Grapes are a very nutritious fruit in our human eyes, and because of their sweet and sour taste, they are liked by many people. Many dog owners think that such a good fruit can also be given to dogs to eat, but there has been a lot of controversy about whether dogs can eat grapes or not.

The opinion of pet doctors and some owners is that you can't give your dog grapes because they can cause poisoning.
However, some pet owners believe that my dog likes to eat grapes, so why not give it to my dog to eat such a nutritious fruit?
In these different opinions, there has been a rumor that dogs can eat grapes, which can add a lot of vitamins and minerals, so the owner should not restrict dogs to eat grapes, today the vet gave you a rumor, this statement is completely wrong because grapes can indeed make dogs poisoning, this fruit must not give dogs to eat, otherwise it will cause great harm to the dog's body The fruit should never be given to dogs, otherwise, it will cause great harm to their bodies.

I. Can dogs be poisoned by eating grapes or not?

The first time I saw a dog eating grapes, I was told that it could be poisoned, but the poisoning is somewhat episodic and the mechanism of the poisoning is not very clear.

It is currently believed that the mechanism of poisoning in dogs eating grapes probably has these references.
Excessive sugar intake.
We know that the content of sugar in grapes is particularly high, about 10-15%, especially the varieties of grapes nowadays, the sugar content will be higher, but dogs are not very sensitive to the absorption and metabolism of sugar, and their weight ratio, and will not be as strong as the human tolerance to sugar, dogs eat grapes in large doses, these high levels of sugar, will lead to the dog's kidneys and Other organs will fail.
The dog's intestinal tract is also particularly sensitive to these sugars, which can easily cause dog diarrhea, and vomiting gastrointestinal symptoms, as said before, dogs are particularly fond of eating sugar an animal, but their breakdown and metabolism of sugar are very poor and poor.

Allergic blood pressure reduction.
Grape seeds or grape skins above some substances that can lead to allergic hypotension in some dogs, a phenomenon similar to anaphylaxis caused by vaccination, but somewhat different, because after the blood pressure is low, it can lead to the insufficient blood supply to the kidneys and other organs, and finally lead to ischemic necrosis.

Pesticide residues on grapes.
Many people believe that dogs eat grapes poisoning because of some residual pesticides on the grapes, as well as heavy metal overload because they are more sensitive to these drugs than humans, and tolerance is lower, many experts in pet research, in the poisoned dogs eat grapes detected these drug residues, but there are many dogs, eat their home-grown grapes can also appear poisoning, and the residues of pesticides on the grapes The dose of pesticide residues on the grapes is theoretically not enough to cause poisoning in dogs.

To sum up.
Eat grapes caused by dog poisoning, the current mainstream explanation is about these three, but they are not strictly scientific proof of the results, most scholars, at present, prefer to accept the explanation of excessive sugar intake, because in clinical dogs eat a lot of sugar, will also cause the same acute kidney failure as eating grapes.

So what is the toxic dose of grapes for dogs?
According to references, the toxic dose for dogs routinely ingesting grapes is 10-25 g/kg, but this dose is not strictly accurate because poisoning from grapes in dogs is episodic, with some dogs experiencing severe poisoning from eating very small doses and others being fine even after eating several times the safe dose.

II. What are the symptoms of grape poisoning in dogs?

Symptoms are visible to the naked eye.

Acute gastrointestinal symptoms, vomiting, diarrhea, loss of appetite, and abdominal pain similar to acute pancreatitis, these symptoms usually appear about 6 hours after the dog eats grapes, if the dog does not have any discomfort for more than 8 hours, then it means that the dog does not react to the poisoning. (After 8 hours or so, the grapes are metabolized in the intestinal tract, and no toxic reactions occur after absorption, so there will be no more problems)

Acute gastrointestinal symptoms may also be related to the dog's intestinal tract being unable to absorb and decompose food that is too high in sugar.

Symptoms that are not visible to the naked eye.
Dogs eating grape poisoning, frequent vomiting, and diarrhea are not the most terrible, dogs appear little or no urine, and acute kidney failure is, grape poisoning caused by the real cause of dog death.
Acute renal failure, the initial symptoms will be oliguria, anuria, hematuria, occasional initial polyuria symptoms, this poisoning symptom usually appears after the gastrointestinal symptoms, about 1 day after eating grapes, this time if we do not treat timely, then the dog mortality rate will be particularly high.
Is a dog poisoned by eating grapes an alarmist statement by the vet or is it poisoned?
How should grape poisoning in dogs be diagnosed?

According to the owner's account, as well as the typical symptoms of oliguria, anuria, vomiting, and diarrhea, combined with the following laboratory results.

Biochemical examination.
Severely elevated BUE (urea nitrogen)
Severely elevated CRE (creatinine)
Potassium ion, magnesium ion, chloride ion, and uric acid, are all severely elevated
Occasionally elevated VAMP (amylase)
Elevated NH (blood ammonia)
Blood gas examination: whether metabolic acidosis is present
Ultrasound examination: enhanced renal cortical echogenicity is seen.

How should we treat grape poisoning in dogs?

Emetic.
After a dog eats grapes with symptoms of poisoning, the first time must be given an emetic, so that the grapes eaten as much as possible to vomit, especially some grape skins and grape seeds, and at the same time can give the dog milk to reduce the absorption of toxins in the gastrointestinal tract, and then in the first time to the veterinary hospital. (After the dog vomits, do not think the dog is safe the real toxin damage is just beginning)

Infusion metabolism.
After vomiting, the dog has absorbed a large number of toxins, and these toxins have begun to act in the dog's kidneys, we must give the dog fluids at this time, so that they metabolize as soon as possible, while regulating the dog's body ammoniaemia, to reduce the burden on the dog's kidneys.
Do not wait until the dog has little urine or no urine symptoms, and then give the dog fluids, this time indicates that the acute renal failure has been very serious, this time and then treatment, most dogs have a poor prognosis.

Drugs.
Ampicillin (anti-inflammatory)
Furosemide (diuretic, accelerates metabolism)
Ringer's solution/5% dextrose (to correct the acid-base balance in the body, remember to strictly enforce the amount of infusion according to the weight of the dog)
According to the blood biochemical results, supplementation of different body ion concentrations (indicators of different types of infusions are different, so we must adjust the medication according to the results of laboratory tests)

Warm tips.
Many owners will say that the vet is a bit alarmist, my dog has eaten grapes all his life without any problems, but I want to tell you that, according to clinical statistics in the literature, the chances of poisoning in dogs eating grapes can reach about 9%, and the mortality rate can reach about 40%, so dogs can not eat grapes, definitely not used by vets to scare dog owners.

Although dogs like to eat grapes, and many dogs eat grapes after the phenomenon of poisoning did not occur, but we look at the data above, as well as the mortality rate after grape poisoning, we are still willing to take the lives of their dogs to verify the cases that have happened?

Dogs eat grapes, indeed, can supplement some vitamins and minerals, some dogs eat grapes indeed will not be poisoned, but because of its episodic nature, we can not accurately identify which dog will be poisoned, which dog will not be poisoned, so the best way to prevent us is not to give dogs to eat, which is the safest way.

Remind us not to believe the rumors, there are many nutritional supplements for vitamins and minerals, we can choose other foods instead, not to choose this fruit that has more disadvantages than advantages, not to mention also let the dog risk his life, really a little more than worth the loss.