Can Dogs Eat Raisins?
No — the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center lists raisins among the people foods to avoid feeding your pet.
What the ASPCA publishes
Raisins appears on the ASPCA’s “People Foods to Avoid Feeding Your Pets” list, which says:
“Tartaric acid is speculated to be the toxic component in grapes and raisins. Since dogs are not able to process tartaric acid, exposure to grapes/raisins can lead to kidney damage.”
How many raisins is a risk?
The Merck Veterinary Manual publishes a threshold, and it is very low: more than one grape or raisin per 4.5 kg (10 pounds) of body weight may contain enough tartaric acid to pose a risk for renal effects in dogs. A 30-pound dog is over that line at 3 grapes.
Merck also writes that tartaric acid content varies between fruits, which is why staying under that line is not a reassurance and this page does not offer one. Call your veterinarian with the amount eaten and your dog’s weight.
Common questions
Can dogs eat raisins?
No — the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center lists raisins among the people foods to avoid feeding your pet.
What does raisins do to a dog?
The ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center publishes this, word for word: “Tartaric acid is speculated to be the toxic component in grapes and raisins. Since dogs are not able to process tartaric acid, exposure to grapes/raisins can lead to kidney damage.” We reprint their sentence rather than paraphrasing it, because a paraphrase is what gets quoted back with the caution removed.
How many raisins are dangerous for a dog?
The Merck Veterinary Manual publishes a threshold: more than one grape or raisin per 4.5 kg (10 pounds) of body weight may contain enough tartaric acid to pose a risk for renal effects in dogs. Merck also writes that tartaric acid content varies between fruits, so staying below that line is not a reassurance — call your veterinarian with the amount eaten and your dog's weight.
My dog already ate raisins — what now?
Call your veterinarian, or the ASPCA Poison Control at (888) 426-4435. Note how much was eaten and when. This page reports what published sources say about raisins; it cannot tell you whether your dog is affected, and no amount is described here as safe.
Other foods on the ASPCA’s avoid list
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If your dog has already eaten raisins, call your veterinarian or the ASPCA Poison Control at (888) 426-4435. This page reports what published sources say; it is not a diagnosis, and no amount is described here as safe.
Verified on . Based on ASPCA Poison Control (ASPCA, 24-hour emergency line, accessed 2026-07-28) and Kitten Age & Weight Chart (ASPCA Pro, 2023 (golden-test source, not used to build the calculation)). See the method.