Grape and Raisin Toxicity, A Guest Blog By Heather Reynolds Of Trupanion Pet Insurance

Heather Reynolds is a pet lover and internet journalist at Trupanion, North America’s fastest growing pet insurance company. Trupanion offers 90% coverage of veterinary bills with no payout limits. Enrolled pets receive lifetime coverage for diagnostic tests, surgeries, and medications if they become sick or injured.

Did you know that cats should never eat grapes or raisins? Grape and raisin toxicity is a serious health condition and can occur in cats after they ingest just one grape or raisin. While it is not clearly known what makes this fruit toxic, the outcome is severe.

Because grapes and raisins are so commonly found in households, it’s important to be aware of the symptoms in case your curious little friend finds one. If the fruit is ingested, a cat will normally start showing symptoms within 48 hours, so it’s important to see a veterinarian right away. 

Symptoms include:

·        Vomiting

·        Diarrhea

·        Weakness

·        Refusal to eat

·        Increased thirst

·        Abdominal pain

Eventually, the cat will be unable to urinate and will develop acute renal failure (where the kidneys suddenly fail to do their job). It’s a very quick and sad progression.

But this condition is curable! If grape or raisin ingestion is suspected, the main goal is to prevent the toxins from being absorbed by the body. So, a veterinarian will most likely induce vomiting with the use of hydrogen peroxide or apomorphine and then use charcoal pills to prevent any remaining toxins from being absorbed. Often, intravenous fluid therapy is also needed.

The cost of treatment can range from $100 to over $1,700, depending on the severity of the condition.

Obviously, prevention is key for this condition. Make sure to keep all grapes and raisins fully out of reach of cats (remembering that cats have incredibly climbing skills and some ‘hiding spots’ like the top of the refrigerator may not be effective). Also, make sure all family members and visitors know the danger of this fruit, as well as other common foods that are toxic to cats like chocolate, onions and garlic, because if your family is anything like mine, ‘people food’ sometimes finds its way to pets from well-meaning friends who just can’t stand those sweet begging eyes.

How do you keep toxic items like this out of reach of your feline friends?