The harmless-looking grapes are one of the human foods that must not be given to dogs. People commonly love to share whatever they are eating with the pet but because of the supposed harmful effects, pet owners would not dare give the pet a single grape. Studies conducted on grape toxicity have verified that it was not caused by fertilizers or pesticides. One thing is for sure though - grapes can cause renal failure in canines. Grape toxicity would cause the dog severe pain and similar to other cases of poisoning, it can result in the death of the dog.

People love to eat grapes and raisins - and why not, grapes are delicious and contain loads of nutrients and vitamins. Grapes are a good source of antioxidants. Oxidants or free radicals are the good cells that turned into rebellious cells because of the unhealthy lifestyle of people. Oxidants owe their existence to unhealthy food, alcohol, pollution, and exposure to harmful rays of the sun. The oxidants are partly to blame for the heart ailments, cancer arthritis, and many other health conditions that have a negative impact on human's way of life.

The antioxidants found in grapes will bind with the oxidants to prevent these free radicals from causing further harm. Not so many people are aware of this fact but not only handfuls but bowls of grapes will be consumed. These fruits, apart from being delicious have low-calorie content thus weight watchers can eat as many grapes as they want without worrying about increased waistlines.

Why are grapes toxic?

Grapes' toxic effects on canines are a recent discovery. Grapes were once given to dogs as treats and some pet owners would argue that nothing happened to their pets. The toxic effects of grapes have puzzled dog owners and scientists as not all dogs are affected by this fruit. While some dogs can get away with eating a lot of grapes some dogs will manifest toxicity symptoms by eating just a few. The toxic effect of grapes, unlike that of chocolates, is not dose-dependent.

What are the symptoms of toxicity from grapes?

A dog that was affected by the toxic contents of grapes would start to show a change in behavior. The dog will be hyperactive and then it will be depressed and become lethargic. Diarrhea and vomiting are signs that the dog was poisoned. Immediate treatment is necessary to save the life of the pet thus it must be rushed to the vet stat. Because the kidneys can no longer perform their function of filtering toxins, the dog will suffer from renal failure which can result in the death of the dog.

Have you ever fed your dog grapes?  If so did it harm your dog or was your dog fine afterward?  To be safe it is best to not feed your dog grapes since it could be toxic to them.  Also, see this helpful article on 25 Human Foods Toxic to Dogs...