By Laurinda Morris
Danville (Ohio) Veterinary Clinic
[In April, 2004] I had the first case in history of raisin toxicity ever seen at MedVet. My patient was a 56-pound, five year-old male neutered lab mix that ate half a canister of raisins sometime between 7:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. He started with vomiting, diarrhea and shaking about 1:00 a.m. (the next day) but the owner didn’t call my emergency service until 7:00 a.m.
We contacted the ASPCA National Animal Poison Control Center and they said to give IV fluids at 1 1/2 times maintenance and watch the kidney values for the next 48 to 72 hours. The dog’s BUN (blood urea nitrogen level) was already at 32 (normal less than 27) and creatinine over 5 (1.9 is the high end of normal). Both are monitors of kidney function in the bloodstream. We placed an IV catheter and started the fluids. We rechecked the renal values at 5 a.m. and the BUN was over 40 and creatinine over 7 with no urine production after a liter of fluids. At that point I felt the dog was in acute renal failure and sent him on to MedVet for a urinary catheter to monitor urine output overnight as well as overnight care. He started vomiting again overnight and his renal values continued to increase daily. He produced urine when given lasix as a diuretic. He was on three different anti-vomiting medications and they still couldn’t control his vomiting. (Eventually), his urine output decreased again, his BUN was over 120, his creatinine was at 10, his phosphorus was very elevated and his blood pressure, which had been staying around 150, skyrocketed to 220. He continued to vomit and the owners elected to euthanize. This is a very sad case; great dog and great owners who had no idea raisins could be a toxin. Please alert everyone about this.
