Raisin
ToxicRaisins are more dangerous than fresh grapes: drying concentrates tartaric acid roughly fourfold, so far less mass reaches the same toxic dose and the same acute kidney injury.
This food guide has not been reviewed by a veterinarian. It summarises general information from sources and should not be used to decide whether a food is suitable for an individual dog or to assess an emergency.
Check before feeding
Do not offer as a treat
There is no recommended treat portion for this hazardous item. If swallowed, contact a vet with the amount, time and product details. Do not induce vomiting yourself.
Signs and health concerns
This list includes both observable signs and conditions identified through examination or testing. It cannot establish the cause or whether an exposure is safe.
- Vomiting
- Diarrhoea
- Loss of appetite
- Lethargy
- Abdominal pain
- Raised nitrogen waste in blood
- Reduced urine output
- No urine production
More about this food
Treat a raisin as concentrated grape, not as dried fruit. The mechanism is identical -- tartaric acid and potassium bitartrate damaging the renal proximal tubules of a species that lacks functional OAT4 transport -- but removing the water multiplies the tartaric acid per gram about four times. Currants and sultanas belong here too, and tamarind, at 8-18% tartaric acid, was grouped into the same Merck monograph in 2024.
The threshold is more than one raisin per 4.5 kg (10 lb) of body weight. A 22 lb dog is over the line past two raisins. Historical AKI reports cluster at 2.8-11.6 g/kg, but that is a description of cases, not a safety floor.
In US homes the raisin bag is rarely the problem; hidden raisins are. A slice of raisin bread, one oatmeal-raisin cookie, a granola or cereal bar, trail mix, raisin bran, or the little school-lunch box can each hold twenty or more. Owners remember "a bit of bread" while a small dog has blown past the threshold several times over. Grape-juice-sweetened bars and "yogurt-covered raisins" count the same.
GI signs -- vomiting, diarrhea, anorexia, lethargy, abdominal pain -- appear in 6-12 hours; azotemia and kidney failure at 24-72 hours, with falling urine output as a late and ominous sign.
Call your veterinarian or an emergency hospital immediately, or the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center at (888) 426-4435 (a consultation fee applies). Bring the wrapper so the raisin content can be estimated. Do not induce vomiting at home; decontamination, charcoal and 48-72 hours of IV fluids are veterinary decisions.
Frequently asked questions
- How many raisins are dangerous for a 20 lb dog?
- The threshold is more than one raisin per 4.5 kg (10 lb), so a 20 lb dog is over it past two raisins. Because raisins are concentrated, a low count is not reassuring -- call your vet or the APCC at (888) 426-4435 with the weight and time.
- She ate part of an oatmeal-raisin cookie. Does that count?
- Yes. Baked goods hide the dose: a cookie or a slice of raisin bread often carries twenty or more raisins, which puts a small dog far past the threshold. Save the packaging and the remaining food and go in now.
- Are golden raisins, currants or sultanas different?
- No. Golden raisins, currants and sultanas are all dried grapes and carry the same concentrated tartaric acid. Merck's 2024 revision also added tamarind, which contains 8-18% tartaric acid, to the same toxicity monograph.