# Why Shouldn't You Give Your Dog Raisins? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [February 4, 2010, 5:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-shouldnt-you-give-your-dog-raisins/527646 "2010-02-04T05:25:08Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Jim\_B](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jim_b/32/4338_2.png) [@Jim\_B](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jim_B)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2010, 5:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-shouldnt-you-give-your-dog-raisins/527646/1 "2010-02-04T05:25:08Z")
We all know you shouldn’t give your dog chocolate. The theobromide or something is toxic to them, it is said. But recently (I forget exactly where) I heard you shouldn’t give your dog raisins either. **Raisins**? _Really?_ Raisins are high in copper and fiber. I would think they would be as good for your dog as they are for you. Does anyone know what I am talking about? BTW, feel free to correct me if I am wrong about why chocolate is toxic. It is the theobromide, the caffeine or maybe both. I honestly don’t remember. Thank you in advance to all who reply:) ---
**Author:** ![engineer\_comp\_geek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/engineer_comp_geek/32/504_2.png) [@engineer\_comp\_geek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/engineer_comp_geek)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2010, 5:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-shouldnt-you-give-your-dog-raisins/527646/2 "2010-02-04T05:35:01Z")
According to Snopes, grapes and raisins cause renal failure, but they don’t seem to know why: > **[Are Raisins and Grapes Toxic to Dogs?](https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/grapes-and-raisins-harmful-to-dogs/)** > > Are grapes and raisins harmful to dogs? ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2010, 2:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-shouldnt-you-give-your-dog-raisins/527646/3 "2010-02-04T14:31:39Z")
The ASPCA agrees. [http://www.aspca.org/pet-care/poison-control/top-10-pet-poisons-of-the-year.html](http://www.aspca.org/pet-care/poison-control/top-10-pet-poisons-of-the-year.html) > [@](#): > > People food like grapes, raisins, avocado and products containing xylitol, like gum, can seriously disable our furry friends, and accounted for more than 17,453 cases in 2009. One of the worst offenders—chocolate—contains large amounts of methylxanthines, which, if ingested in significant amounts, can cause vomiting, diarrhea, panting, excessive thirst, urination, hyperactivity, and in severe cases, abnormal heart rhythm, tremors and seizures. ---
**Author:** ![Anne\_Neville](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Anne\_Neville](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anne_Neville)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2010, 5:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-shouldnt-you-give-your-dog-raisins/527646/4 "2010-02-04T17:32:12Z")
[We know that grapes and raisins are toxic to dogs, but we don’t know why.](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grape_and_raisin_toxicity_in_dogs) ---
**Author:** ![EmAnJ](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/d2c977/32.png) [@EmAnJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EmAnJ)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2010, 5:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-shouldnt-you-give-your-dog-raisins/527646/5 "2010-02-04T17:58:56Z")
I give my dog grapes. It’s her favorite food to catch in midair. This was before I knew they were toxic, though, and although I continue to give them to her on occasion, I don’t let my other dog have any. ---
**Author:** ![Mooch](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/7bcc69/32.png) [@Mooch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mooch)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2010, 7:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-shouldnt-you-give-your-dog-raisins/527646/6 "2010-02-04T19:44:05Z")
I remember reading about this and soon after ripping out a beautiful grapevine that had grown on my pergola lest the puppy get any grapes. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2010, 8:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-shouldnt-you-give-your-dog-raisins/527646/7 "2010-02-04T20:40:38Z")
From what I understand, chocolate is actually only slightly more toxic to dogs than it is to humans, on a per-weight basis. The reasons it’s a problem are that, first, most dogs weigh less than most humans, and second, that a human won’t eat ten pounds of chocolate at a sitting, but most dogs, given the opportunity, will. ---
**Author:** ![toodlepip](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/97f17d/32.png) [@toodlepip](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/toodlepip)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2010, 9:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-shouldnt-you-give-your-dog-raisins/527646/8 "2010-02-04T21:46:27Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > a human won’t eat ten pounds of chocolate at a sitting What?!?? Cite, please! _continues stuffing face_ 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Moto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/9de0a6/32.png) [@Mr.Moto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Moto)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2010, 1:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-shouldnt-you-give-your-dog-raisins/527646/9 "2010-02-05T13:09:15Z")
> [@EmAnJ](#): > > I give my dog grapes. It’s her favorite food to catch in midair. This was before I knew they were toxic, though, and although I continue to give them to her on occasion, I don’t let my other dog have any. Try carrots - my dog goes nuts for them. ---
**Author:** ![groman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/73ab20/32.png) [@groman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/groman)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2010, 3:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-shouldnt-you-give-your-dog-raisins/527646/10 "2010-02-05T15:16:45Z")
Wait, avocado? I knew about raisins, xylitol, onions, garlic, tea, coffee and chocolate. But avocado? 😕 ---
