I am NOT a Vet, but I read some info online that suggests that a dog poisoned by grapes or raisins will show symptoms of kidneys shutting down within a few hours. Based on your video, my optimistic guess is that your dog is not sick, but he may be reacting to YOUR fear and discomfort. 

You should at least call the Vet for an opinion, which shouldn't cost anything.

I don't recall, but I believe that the history was a full grown Lab ate about 5 raisins or grapes, got VERY sick, and died in less than a week. Only a few grapes and a quick surprising death.


----------



## Jagader (Jul 2, 2014)

I called a vet which and he said that the dog would be fine.. I asked about the lethargy and he said something about the sugar levels... anyways... the dog seems fine at first glance. But what really worries me is his behavior sometimes - the best example is that his loss of appetite.. Previously I could train with him with bread treats (ye he was that excited about any kind of food) now he is lazy/refuses chicken breasts, tuna etc.

A friend came over yesterday and without telling him anything, I asked him if he notices anything strange about the dog, and he said maybe his eyes are a bit red. (and that really got me worried because of what I read that, that is a symptom of toxin buildup)

The reasons I can't take him to a vet are a bit personal, and involves another human family member (sick) that can't be left alone, for me to travel for hundred of miles to see a vet. And I am not in a situation I can ask someone's help about this, it's complicated and I don't want to go into it.

I wonder if anyone has been in similar situation, whether they took the dog to a vet or not, I wanted/want to know if the dog returns to normal after a period of time (that includes the physical activity and the appetite)


----------



## Abbylynn (Jul 7, 2011)

Your dog should see a vet ... and since you say it is impossible .... You need to at least call a vet and read this ............ http://www.charcoalremedies.com/animal_poisoning

I used to be a caregiver for my dying Mother for 7 years ... and I was also housebound .... I could not leave because there was no one else who could take care of her but me and the visiting nurses and visiting doctor .... but I always made sure someone was able to take the dogs to a vet for me .... you may want to check into this.

Also ... people food is just as harmful as the grapes for a dogs pancreas.

Here is a link to a place and a list of toxic foods. You can also look for the list of toxic plants on here as well. Everything is printable. I keep lists on my fridge for company ......... http://www.peteducation.com/article.cfm?c=2+1659&aid=1030


----------



## sassafras (Jun 22, 2010)

Guys, the dog is not going to see a vet and the OP has their reasons they don't want to discuss in detail. And honestly at this point, while bloodwork could identify IF there was damage to the kidneys, it's too late to do much about it other than manage any damage that might have been done. So there's probably no use in beating that dead horse at this point. 

OP, in answer to your original question: If the grapes damaged the kidneys, yes the damage is likely to be permanent. Depending on the amount of damage, though, his body may be able to compensate and live with it. Try to get as much water in him as possible - canned food, and water added to food.

Grapes and raisins are weird, though. One dog can eat a bunch of them and be fine, and another dog can eat a couple and go into acute kidney failure. Their toxicity isn't really understood that well. Grapes, because of their high water content, may be less toxic than raisins, so you've got that on your side.

If there's a way to get to a vet at some point they won't be able to "fix" any damage at this point but at least they can do some bloodwork and see if any damage was done and either put your mind to rest or help give you information to plan for future management. Good luck with your dog!


----------



## BostonBullMama (Apr 20, 2013)

Just wanted to add - your dog seems to be getting a lot of 'junk' (people food isn't really _that_ great for a dog). I might tone down the treats for a few days and feed a bland diet - if you feed kibble, skip giving him pieces of your meal and stick to kibble only - for about a week. If you feed raw - a bland diet of chicken and rice.
This should help a bit with the lethargy and whatnot.


----------



## Kayota (Aug 14, 2009)

i think the op might be in a less well-off country which would explain both the slightly off english and the lack of a readily available vet, in which case i understand andr wish you tthe best.


----------



## sandgrubber (May 21, 2014)

I think the danger of grapes has been much over rated. I am not saying go ahead and feed your dog grapes. Just that many dogs tolerate grapes in large quantities.

I owned a vineyard for a few years and managed the grapes. My dogs (two Labradors at the time) ate occasional grapes up until harvest, and after harvest they probably ate a pound or so a day. No way of measuring, but they spent a lot of time out there browsing and picking up the mildewed grapes that the pickers let drop. 

I was active on a vineyard discussion group and raised the question of whether other vineyard folks had dogs and how they kept them out of the grapes. The most common answer was: "we just let them eat grapes and they have been fine." When you have a vineyard, it's good to have the dogs running around when the grapes are ripe, cause they help chase off the birds, especially if you give them lots of praise for getting the "bad birds".

