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Can dogs eat grapes, raisins, sultanas and currants?

Never feed grapes or anything dried from them. They cause sudden kidney failure in dogs, there is no known safe amount, and treatment works best before any symptoms start.

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+1 (888) 426-4435ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center · US · 24/7. A consultation fee applies.
+1 (855) 764-7661Pet Poison Helpline · US · 24/7. A consultation fee applies.
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1300 869 738Animal Poisons Centre · AU · 24/7, free for the public.

Do not wait for symptoms and do not try to make your dog sick unless a vet has told you to — some substances cause more damage coming back up. Have your dog's weight, what was eaten, roughly how much, and when, ready before you call.

What to do

Call a vet now. Decontamination is most effective inside 2 hours of ingestion, and intravenous fluids started early — before kidney values rise — are what prevents lasting damage. Take the packaging with you if you have it.

Signs to watch for

vomiting
diarrhoea
lethargy
loss of appetite
abdominal pain
increased then decreased urination
dehydration

When: Vomiting is often within 6–12 hours. Kidney injury develops over 24–72 hours, and by the time it is visible the damage is done.

What makes it harmful

Tartaric acid and its salt potassium bitartrate

Dogs appear unusually sensitive to tartaric acid, which damages the proximal renal tubules and can cause acute kidney injury. This explains a puzzle that stood for decades: why grape toxicity is so erratic. Tartaric acid content varies enormously with grape variety, growing conditions and ripeness, so two handfuls from different bunches are not the same exposure.

How much matters

No safe dose has ever been established, and the response is idiosyncratic — some dogs eat grapes with no effect, others develop kidney failure from a very small quantity. Reported toxic ingestions start around 0.7 g/kg for grapes and 0.1 g/kg for raisins, which for a 10 kg dog is a few grapes. Because susceptibility cannot be predicted, every ingestion is treated as significant.

Also check for

fruitcake
mince pies
trail mix
granola bars
hot cross buns
cereal with raisins
malt loaf

How confident is this

established

Well established in the veterinary literature and consistent across sources.

Wegenast CA, Meadows ID, Anderson RE, et al. Acute kidney injury in dogs following ingestion of cream of tartar and tamarinds and the connection to tartaric acid as the proposed toxic principle in grapes and raisins. J Vet Emerg Crit Care 2022;32(6):812-816.
Eubig PA, et al. Acute renal failure in dogs after the ingestion of grapes or raisins: a retrospective evaluation of 43 dogs. J Vet Intern Med 2005;19(5):663-74.
ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center

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Informational only, and not a substitute for veterinary advice. Individual dogs vary, and this page cannot account for your dog's age, size, health conditions or medication. If you are worried, phone a vet — that call is always the right call.