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Why exactly are raisins toxic for dogs and not humans? (self.nostupidquestions)

submitted 3 weeks ago by 3volver to c/nostupidquestions

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[-] [email protected] 112 points 3 weeks ago* (last edited 3 weeks ago)

Because we're actually biped rats?

Just kidding. Grapes have lots of tartaric acid and, accordingly to this link, tartaric acid causes kidney failure in dogs.

Then accordingly to this link only 15~20% of the tartaric acid consumed by humans is eliminated in the urine; most of it goes to the large intestine, and gets metabolised by bacteria. So I guess that, unlike dogs, we avoid the kidney failure by avoiding sending it to the kidneys.

[-] 3volver 23 points 3 weeks ago

Interesting, that makes sense, thank you. I looked this up like 3 times using google and duckduckgo and none of the results gave me a clear answer.

[-] wabafee 21 points 3 weeks ago

Doesn't matter post it here either way we want engagement here not in Google.

[-] [email protected] 8 points 3 weeks ago

I searched this through DDG, but I likely used different prompts than you:

reason toxicity raisins dogs
reason toxicity grapes dogs
tartaric acid human toxicity metabolism

then parsed it into the answer I gave you.

[-] Crackhappy 4 points 3 weeks ago

How do I subscribe to your search engine?

[-] [email protected] 13 points 3 weeks ago

If you want some tips on searching...

Split the problem into smaller parts. For example, you won't find good results comparing grape toxicity in dogs and humans; but you might get good results for dogs alone.

Use the info from one search to fuel other searches. For example, once I found that raw grapes were also poisonous to dogs, I shifted the query from raisins to grapes - because it's easier to find info on a fruit than on its processed form. I did this again once I discovered that tartaric acid was to blame, it allowed me to search for info specifically for humans.

Use keywords, not full sentences. All those "why", "is", "the" etc. only add noise, and make you land right into SEO-land.

Quotation marks and the minus sign. I did neither here, but use them deliberately, to force (quotation marks) or exclude (minus) results. The minus is specially useful against SEO.

[-] [email protected] 7 points 3 weeks ago

This is the first result when I search with Kagi, so maybe you should switch your search engine. With Google's degrading performance you hear more and more about alternative engines, for example Qwant and Metager are based in the EU and care a bit more about your privacy than their profit in comparison to Google.

[-] [email protected] 2 points 3 weeks ago

"Biped Rats"

Alright, I'm stealing that.

[-] [email protected] 49 points 3 weeks ago

Every plant is poisonous. Humans are basically the only mammal that eats capsaicin, caffeine, menthol. Grapes are toxic for everything except a few things. Plants don't have the ability to pull out a gun to defend itself and so it uses poison, or irritants like thorns. This isn't limited to pants with animals. Plants are also toxic to other plants. The example that I deal with the most is black walnut. I tried growing plants and when I used the walnut leaves for mulch it would kill the plants I tried growing.

[-] CommissarVulpin 28 points 3 weeks ago

Plants don't have the ability to pull out a gun to defend itself

Yet.

[-] wallybeavis 19 points 3 weeks ago

Don't give them any ideas! 😂

[-] [email protected] 5 points 3 weeks ago

The cig is a nice touch.

[-] wallybeavis 1 points 3 weeks ago* (last edited 3 weeks ago)

Inspired by this article. Thankfully it seems more like a chest thumping move, rather than standard practice. It's not like there are hordes of addicts ravaging cemeteries like some post apocalyptic movie

tl;dr Allegedly, addicts in Sierra Leone are mixing crushed human bones into their drugs, for a little extra pep in their step

[-] [email protected] 3 points 3 weeks ago

Almost literally an M Night Shamalamarama movie

[-] [email protected] 6 points 3 weeks ago

We have the technology

[-] MehBlah 9 points 3 weeks ago

The six million dollar Ficus.

[-] [email protected] 1 points 3 weeks ago

Why did natural selection lead to plants with guns, even though its much more effective than poison

This is proof that evolution isnt real

[-] VindictiveJudge 27 points 3 weeks ago* (last edited 3 weeks ago)

Seriously, everyone points to our brains and thumbs as to why we're the dominant species on the planet, but our ability to eat damn near everything is also a major factor. We can eat a wide range of plants and animals native to every region of every continent. Wolves/dogs are our closest competition there and they can only eat a fraction of what we can eat. This made us completely unlimited in where we could go and colonize way back in the stone age.

