VETS ISSUE URGENT WARNING ABOUT POPULAR FRUIT THAT CAN BE FATAL FOR DOGS

It can be difficult not to give your dog a nibble of whatever it is you’re eating, as their big eyes and pleading faces are often hard to resist.

But there are certain foods that shouldn’t be given to your furry friend under any circumstances, as they can be highly dangerous and cause them to become ill or even die.

And one fruit in particular, which people often don’t think is harmful for dogs, can cause kidney failure if eaten by the pets – and it can be fatal in some extreme cases.

That’s according to animal experts from the Grady Veterinary Hospital, who have issued a warning about giving grapes to your pup.

The Mirror reports that Dr Colette Wegenast and two colleagues identified the risk posed by grapes after carrying out tests on playdough.

During the tests, they established that tartaric acid and potassium bitartrate were present in high concentrations in grapes, both of which can result in acute kidney failure for dogs.

Experts have been progress in treating the condition recent years, but sadly kidney failure is fatal for dogs and cats in around 60% of cases.

Dr Colette said: “The lightbulb moment came with the realisation that tartaric acid and potassium bitartrate are uniquely present in high concentrations in grapes, and that dogs are [members of] a species that has been shown to be sensitive to tartaric acid – with acute renal failure reported in the older studies.

“Upon further investigation, tartaric acid and potassium bitartrate kept checking off the boxes in support of the theory that they’re the toxic principles in grapes and raisins.”

Grapes are not the only popular food item that can be extremely damaging to our dogs’ health.

Another group of experts from the Upper Canada Animal Hospital recently made a viral TikTok in which members of staff were asked about things that were toxic to dogs.

Some of the surprising answers were garlic, onions and ketchup, as well as more obvious items like chocolate and ibuprofen.