Raisins!

Hello, my dog has eaten some raisins but over 24hrs ago now so the forced vomiting is too late. Is it okay to just monitor him as opposed taking him to a vet and being charged all kinds to have him put on a drip as they have said? We have purchased some activated charcoal specifically for dogs to help with the toxins.

Hello - inducing vomiting on its own might be enough if done immediately - but very immediately.  As a diabetic who monitors my blood-sugars in real-time, I can tell you that blood sugars go up very quickly after eating a dose of raisins - sometimes within a few minutes.  Why is this important?  Because it shows that it takes little time for that food to be absorbed - perhaps including the toxin, which may or may not (scientists are apparently still not sure) be a chemical called Tartaric Acid.  Usually, by the time an animal vomits, there is time for that toxin to have joined the bloodstream.  So as well as inducing vomiting and stopping more from being absorbed (e.g. with activated charcoal), to my understanding there is a strong case for giving fluids, in order to reduce the effects of any circulating toxin on the kidneys.  An extreme reaction can be seen to a very few raisins - as can no reaction at all to quite a high dose; the reaction is frustratingly idiosyncratic.  This suggests that different individuals react differently and that supporting the kidney is very worthwhile for protection.

To my understanding, more than 24 hours on fluids is recommended and dogs may still be absorbing the toxin up to 48 hours later.  The VPIS (veterinary poisoning information service) should be able to give your vet up-to-the-minute information from objective evidence.  We recommend speaking to your vet and following their recommendation.