[-] [email protected] 3 points 3 weeks ago

What I don’t get is how there seem to be only a few remaining food types that people of certain ethnicities can’t tolerate. Like, some people can’t tolerate cow milk, some can’t tolerate wheat, because they didn’t have those things thousands of years ago. But like, most of the planet didn’t have most of the types of food available now until relatively recently, so why don’t you hear of more people being allergic to tomatoes, potatoes, mustard, etc?

[-] VindictiveJudge 5 points 3 weeks ago

Best to remember that certain sensitivities, like lactose intolerance, are actually the rule rather than the exception. Lactose tolerance is only the majority in certain populations of European or Middle Eastern origin. A bunch of them are also mostly harmless and just cause indigestion rather than anything serious. I am lactose intolerant and eating cheese just means I'll be gassy and spend more time on the toilet later, so long as I'm not eating to excess. Since they don't actually kill you most of the time, they get selected out at a very slow rate.

[-] Klear 21 points 3 weeks ago

This isn’t limited to pants with animals.

Pls don't fix that.

[-] [email protected] 7 points 3 weeks ago

Is it time for the old dog pants discussion?

[-] [email protected] 11 points 3 weeks ago

This is amazing to me. We're immune to so many things that are dangerous/toxic/deadly to other biological life on the planet. We've evolved to an amazing extent, and yet, pick the wrong variety of berry and you'll die writhing in agony.

They're all trying to kill you, it's just that some of them, still can.

[-] Aux 4 points 3 weeks ago

You can't be immune to everything and it all comes down to your genetics (lactose intolerance being the most famous example) and what you ate since childhood. One extreme example of what some groups of people can eat is kopalhen, which is deeply fermented meat full of ptomaines, which will kill most humans very fast. It also comes with botulism risk.

[-] [email protected] 2 points 3 weeks ago

So I can be more or less immune to stuff based on my genetics. Neat.

[-] [email protected] 11 points 3 weeks ago* (last edited 3 weeks ago)

Humans are basically the only mammal that eats capsaicin

I had a dog who liked pepper sauce.

Story time: I was 14 or so. Eating fish patties. As usual, drowning them in pepper sauce. Lana (my dog, a mid-large poodle) kept nagging me for food, it was annoying. I offered her a tiny bit of the patty, with pepper sauce. I expected her to smell it and think "eeew, humans eat this? Human food is inedible!". Instead she ate it, licked the floor, and asked me more.

I miss that dog.

[-] [email protected] 19 points 3 weeks ago

Tartaric Acid

Source: https://www.gradyvet.com/blog/mystery-solved-why-grapes-are-toxic-to-dogs/

[-] [email protected] 9 points 3 weeks ago

Only anecdotal but I grew up on a vineyard and my dogs ate grapes, raisins, sultanas all day and all have lived 11-14yo (GSP breed)

[-] [email protected] 20 points 3 weeks ago

Most dogs are fine actually. A small seemingly random percentage go into kidney failure so it's easier and more humane to just not take a chance.

In a similar vein as your dogs but in Asian countries the dogs also eat/get fed leftovers which include plenty of spices, which are also stated online as problematic for dogs.

[-] mipadaitu 3 points 3 weeks ago

Recent research indicates it might be differences in the grapes, not differences in the dogs. Different breeds of grapes have different levels of certain chemicals that are toxic to dogs.

[-] [email protected] 1 points 3 weeks ago

Sounds like a severe peanut allergy, but for dogs.

[-] RememberTheApollo_ 4 points 3 weeks ago

Yep. We grew grapes too, multiple varieties. Dogs ate them and had zero ill effects. One of them even stole one of those 1 lb chocolate bars and ate it, the worst effect was a little diarrhea.

Some of these things are way overblown on the internet. OMG your St Bernard ate a grape?!? I’m sure a lot of it has to do with dog weight vs quantity consumed, so a bunch of chocolate for a Chihuahua is a different story vs a German Shepherd. I’m not suggesting it’s OK for dogs to eat these things, just exercise some judgement and call a vet, but the internet freakout is unreasonable.

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this post was submitted on 24 Apr 2024

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