Dog Food: Killer Grapes and Raisins

Many dog owners, looking out for the safety and health of their pets, choose to prepare homemade meals for their pets; which is a good thing because of the issues surrounding some popular commercial dog foods today. But homemade preparation can be hazardous as well. There are ingredients that can cause health problems and some that can kill your pooch instantly. Very lethal ingredients includes the grape and raisin. True that many human beings eat these for its positive nutritional benefits, but it works the opposite for the doggies. Certain amounts of this fruit ingested, depending on your pets size and how much has been eaten, can lead it to death in as early as 24 hours.

This is something that most pet owners do not know. Most of those that did find out was when it was already too late. You can't blame them; who would ever think that a grape would be responsible for the death of their beloved pet. Once eaten, the first symptoms that will appear is vomiting and diarrhea. These can be signs of other diseases, so it is very important that you know whether or not it has devoured the deadly fruit as early as possible. To do so, you're going to have to check its poop and vomit for any signs of the grape.

Lots of owners don't have the stomach for the task, especially some of the ladies, but your dog will die if nothing is done. Early detection can increase its chance of survival. What makes the disorder so lethal is because of the fact that it causes major damages to the kidney and then shortly leads to kidney failure after, which of course is just lethal. Sad to say that the chances of your dogs survival is slim; many poor doggies have died from this. That's why treatment is aggressive, usually starts with forcing the pooch to vomit. The veterinarian will try to get as much of the grape and raisin out of your pets system as he can.

He will also try stomach pumping, in an effort to rid the toxins. Another method that will be used and you most definitely won't like is feeding it charcoal. It sounds rather extreme and harsh, but it's effective in absorbing the remaining poison inside your dog. He will also try using intravenous fluids to help with the situation. The only thing left for you to do is pray, or hope for the recovery of your pet if you're an atheist. Nobody wants to bury their pet in the backyard. Nobody wants to lose their dog to a fruit. The best thing you can do is simply not feed it any harmful ingredients.

Research about what and what not to feed it. If you're growing grapes nearby, have sturdy fences put up around the vines. If your neighbors are growing it, have sufficient fencing around your property to prevent your pooch from getting out. Taking the necessary safety precautions will pay off well.