Endurance.Net Ridecamp Archives

VETMED has had a debate over this issue for some time and the general 
consensus is that some dogs, like some people, are more susceptible to 
the damage that is possible from grapes/raisins and chocolate...and as 
yet we have no way of identifying them. There are likely also the 
contamination issues with raisins.

That said, I had a Great Dane when I was about 12 who cleaned out the 
Halloween haul for four kids and was rather miserable for a day but 
seemed to suffer no other ill effects. At that time we knew nothing 
about chocolate but my parents had to keep all of us from murdering her.

I also had a small lab sized baladi dog who was already ill (diarrhea, 
etc) with thyroid cancer who managed to scarf down a kilo (2.2lbs) of 
Godiva chocolates that my husband had given me for Christmas. It was 
Boxing Day so not many had been eaten. When I called our vet/friend to 
ask if it would kill Milligan, Jan's response was to laugh hysterically 
and tell me that if I hadn't killed her already, she'd probably be 
fine.  But this was a dog who was having to eat about 4 kilos of food a 
day just to stay alive and everything just ran right through her. She 
lived on for 9 more months, but we had to lock up all the food. I don't 
think any chocolate stayed inside long enough to do any damage.

I don't think that Jan's response was without thought as Milly was 
basically a furry pipe that took in substance at one end and 
distributed it on the garden at the other for a couple of years. Same 
vet once asked if I wanted some "used hamsters" to entertain a litter 
of RT pups that were DECIMATING my garden.  I didn't take them, but it 
was an idea, even if the hamsters wouldn't have lasted longer than a 
couple of seconds.

Maryanne and the Rat Pack
Cairo

On Sunday, Jul 11, 2004, at 00:59 Africa/Cairo, Susan E. Garlinghouse 
wrote:
> I don't have exact specifications in front of me reagarding the 
> toxicity of
> raisins, but the obvious difference between the two are the sulfites 
> used in
> the drying process.  Those make me pretty sick, too (bad headaches, 
> etc), so
> it's not a huge leap to assume the same thing could occur in dogs or 
> horses.
> In any case, the rule in toxicology is that dose is everything---a 
> little
> may be no problem, but a lot is risky.  So, just don't go overboard 
> with
> anything suspect.  I imagine a handful of raisins for a horse would be 
> fine
> as a treat, but shouldn't be a staple.
>
> Susan Garlinghouse, DVM
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: ridecamp-owner@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
> [mailto:ridecamp-owner@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of Bette Lamore
> Sent: Saturday, July 10, 2004 10:29 AM
> To: Chris Paus
> Cc: Barbara McCrary; GarnerT; RIDECAMP
> Subject: Re: [RC] Grapes-toxic? Or chocolate?
>
>  From what I understand, chocolate will not kill a dog--- just cause
> brain damage if taken in sufficient quantities. Sooo perhaps if your 
> dog
> is barking at an invisible foe...can't remember where he lives... or
> doesn't recognize you some day... you have your answer! ;-)
> Bette, who's Irish Setter got into a whole box of Girl Scout peanut
> butter cookies one time.. and ... well.. lets just say that you could
> free style roller skate in the bedroom with no skates!!! :-)


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