Section 1: Is grapefruit poisonous to dogs?
Is Grapefruit poisonous to dogs? Surprisingly the answer is yes, grapefruit can be toxic to dogs. While it is uncommon in my experience for dogs to eat grapefruit this is in fact yet another potential household hazard which dog owners should be aware of.
The toxic elements in grapefruit are said to be essential oils and the substance psoralen. But these are in much higher concentrations in the skin and fleshy rind of the grapefruit so the chances are that things will not be so serious if a dog just eats smaller amounts of the flesh.
Section 2: What are the symptoms of grapefruit poisoning in the dog?
The expected symptoms of grapefruit toxicity in the dog can include things such as vomiting, diarrhoea, depression and also an inflammatory skin condition. The psoralens are known to lead to photosensitive dermatitis when ingested. So when the dog is exposed to UV light from the sun this skin condition is triggered.
Section 3: What is the treatment for grapefruit poisoning in the dog?
If you know your dog has swallowed grapefruit rind or larger amounts of the grapefruit flesh then one of the best things you can do in this sort of situation would be to induce vomiting. If you can do this within the first hour after ingestion then you may well save your dog distressing side effects.
Please click on this link for precise instructions on how best to induce vomiting in the dog: LINK
However, if you fail to induce vomiting and any adverse symptoms develop then you should take your dog to a vet as soon as you can. There is no antidote to grapefruit toxicity in the dog. But general supportive measures may help your dog through this. Your vet might give activated charcoal orally to help mop up any free toxins in the dog’s digestive tract, and IV fluids and anti-vomiting drugs can also help.
Where the skin has been affected then anti-inflammatory ointments may be helpful. In this situation, it would be important to keep your dog out of the sun until the danger { Photo-sensitisation } has passed.
Section 4: What is the prognosis { Outlook } for grapefruit poisoning in the dog?
The bottom line is that with grapefruit toxicity in the dog deaths would be very unlikely. But it can potentially cause your dog distressing adverse symptoms and side effects. And these can take a week or two to resolve.
Is grapefruit poisonous to dogs? Please follow this link for more information on the topic: LINK
Section 5: How do you prevent grapefruit poisoning in the dog?
This is just a case of common sense, when you dispose of grapefruit rinds in the trash make sure to the trash bags are secured so as to be dog proof. If you have a grapefruit tree in the garden then either gather up fallen fruit at once or limit your dog from entering that area of the garden. And finally never give your dog any form of grapefruit as a treat, make sure that your family members including children know this.
Please follow this link for more information on grapefruit toxicity in the dog: ASPCA