What does grapes do to dogs

Grapes make an excellent, healthy snack for people, can be added to salads or used to make grape juice and wine. Grapes have one of the highest natural sugar content of all fruits, which is why they are very sweet and tasty. Grapes are also very rich in vitamins, minerals and powerful antioxidants 2 , particularly resveratrol, epicatechin, catechin and proanthocyanidins. Unfortunately, dogs cannot eat grapes to reap those benefits, but let's discuss all these potential benefits of grapes for dogs and people, and why canines should avoid grapes.

So can dogs eat grapes at all? No, unfortunately dogs cannot eat grapes or raisins , not even a little bit, according to several studies 1 , 2 , 3. Even one or two grapes will cause serious health issues in dogs, some of which can be fatal to your pet, depending on how sensitive the canine is to compounds in grapes. For people, grapes are not only fine to eat but are even recommended due to some of the health benefits they provide. In particular, antioxidants in grapes improve heart health in humans, and grape-based wine is often credited with that.

There are some of the ways that technically grapes could be helpful to dogs if we would find a way to feed them without the adverse effects of grapes for dogs. In the meantime, all we currently have are studies with other animals and people:. Proanthocyanidins in grapes reduce oxidative damage and prevent heart diseases in people, according to several studies 4 , 5. Resveratrol is an antioxidant found in the grape's skin 6 that fights blood clotting, reduces risks of heart diseases, inflammation, cancer and — note this — even has been shown to prolong life in test animals 7 , 8 , 9.

Anthocyanins reduce inflammation and the risk of many diseases, including heart, diabetes, obesity, cancer, eye related issues and Alzheimer's 10 , 11 , 12 , 13 , Grapes are one of the best fruits alongside apples and blueberries to consume if you want to reduce the risk of type 2 diabetes Finally, there are tons of benefits of the most famous beverage made from grapes — wine.

Many studies have shown how red wine reduces the risk of death from heart disease, lowers blood pressure, reduces risk of cancer, dementia, depression, insulin resistance and the risk of diabetes and obesity 16 , 17 , 18 , 19 , 20 , 21 , 22 , 23 , 24 , With so many health benefits from grapes, raisins and red wine on the line, is there any way to feed grapes to dogs to reap those benefits?

Unfortunately not that we know of, because science doesn't know much about the exact cause of toxicity of grapes for dogs. Absolutely not Not only does wine contain the same toxins that grapes do, but it also contains ethanol alcohol.

Remember that you can never give your dog alcohol, because dog's kidneys are not designed to process alcohol and it will cause serious issues.

This includes all kinds and forms of grapes which you should never give to your dog, including:. As you can see, you cannot give grapes to dogs in any form, whether it's dried grapes raisins or pressed grapes juices.

All of these foods and beverages will contain certain compounds from grapes that will be toxic to your dog. In truth, just like with many other toxic foods for dogs, we don't know why 1 grapes are toxic to dogs or specifically what causes illnesses and fatalities in canines when they eat it.

There are speculations, however, and I discuss those below in this article. While the cause of the toxin remains a mystery to scientists, the side effects of grape ingestion by dogs are very clearly defined. Most often, when a dog eats a grape, the result will be considerable pain, discomfort, illness and potentially — death. Unfortunately, there is no way of knowing if grapes can benefit dogs in any way, because in order to study grapes with dogs to find that out, we would need to feed grapes to dogs which may kill them or at least cause serious health problems.

Therefore, at this time, the claim is: there are no benefits of grapes for dogs. Although the exact cause of toxicity of grapes for dogs is unknown, some scientists speculate that grapes are poisonous to dogs because of mycotoxins also known as fungus that grows on grapes and produces a toxic to dogs substance 2.

Other scientists and veterinarians feel that grapes may be toxic to dogs because they contain salicylate. Salicylate is produced naturally in grapes and it causes a decrease in blood flow to the kidneys in a canine's body due to their sensitivity to it.

There is no specific toxic dosage of grapes for dogs because grapes affect each canine differently Some dogs are far more sensitive to grape toxins than others, and eating even one or two grapes can have disastrous consequences for these dogs.

Remember that the age, size, and weight of your dog will have no bearing on how she will respond to eating grapes. This is the assumption we have to make because there is no way to predict how severely a dog may react to grape poisoning.

Now that it's clear that you cannot give your dog grapes, let's discuss potential adverse effects that feeding grapes to dogs may cause and what you should do. Severe symptoms from mycotoxin poisoning in dogs will manifest themselves approximately hours later.

Grape toxin may lead to abdominal pain and loss of appetite in dogs. Some canines will experience severe vomiting and diarrhea as their bodies try to expel the grape poison. These side effects tend to go hand-in-hand with gastrointestinal distress. Grape toxins will cause extreme lethargy, and frequent vomiting and diarrhea will promote dehydration in your dog; both circumstances can be dangerous. Additional signs of dehydration in your dog are usually light colored gums, heavy panting, and dog's dry mouth and nose.

Sudden kidney renal failure in your dog can lead to anuria or a lack of urine production. Other symptoms of kidney failure are uremic breath, excessive thirst, nausea, diarrhea, lack of appetite, and abdominal pain.

The prognosis for a dog who has consumed grapes or raisins depends on many factors: the amount of grapes he has eaten, amount of poisoning incurred, how soon veterinary treatment is started, and whether the dog has developed kidney failure or not 1 , 28 , A dog treated immediately for grape consumption and potential toxicosis often has a favorable chance for recovery. A dog that is not treated by a vet right away can quickly suffer kidney failure, after which the prognosis is poor and fatality very likely.

In conclusion, dogs cannot eat grapes or raisins , or any other grape-based product, like grape juice and especially red wine. There are no benefits of grapes for dogs. Reasons for grape toxicity in dogs are yet unknown, but scientists and veterinarians speculate that it could be mycotoxins.

These symptoms include:. Contact your veterinarian as soon as possible. After the induced vomiting, your vet will give your dog activated charcoal to counteract any remaining toxins in the system. Your dog may also require hospitalization for several days while your vet monitors their condition and administers intravenous fluids to flush out the kidneys.

In fact, any fresh or dried fruits from the Vitis vinifera plant — including grapes, sultanas, raisins and currants — are potentially toxic to dogs.

This also means you should keep breads, cakes, protein bars, cereals, cookies and other products containing raisins away from your dog. Contact your vet right away. The care your pet will receive is the same as for eating a grape. Many fruits and vegetables can be healthy snacks for canines. Pumpkin and boiled sweet potatoes are an excellent source of vitamin C, beta-carotene and vitamin B6. Best of all, you can use them as safe, healthy, low-calorie treats for your dog.

Just remember to feed your dog fruits and veggies without added sugar or sugar substitutes. The as yet unidentified toxin in grapes can cause poisoning, including kidney failure. Signs of this can develop as soon as 24 hours after eating grapes. Symptoms of renal failure include the dog drinking more water than usual, passing bigger puddles, and possibly having urinary accidents in the house.

He may continue vomiting and become dehydrated. This can mean his kidneys are already badly damaged. Without immediate and intensive treatment, within a few days to weeks, the unhappy dog may collapse and pass away. You want to keep your dog healthy but also have a well-behaved canine citizen. The trap in reward-based training is all those extra calories that can accidentally add up to a wider waistline.

Alternatively, take a look at these healthy options:. Actually, most of the fruit and veggie mentioned above are just fine for cats as well as dogs.

However, your cat may have other ideas! Sadly, grapes are NOT good for dogs ; in fact, the opposite is true. An unknown toxin in both grapes and raisins can induce kidney failure. Contact us: [email protected]. Share on facebook.

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