If I remember correctly, some of the recipes in Billinghurst's first BARF diet book (Give Your Dog a Bone, 1993) included raisins. Twenty years ago, no one was worrying about grapes.


----------



## Kyle071785 (Nov 28, 2013)

sandgrubber said:


> I think the danger of grapes has been much over rated. I am not saying go ahead and feed your dog grapes. Just that many dogs tolerate grapes in large quantities.
> 
> I owned a vineyard for a few years and managed the grapes. My dogs (two Labradors at the time) ate occasional grapes up until harvest, and after harvest they probably ate a pound or so a day. No way of measuring, but they spent a lot of time out there browsing and picking up the mildewed grapes that the pickers let drop.
> 
> ...


Totally.

it'll either have no effect on a dog or a possible deadly effect...weird how it works


----------



## NicoleIsStoked (Aug 31, 2012)

I use to give my last dog Joey his pills in grapes daily for months, maybe years before I heard they were toxic and stopped. No ill effect.


----------



## Kayota (Aug 14, 2009)

yeah my stepmom fed her last dog grapes and one of the vineyards in my are has several dogs that im sure eat the grapes.


----------



## Laurelin (Nov 2, 2006)

I remember giving the shelties grapes as treats. Didn't hear they were toxic until the shelties were pretty old and they never had any trouble.

People food isn't bad for dogs- depends on what the people food is. If the people food is grilled chicken and select vegetables, that would be good for dogs. But even pizza, etc in small amounts isn't going to be a big problem. 

I'm not saying feed grapes or onions or chocolate. Definitely avoid those but I wouldn't worry about people food in general.


----------



## Kayota (Aug 14, 2009)

yea i give roxie pizza and stuff all the time lol /guilty


----------



## Effisia (Jun 20, 2013)

I remember growing up, our mini poodle loved to play with (and eventually eat) grapes. I hadn't ever heard they were toxic until I started researching food when we were getting Annabel. Knowing they COULD be highly toxic, we won't feed them, but I remember my poodle being totally fine...


----------



## Raspberri (Aug 14, 2014)

I feel bad for OP and the doggy, but if OP has access to internet, it is not that difficult to look up which foods a dog should not have. You don't need to leave your home to do a quick search on the internet. 

I wish you the best, OP, but I hope you will do your research from now on and be more strict with your dogs intake.


----------



## SoulDogs (Aug 14, 2014)

is your pup still doing ok?


----------



## Pittsburgh Duke (Apr 5, 2014)

Here's a link with some common people foods that can be dangerous for dogs:
http://www.aspca.org/pet-care/animal-poison-control/people-foods-avoid-feeding-your-pets

While you know now, and this thread confirms, that your dog's actions may (likely) have been caused from eating grapes, correlation does not equal causation. 

Out of curiosity, how old is your dog? My puppy is about 8 and a half months old. For a time, he was absolutely crazy about food. He went through a fee growth spurts where suddenly he was lethargic, sleeping a lot more, and literally had to be coaxed to eat and hand fed, much like you described. Now, I hadn't fed him anything he shouldn't have eaten so didn't mention it when I posted on here, and many folks on here reassured me it was probably growth spurts. My veterinarian chuckled when I told her my fears (I panic a lot, as a first time doggy mommy) that this behavior was perfectly normal, but it was good that I checked. 

Also, it is summer here, and it looked like summer in your video clip. Many dogs' appetites seem diminished in the summer. Mine lays down more to keep cool and eats less. 

My point is, grapes and many other foods shouldn't be fed to dogs. You made an honest mistake. But, clearly, grapes don't affect all dogs. The "symptoms" may, in fact, be the result of entirely different causes. 

P. S. We've all made mistakes with our dogs at some time in our lives. If it's any consolation, I once let my dog eat onions because I had no clue they could be harmful. He was fine. Basically, my parents, who have raised about a dozen dogs, were visiting. They always complain that I deprive their poor grand puppy of yummy human food. This is true; I pretty much never give him any "people" food, mainly because he has such a sensitive tummy. Anyhow, they kept guilt tripping me, and I finally let my dad give my dog part of his burger, covered in raw onions. Someone mentioned to me later that onions can harm dogs. I researched, found plenty of charts and lists much like the one I shared in this post, thanked God Duke was okay, and quit beating myself up over it. 

Best of luck to you guys!


----------



## Willowy (Dec 10, 2007)

I'm not convinced _grapes_ are toxic (since nobody has identified the toxic component I'm sticking with this ). Dogs have always eaten grapes, and haven't keeled over en masse. But obviously some dogs HAVE died as a result of eating grapes/raisins. So I think there's something _about_ grapes that only sometimes applies. Like a pesticide or a fungus or something like that. 

Anyway, hope your dog is feeling well and now you know to avoid grapes in the future.


----------

