Aussie family issues urgent warning as puppy is nearly killed after eating toxic raisins in breakfast snack

A family puppy nearly died after eating toxic raisins and sultanas, prompting her owners to warn others to keep the dried fruit away from dogs. 

Olivia Nati had just given her daughters, 10 and 12, breakfast at their Bella Vista home, 36km north-west of Sydney, when they left their bowl of muesli, yoghurt and fruit unattended for a moment.

She said the family’s five-month-old toy cavoodle, Bubbles, helped herself to the breakfast containing raisins and sultanas, which are toxic to dogs and can trigger acute kidney failure even in small quantities.

‘They were halfway through eating and remembered they had to complete one of their chores, so they put the cereal down,’ she told the Daily Mail.

‘In their haste, they forgot to put it in the kitchen, so Bubbles jumped onto our (sofa) and into the bowl.

‘My youngest daughter walked into the room and saw her in the bowl eating it.’

Ms Nati said her children worried the food could be fatal to dogs and looked up the dangers online, leaving them scared and in tears. 

‘I think they already knew that (the food) was toxic to dogs, so they just wanted to assess how toxic and in what quantity,’ she said.

When Ms Nati returned to the room and realised what had happened, she followed advice her children had found online and tried to make Bubbles vomit, but without success. 

She said the cavoodle showed no symptoms after the incident, but she still took her to the vet. 

‘Bubbles was actually annoyed that we took the bowl of muesli away,’ Ms Nati said.

‘We called the vet and got to them within 20 minutes of her ingesting (the sultanas and raisins). If we hadn’t found her in the bowl, I would hate to think what could have happened.

‘She had vomited up about a tablespoon’s worth of muesli, and I think three or four raisins were there.

‘We were there for about 20 minutes and it was done very quickly.’ 

After the incident, Ms Nati said her daughters would never eat in the living room again, fearing Bubbles might find their food.

‘We banned the girls eating in that room, full stop,’ she said. 

‘We’ve gone through a list of toxic ingredients together as a family, to make sure that everyone’s aware of what is and isn’t allowed to be near Bubbles.’ 

When asked whether she had any advice for other dog owners, Ms Nati urged them to act immediately if their pet ingests any toxins. 

‘There are so many everyday household food items which are highly toxic to dogs, but they are also quite adept at getting to food wherever it may be,’ she said. 

‘Keeping these food items well clear of your new puppy is a must.’  

Sydney Animal Hospitals lead vet, Dr Bec Cassilles, said the Nati family did the right thing by bringing Bubbles in as quickly as they did. 

While there were no symptoms at the time, Dr Cassilles said this was not a reliable indicator that the dog was unharmed. 

‘Raisins and sultanas are dried grapes, and they can cause serious kidney damage in dogs,’ she said.

‘Dogs can appear completely normal during the early stages of poisoning, and symptoms may not develop for several hours.

‘The damage can begin before an owner realises anything is wrong, so the sooner we can assess and treat the dog, the better the chance we have of preventing the toxin from being absorbed and protecting the kidneys.’

If symptoms do develop, Dr Cassilles said they can range from vomiting to dehydration. 

‘Early signs can include vomiting, diarrhoea, loss of appetite, lethargy and abdominal pain,’ she said.

‘As kidney damage develops, dogs may become extremely thirsty, urinate more or less than usual, become dehydrated and increasingly weak. In severe cases, they may stop producing urine altogether.’

Although Ms Nati tried to make Bubbles vomit, Dr Cassilles said this was not advisable. 

‘Owners should never try to make their dog vomit unless they have been specifically instructed to do so by a vet,’ she said.

‘Home remedies can cause further complications, including damage to the digestive tract or the dog inhaling vomit into its lungs.’

Dr Cassilles said the best thing to do in a similar situation was to seek veterinary advice immediately.

‘Owners may think their dog seems fine or that the amount eaten was too small to cause harm, but by the time symptoms develop, the toxin may already have caused damage,’ she said.

‘Even one or two raisins may pose a risk, particularly in a very small dog.

‘Any ingestion of grapes, raisins or sultanas warrants contacting a veterinarian promptly for advice.’