? But not to every dog, and not every time

But not to every dog, and not every time. (The term "acute" means that the condition is severe and comes on quickly. So on Valentine's Day, you're actually being kind to your best buddy if you eat all the chocolates yourself! Read my special report on chocolate at . (In a pinch you can make your own activated charcoal by charring a piece of toast until it's blackened and crumbles easily.What we do know is that the end result in nearly all reported cases of grape or raisin toxicity is acute kidney failure. Like children, dogs (and other pets) have a knack for getting into mischief when we're not looking.Why are grapes harmful?As far as grapes and raisins go, no one is sure why they're harmful. But they do tell us that as little as a handful of raisins can impair a dogs health and has been fatal for some.Tiffany was also fond of chewing gum (she chewed it -- wrapper and all -- but didn't swallow it!) We had the sugarless kind, which is often sweetened these days with xylitol.It's Not Just the Grapes.What's more, whenever I ate grapes, I liked to give one or two to our German Shepherd "Tiffany".So begins a story in the latest report from the ASPCA on foods that may be toxic to dogs. The ASPCA based their study on reported cases, so naturally there may be cases where a dogs health is entirely unaffected by eating grapes.) The dog ultimately can't produce urine, which means they can't filter toxins out of their systems -- a process essential to life.There are other foods your dog should be kept away from, and some of them may surprise you.. Chocolate is made with cocoa beans and cocoa beans contain a chemical called Theobromine, which is toxic to dogs.) Then call your vet right away. But until they know all the facts, the Society advises against feeding pets grapes or raisins in any amount.During the twelve-month period in which the effects of grapes were studied, the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center handled 140 cases involving one or more dogs. It's been confirmed that even grapes grown without fertilizers or pesticides can be toxic to dogs. What's a pet owner to do?The first line of defense, if the grapes or raisins were eaten recently, is to induce vomiting and administer activated charcoal (it absorbs toxins in the GI tract).Keeping a watchful eye out, of course, screw and barrel Wholesalers is the best way to keep your pet out of trouble.Here are some other foods that can put a dogs health in harms way:ChocolateWho can resist chocolate? Like it your not, your dog.Can't reach the vet? Call ASPCA Poison Control: 888-426-4435The vet will keep your dog on intravenous fluids for at least 48 hours and monitor blood chemistry daily. It never crossed our minds that our dogs health could be affected by a few measly table scraps. They were good about waiting their turn for whatever we left on our plates, and we weren't too concerned about offering them "people food".. The grapes always popped out of her mouth when she tried to bite into them and Tiffany, ever the good sport, refused to give up until she'd squashed each one into submission. It guaranteed at least 60 seconds of harmless fun.Who Knew?Growing up, I regarded our family dogs as "the first cycle of the dishwasher". Ditto for the grape.An ounce of preventionSo, your dog just scored himself a big box of raisins. It's also not known whether small amounts eaten over a long time period could have a cumulative effect. It turns out that Magoo got into the pantry and snagged himself about a pound of raisins. He ate the whole thing, of course. Over a third of the dogs developed symptoms ranging from vomiting to kidney failure, and seven dogs died. Vomiting is also the first sign that your dog is in trouble, so skip right to the activated charcoal if vomiting has already occurred. What was safe for us, we figured, was safe for our pets. Normal blood work after 3 days usually means your dog is in the clear.Little did I know that I might have been poisoning our family pet! (More on xylitol below).The ASPCA never mentions Magoo's fate