Can Dogs Eat Grapes?

People like to eat fruits and other foods without giving much thought about them - fruits that are usually consumed at home are healthy for humans, and they often taste really well.

But with pets, especially dogs, this can very quickly become dangerous. For example, eating grapes can have terrible consequences for the dog, even the large ones with great tolerance to various foods.

Published: February 28, 2023.

Are Grapes And Raisins Toxic To Dogs?

In short - "probably," yes. The fact that grapes and raisins are supposed to be poisonous to dogs is well-known by many people.

However, not every dog reacts the same way to the fruit because it is not yet clear exactly why grapes and raisins are bad for dogs.

For example, some dogs can even eat larger amounts of grapes without anything happening - in fact, all the carbs and fibers may even provide extra energy to the dog and regulate digestion.

However, for others, this could also end quite quickly fatal - and these are the majority of the dogs out there.

In some instances, the cause of fatality can be as little as 10g of grapes per kilogram of the dog's body weight, meaning that the dogs have different sensitivities to various compounds found in grapes (not just seeds and/or grapes skin, as usually thought).

Symptoms Of Dog's Grape Poisoning

Since dogs observe well what people eat, especially those living in homes and apartments with people, it is very important to keep the grapes away from dogs to prevent them from eating them, especially when humans are not around.

If the dog ate an unknown amount of grapes, there are many different symptoms that one might notice in the dog.

For example, vomiting and diarrhea are the most common signs of grapes poisoning.

Also, the dog often becomes sluggish, showing signs of fatigue and apathy - the dog has trouble staying awake for long periods and loses its appetite and desire to play.

Low urine production and even kidney failure may also occur. High levels of calcium, urea, phosphorus, and creatinine are also found in the blood.

So, in the worst case, the consumption of grapes in dogs ends - fatally.

What To Do If The Dog Ate Some Grapes?

If your dog ate an unknown amount of grapes and raisins, and even if none of the poisoning symptoms have appeared yet, contact the veterinarian, explain what happened, and act accordingly to the ver advice.

At the latest, when your dog displays the first symptoms of poisoning, consult the veterinarian. This is very important to do this as early as possible to begin the treatment as soon as possible - as one can see, time is of great importance in order to save the dog.

Depending on the severity of the poisoning, amount of grapes eaten, size of the dog, and dog's intolerance to grapes, the procedure differs.

Often inducing vomiting is useful if ingestion of the grapes was only a few minutes ago and the grapes are not digested yet.

In addition, many vets use activated charcoal because it binds to the fruit, helping remove the toxins. After the treatment and examination, the health status of the dog should nevertheless be monitored for some time.

Raisins vs. Grapes

Often the question about raisins comes up. If grapes are toxic, can the dogs eat raisins?

Unfortunately, the answer is - no.

Since raisins are dried grapes, the risk of poisoning actually increases.

Some sources (vets mostly) even speak of danger from just 2.8g (1/10 of an ounce) of raisins per kilogram of the dog's body weight - that would be just an ounce for a 10 kg (~22 pounds) dog.

It is said that the toxic compounds are even more concentrated in raisins while poisoning symptoms are practically the same.

Personally, if you are not 100% sure that your dog can tolerate grapes, it is better to avoid them - there are plenty of tasty alternatives that can be offered as a healthy snack or dog treat.

Long Story Short: Can Dogs Eat Grapes and Raisins? No, dogs should not be given grapes and raisins - not even seedless grapes or peeled-off grapes.

Tolerances among the dogs differ greatly, but one should NOT test if his/her dog tolerates the grapes and raisins - such a test can be fatal...