This is not the way we intended our beloved Lily to spend the evening of her 5th Birthday. But, while I was upstairs showering, she removed the grapes I had left draining in the sink and had consumed an estimated 60 off the bunch.
I consider myself super-vigilant when it comes to the safety of our dogs. In fact, I admit, I can get a bit hyper about it. Their welfare is so important to us. I obsess about wire twisties used on plastic bags because a friend of mine whose dog swallowed one had died. I worry about Christmas tree ornaments and trimmings with the dogs around. I know about chocolate, coffee, raisins, a variety of toxic plants, and, yes – I know about grapes.
Human error occurs, no matter how careful we are. It never dawned on me that Lily would reach into the kitchen sink and pull an entire bunch of grapes out of the collander. She has never done something like that before. It doesn’t take long for this act to occur, and it doesn’t take many grapes to cause renal failure in a dog.
As soon as I made the discovery, I knew I needed to act quickly. I glanced at the clock. It was after 6 PM. My regular vet would be closed. I immediately called the Angell Animal Poison Control Hotline: 1-877-2ANGELL (24 hours a day, every day). I keep the number posted on the kitchen bulletin board and have used it once before. It is staffed by an on-call vet. I was instructed to induce vomiting with 3 T. Hydrogen Peroxide (3%). Surprisingly, Lily drank the stuff right down. Within 2-3 minutes she was vomiting. Out came 20 grapes. A second round of vomit produced another 10 grapes, a third round 10 more, a fourth round another 10, a fifth round 1. A last round produced no grapes. Poison Control was pleased with the result, but told me that vomiting only brings up 70% of stomach contents. Now, it was time to head to the Emergency Hospital in South Deerfield, Massachusetts. Their number hangs on my refrigerator door: 413-665-4911. It was now 7:30, a warm sunny, happy day had turned to a darkened, drizzly night, fog thickening as I drove the back – faster route – through the woods.
Lily was admitted immediately, blood work done. She is on 48 hrs. of IV fluids treatment. Blood work to be taken every 24 hrs, monitoring any change to the kidneys. Leaving her behind was so hard. I drove home through the pea-soup fog beating myself up for leaving grapes in the sink. I should have known better, I kept saying over and over. Of course, I DO know better. I’m never going to buy grapes again. I can live without grapes… What if I hadn’t discovered the grapes on the floor and gone out for the evening as planned. Lily would have been dead. It took me an hour to make the usual 1/2 hour drive home, but by the time I reached the house, I realized that beating myself up wasn’t the answer. Moving forward… That’s always my answer. We learn by our mistakes, and strive to do better by them in the future.
A midday report from the Vet today was very positive. Lily had a good night, her blood work remains normal, and her spirits are good. The Vet added, Lily is a very sweet dog. I know, I said. She’s a Therapy Dog. Everybody loves her.
I am sharing Lily’s story with my readers because I hope to spare others from going through this experience. I am sure most dog owners are aware of foods and plants that are toxic to their pets, but we all do make errors. We’re human – even though we all love our dogs and always want the best for them. Acting quickly is of utmost importance. I have found the Poison Control Number to be very helpful (there is a $65 charge on a credit card for the consultation with the vet, but once your case is open, you’re given a case #, and you can call back-and-forth for assistance. Having your Emergency Hospital number handy is a must, as well. You will be making that call as you’re dashing out the door. Above all, stay calm and keep a level head.
We hope our sweet Lily will be back home with us tomorrow evening. Her brother King and pal Annie miss her very much. They know something is wrong – and they know their mom is sad.