**Author:** ![EmAnJ](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/d2c977/32.png) [@EmAnJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EmAnJ)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2010, 3:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-shouldnt-you-give-your-dog-raisins/527646/11 "2010-02-05T15:19:28Z")
> [@Mr.Moto](#): > > Try carrots - my dog goes nuts for them. Tried - they hate veggies! They chew carrots up and spit out tiny pieces all over the floor. They do like apples though. ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2010, 3:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-shouldnt-you-give-your-dog-raisins/527646/12 "2010-02-05T15:44:18Z")
> [@groman](#): > > Wait, avocado? Avocado is toxic to birds. It may only be certain strains of avocado, or even only certain parts of the flesh (close to the pit). Some birds eat some avocado and do fine, other birds keel over. ---
**Author:** ![blondebear](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/blondebear/32/1022_2.png) [@blondebear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/blondebear)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2010, 4:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-shouldnt-you-give-your-dog-raisins/527646/13 "2010-02-05T16:01:48Z")
Avocados are also toxic to horses. From the ASPCA website: _Clinical Signs: Poisonings can occur when avocado groves are used as pastures, or pruned branches become accessible. The leaves, seeds fruit and bark are likely all toxic. Clinical effects occur mainly in mares, and includes noninfectious mastitis, as well as occasional gastritis and colic._ ---
**Author:** ![congodwarf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e36b37/32.png) [@congodwarf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/congodwarf)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2010, 4:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-shouldnt-you-give-your-dog-raisins/527646/14 "2010-02-05T16:20:46Z")
When I fed my new puppies grapes the first day I had them **Sailboat** was kind enough to let me know that I shouldn’t. A call to the Tufts ER, the Animal Poison Control, and then a visit to the ER took care of the puppies. The ER vet said they still don’t know what it is about grapes and raisins that makes them so toxic but that it’s better not to chance it. She said ALL fruit with pits/stones - not just avocados, are bad. I don’t remember why. My puppies are doing fine (even though one of them ate the whole bottle of ear drops I was using on the other one - something our vet found hilarious). Their favorite snack now is frozen veggies and fruit (frozen because they’re teething). I give them carrots, sweet potatoes, bananas mostly. They don’t much care for apples but they absolutely love the sweet potatoes. ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2010, 4:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-shouldnt-you-give-your-dog-raisins/527646/15 "2010-02-05T16:45:07Z")
> [@congodwarf](#): > > She said ALL fruit with pits/stones - not just avocados, are bad. I don’t remember why. Peach pits are a common intestinal foreign body; they’re small enough to swallow, but too big to pass. ---
**Author:** ![congodwarf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e36b37/32.png) [@congodwarf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/congodwarf)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2010, 4:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-shouldnt-you-give-your-dog-raisins/527646/16 "2010-02-05T16:49:45Z")
> [@kayaker](#): > > Peach pits are a common intestinal foreign body; they’re small enough to swallow, but too big to pass. It wasn’t a swallowing issue. I wanna say it had something to do with cyanide. ---
**Author:** ![gang\_green](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/f07891/32.png) [@gang\_green](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gang_green)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2010, 5:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-shouldnt-you-give-your-dog-raisins/527646/17 "2010-02-05T17:25:40Z")
Apple seeds, peach pits and apricot pits all contain cyanide. It’s not enough in small doses to kill, but there have been reports of people chowing down on apple seeds in large amounts and getting sick. ---
**Author:** ![toadspittle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c0e974/32.png) [@toadspittle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/toadspittle)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2010, 5:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-shouldnt-you-give-your-dog-raisins/527646/18 "2010-02-05T17:57:17Z")
Is there actual evidence (i.e., corpses) of the avocado-death link, or is it just a fear? Because when I was in Hawaii, we came across this [fat, happy, old dog](http://matthewholm.net/filestorage/avocado-dog.jpg) who lived on a coffee plantation and ate every single avocado that fell off the avocado trees there. ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2010, 6:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-shouldnt-you-give-your-dog-raisins/527646/19 "2010-02-05T18:06:10Z")
> [@toadspittle](#): > > Is there actual evidence (i.e., corpses) of the avocado-death link, or is it just a fear? Because when I was in Hawaii, we came across this [fat, happy, old dog](http://matthewholm.net/filestorage/avocado-dog.jpg) who lived on a coffee plantation and ate every single avocado that fell off the avocado trees there. The dog is obviously dead! Cite: [Avocado is toxic to some birds](http://kgkat.tripod.com/avocado.html). ---
**Author:** ![toadspittle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c0e974/32.png) [@toadspittle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/toadspittle)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2010, 6:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-shouldnt-you-give-your-dog-raisins/527646/20 "2010-02-05T18:59:05Z")
😃