This dog blog will answer the major question, “Will one grape hurt my dog?” we will also discuss the impact of consuming one grape on your dog, what you should do if your dog consumes one grape, and how you can prevent your dog from eating grapes.
Will one grape hurt my dog?
Yes, one grape can hurt your dog. One grape can cause stomach upset and kidney failure in your dog depending upon the size and weight of your dog. Moreover, you should watch for the clinical signs in your dog when your dog consumes even a single grape. You should devise ways to prevent your dog from eating grapes and raisins.
What are the impacts of consuming a single grape by your dog?
Following are the impacts of consuming a single grape for your dog:
Stomach upset is not healthy for your dog
Stomach upset is not healthy for your dog because diarrhea can cause severe dehydration in your dog which when not treated in time can lead to hypovolemic shock and death of your dog.
Dehydration can be treated by infusing normal saline or dextrose depending upon the type of dehydration but you should do it under the supervision of a licensed veterinarian.
Following are the clinical signs of stomach upset in your dog:
- Dehydration
- Decreased appetite
- Fever
- Weakness
- Lethargy
First, treat diarrhea in this case because as we have discussed it can lead to dehydration which can be fatal for your dog.
Kidney failure is lethal for your dog
The consumption of a single grape is capable of causing kidney damage and it ultimately leads to kidney failure in your dog. The first thing that happens when the kidneys are damaged is low urine output. The next stage is complete stoppage of urine and kidney pain which ultimately leads to blood in urine which is the last stage of kidney failure.
Kidneys are the principal organ of excretion in the body which can remove the waste product from the body of your dog. Moreover, they can also maintain the osmotic balance in the body.
When the kidneys are damaged it can lead to an ionic imbalance in the body which can cause dehydration with loss of electrolytes. Sodium and potassium are the salts that are retained and excreted depending upon the need of the body.
Kidney damage can also cause body edema because of the accumulation of body fluids in the body.
Following are the major clinical signs of kidney failure in your dog:
- Decreased appetite
- Vomiting
- Diarrhea
- Dehydration
- Fever
- Blood in urine
- Lethargy
- Weakness
When kidneys are not able to work properly, the body is shifted to dialysis which involves the artificial removal of waste products from the body. It is expensive and laborious. Moreover, it is painful for your dog. The last option is a kidney transplant which is the permanent solution but is expensive too.
What would you do if your dog consumes a single grape?
If you saw your dog consuming a single grape, you should isolate your dog and observe it for 24 hours. After that, you get to decide what you want to do if you see any clinical signs in your dog.
The severity of the disease depends upon the number of grapes consumed by your dog. Consuming more and more grapes can ultimately lead to kidney failure in your dog.
It is best to take advice from the local veterinarian when you see your dog consuming grapes. Take your dog to the vet clinic because he is the only one who can save the life of your dog. Poor management of such dogs can lead to the death of the dogs.
Your vet will take a brief history and will afterward perform some tests such as CBC, LFTs, and RFTs and after that, your vet will go for treatment.
How can you prevent your dog from consuming grapes in the house?
The first thing you should do is to keep all the raisins and the grapes out of the reach of your dog. You should train your dog to obey your commands. You should also give healthy foods to your dog so that your dog is not attracted to such kinds of foods.
You can also limit the reach of your dog in the kitchen if you have grapes in the kitchen. But you need to make sure that your dog doesn’t enter the kitchen at all.
Conclusion
In this dog blog, we answered the major question, “Will one grape hurt my dog?” we also discussed the impact of consuming one grape on your dog, what you should do if your dog consumes one grape, and how you can prevent your dog from eating grapes.
