My dog ate grapes and cherries, straining to poop. What should I do?

Oh no, poor Rosie! Grapes are highly toxic to dogs and can cause acute kidney failure, leading to signs of lethargy, vomiting and inappetence. Rosie needs to go to an ER vet immediately, as this could be a life-threatening emergency. The vet will be able to examine her, determine her kidney values on lab testing (CBC, chemistry, urinalysis), and start her on IV fluid therapy with other supportive medications. Good luck!

How naughty of Hector to get into some grapes! It is extremely encouraging that his kidney values (particularly the creatinine and BUN) are within a normal range. The SDMA value is thought to be of use in detecting early signs of chronic kidney disease, but is not of much value when concerns about acute kidney disease arise (as in the case of grape ingestion). Remember that there is a wide range of normal to account for individual variation and values at the higher end of this normal range do not typically indicate a problem. I can see that Hector's ALT (a liver value) is mildly elevated, but in all honesty, I do not worry about elevations in this value until they are about twice the upper limits of normal (>240, whereas Hector's value is 181). That said, it is still worth asking your vet if it is possible simply to recheck this value in another week or two. It will most likely return to normal, but if it remains high or increases further, ongoing monitoring of the ALT and further diagnostic testing (bile acid testing, abdominal ultrasound, etc.) may be indicated. I hope this helps to clear up any confusion and that Hector continues to do well after eating grapes!

Some dogs can eat grapes without getting ill or having kidney failure, others cannot. Next time you visit a veterinarian with Riker have some blood work done to make sure he has healthy kidneys. Should Riker get lethargic, start drinking a lot of water or has diarrhea or vomits. All these could be signs of kidney disease.

The grape ingestion may or may not be related to the current symptoms. In a dog that size, 1 grape should theoretically not cause toxicosis, however, there are dogs that display symptoms after eating very few grapes, so it is not impossible. I recommend being cautious and taking Juno to your veterinarian. They will want to check bloodwork to make sure kidney function does not seem impaired. There are several other possible causes of diarrhea including food intolerance, parasites, viral or bacterial infection, and stress. When you go to your veterinarian, bring a sample of the stool so they can look for parasites. If everything looks okay, you could try a new food with a protein Juno hasn't had before, such as rabbit, venison, or fish. You may also consider adding fiber, which can be done by feeding a couple spoonfuls of canned pumpkin to the meals. Lastly, a probiotic or yogurt can add some healthy bacteria back to the system. I hope this helps. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

Thank you for contacting Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach with your question about Pepper. Mistakes happen, and you did the right thing by taking her into a vet right away. It may be her bottom is itchy or she is a bit constipated. Feed her canned food and add water to it to see if that helps. If she hasn't pooped in another 24 hours, then I would be worried and have her seen by a vet. I hope this helps!

Poor Pots. Yes, I would take him back into the vet now for blood work for baseline kidney values if this hasn't been done yet. If he did get blood work at the vet, then I would wait and bring him back into the vet in three days for additional blood work. If you do see any signs of kidney failure, take him into a vet immediately. Best of luck.