Dog ate chocolate?

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Dog ate raisins.

Species: Dog
Breed: Beagle
Age: 6-12 months
My 16lb. 10 month old beagle ate about 20-25 raisins yesterday at approx. 6pm and we are watching her for signs of renal failure. She has been more lethargic than usual today (she is normally very active) and has shown signs of abdominal discomfort. I have read that as long as she doesn't vomit and is peeing and pooping then she is in pretty good shape. She pooped twice today and both times it was hard and not very smelly like it usually is, also her pee is clear and odorless today (I have been giving her a lot of water today because of I want her to pee as that is a sign that her kidneys are working properly. Can you please give me some insight as to what step I should take next?


Online vet, Dr. Marie

Dr. Marie replied:

Thanks for your question. Raisin or Grape toxicity is a tough thing to talk about because we don't know why some dogs get renal toxicity from eating these. In my experience, toxicity from eating grapes or raisins is relatively rare. I know many dogs that have eaten these all of their lives and have never had a problem. And then there will be the rare dog that eats one grape and has serious kidney damage. Personally I think that the rare dog has a genetic problem that causes them to get sick when they eat grapes.

So, my point in saying all that is to say that the chances of a kidney problem are small. I'm guessing that Bikini's lethargy is likely due to some mild stomach upset from eating the grapes.

The first symptom we usually see with kidney damage is a large increase in thirst and urination. This is usually followed by extreme lethargy and vomiting.

The best way to know if she has damage to her kidneys is to have a vet examine her urine. They will do a test called a specific gravity. This tells us how concentrated the urine is. If her urine is just dilute because you have been encouraging her to drink a lot of water, the vet will be able to tell the difference between just watered down pee and pee that is coming from damaged kidneys. When the kidneys are damaged, the specific gravity of the urine is always between 1.008 and 1.012.

If the specific gravity is in this danger level then your vet will want to do blood tests to determine if there is
serious kidney damage and if so she will need to start on IV fluids.

If your vet is open today it would be great to take a urine sample in and ask them to check the specific gravity. This really should not be very expensive, and hopefully will put your mind at ease.

I'm thinking, again, that she likely has some stomach upset. She may benefit from Pepcid (famotidine) which you can buy at the pharmacy. A dog her size can have half of a 10mg tablet.

I hope she is ok!

Dr. Marie.


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Disclaimer: Although Dr. Marie is a qualified veterinarian, the information found on this site is not meant to replace the advice of your own veterinarian. AskAVetQuestion.com and Dr. Marie do not accept any responsibility for any loss, damage, injury, death, or disease which may arise from reliance on information contained on this site. Do not use information found on this site for diagnosing or treating your pet. Anything you read here is for information only.

Customer reply:

Dr. Marie
We took Bikini to have a specific gravity test and some blood work done(chem idexx 2 test). The Vet said the blood work was fine but her urine was dilute. (I had fed her about 4 or five bowls of water, with frozen banana bits in it to get her to drink it all down) Could this have been the reason for her urine to be dilute? Her urine has gotten some color back, and she recently had a bowel movement (that contained much of the nuts from the trail mix(raisin, cashews, walnuts, almonds) she ate in it.) Although just now she was laying down and gave a short whimper as if in some pain. Should we go ahead and give her the pepcid?
Thanks,
Jeff


Online vet, Dr. Marie

Dr. Marie replied:

The urine could definitely be dilute because of the extra water. The fact that it is getting some color back is good.

I don't think you mentioned earlier that she had also eaten nuts as well. This is probably contributing to her stomach upset. I think the pepcid is a good idea.

This is most likely just some stomach upset, but if it continues into tomorrow or if she has a lot of vomiting then she may need to go back to the hospital.

For tonight I'd recommend the pepcid, and it's probably a good idea to not give her any food tonight. This will give her stomach a chance to recover.



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Dr. MarieDr. Marie is a veterinarian who practices in a busy animal hospital in Ottawa, Ontario. She created Ask A Vet Question as a resource for good, accurate veterinary advice online. Dr. Marie treats dogs, cats, hamsters, guinea pigs, and rats. She has been a vet since 1999.

Is an online vet visit just as good as a trip to your veterinarian? No! But, many times, asking an online veterinarian a question can help save you money. While Dr. Marie can't officially diagnose your pet or prescribe medications, she can often advise you on whether a vet visit is necessary. You can also ask Dr. Marie for a second opinion on your pet's condition.