I have a small tray in the office with a James Bryce quote
printed on it.
”
Medicine, the only profession that labours incessantly to
destroy the reason for its existence.
”
I have a small tray in the office with a James Bryce quote printed on it. “Medicine, the only profession that labours incessantly to destroy the reason for its existence.”
The practice of medicine is never static. Something exciting and new occurs almost every day. A medical practitioner, no matter what field he or she chooses, will always face unexpected challenges. New medicines, new treatments and even new diseases mean that we have to “labor” to keep up-to-date.
To do this, veterinarians and medical doctors go to mandatory continuing education symposiums to stay current on different aspects of their field. Veterinarians are required to attend at least 36 hours of approved seminars every two years. That’s a lot of “school work,” but it takes that much time to keep up on all that’s new. Still, we often see surprises in clinics. And this past week was no exception for us at our hospital.
A healthy young labrador retriever was brought in for severe indigestion and dehydration. He had been eating cabernet grapes off the backyard vines and had apparently overindulged. Nothing unusual, it seemed. After all, a lot of young dogs end up with gastrointestinal upset after eating too much of something. His owners even said that they initially thought their dog had got just what he deserved when he first fell ill. And they were sure he had eaten nothing else, just a large amount of grapes.
But after two days of stomach upset and malaise, they searched the Internet to see if there was any information about grapes that might explain their dog’s continued illness. Surprisingly, they came across a few reports of dogs developing renal (kidney) failure after eating this fruit. There was even a report that raisins might also cause kidney damage.
In the clinic, blood tests confirmed their pooch had developed renal failure. His tests showed critical damage to his kidney function. He was treated aggressively with intravenous fluid diuresis along with intestinal adsorbants and injectable medications. But he never responded and had to be euthanized four days later. A tragic loss of a young family member.
So how does renal disease develop from the ingestion of a seemingly non-toxic foodstuff? Are grapes really that toxic? Why haven’t we seen this before now?
These are questions without any real answers as yet. A few single case reports first surfaced a few years ago. But no trend was seen and it was thought that the toxicity in these cases may have been caused by accumulations of pesticide. (Our clients’ grapes were not sprayed or treated). Most people didn’t pay close attention to these first reports, considering them as isolated incidents. Even now, almost all veterinary medical texts lack any description about the potential toxicity of grapes. For now, we are at a loss as to how grapes and raisins might adversely affect a dog.
But the word is out. Don’t give grapes or raisins to your pooch as a treat. And if you have grape vines on your property, keep your dogs away from them.
As more information is accumulated, we will better be able to assess just how dangerous grapes and raisins are to dogs and perhaps other animals.
West Nile advisory update: Several cases of meningitis have been reported and investigators are suspicious that West Nile Virus may be at fault. If so, this marks the first time the virus has infected any people in California. While there have been many cases of avian infection, no humans were previously thought to have been infected in this state. That, apparently, has changed. West Nile is in Southern California and will soon be throughout the state. People, horses, and birds will be susceptible to its infection. Government health officials are urging everyone to take proper precautions to avoid mosquito bites as much as possible.
Halloween advisory: This is the time of year that the hobgoblins are out on the streets. Unfortunately, it is also the time we see frightened dogs and cats running out of the house and occasionally biting someone. Keep your pets locked up on Halloween. It’s no time to have your pet running loose, and potentially getting out of your yard.
Have a safe Halloween. And may the only black cat you see be a costumed trick-or-treater. Give your pets a hug and I’ll see you next month!
Pete Keesling is a veterinarian at San Martin Veterinary Hospital and co-hosts Petpourri, a weekly show about pet health on KTEH in San Jose and a bi-weekly column for The Times. If you have any questions about pet care, please mail them to The Times, Attn: Vets, 30 E. Third St., Morgan Hill, CA 95037.
