Sharon and Bill C. regularly dog sit for Lula, a 5-year-old Chihuahua-mix, who belongs to their son, Kevin, and his wife, Priya.

“They love Lula like a grandchild,” says Kevin.

In June, outside of Chicago at Sharon and Bill’s house, Lula followed Bill into the kitchen, where he prepared a bowl of raisin bran cereal for his breakfast.

“She’s a very food-motivated dog,” says Sharon. “Every time we walk to the kitchen, she thinks she’s getting a snack.”

A few flakes of cereal fell to the floor, and Lula quickly ate them. Bill mentioned this to Sharon later that day, much to her alarm.

“I know raisins are toxic and can cause kidney failure, and Lula had recently been ill,” Sharon says. “I thought, ‘Oh now what do we do?’”

Lula, who is very food motivated, ate some cereal flakes containing raisins.

A Call to the Experts

Turning to the Internet for help, Sharon and Bill found a Reddit post about a dog who had a similar experience with raisins. The post included the ASPCA Poison Control phone number. Sharon called and spoke with Laurie Nocerino, a senior certified veterinary technician.

Sharon shared with Laurie that Lula is spayed, weighs 16 pounds and takes prednisone for autoimmune meningitis, a condition where her immune system mistakenly attacks the protective membranes surrounding her brain and spinal cord.

ASPCA Poison Control senior certified veterinary technician Laurie Nocerino consulted with Sharon on the phone about Lula’s case.

“Lula had already been through so much, and Bill felt horrible that he might have caused anything more,” Sharon says.

Laurie was calm and methodical and asked if Lula had experienced vomiting or diarrhea. Lula had not. Then she placed Sharon on hold briefly to confer with Dr. Tina Merola, a senior toxicologist at ASPCA Poison Control.

“Lula would have to have eaten more than two raisins for this to be a concern, and at the most, Bill reported she had eaten maybe one,” says Laurie. “We advised Sharon to keep a close eye on Lula for 48 hours, and after that, they could assume she was in the clear.”

“If Laurie had suggested we take Lula to the vet, we would have,” says Sharon. “But after that call, we felt much more reassured.”

A Weakness for Raisins

The incident at Sharon and Bill’s home wasn’t the only time Lula had gotten into raisins. At her home, Lula once finished off a bag of chocolate-covered raisins, necessitating a trip to an emergency veterinary clinic where she was placed on fluids overnight to flush out the toxins.

“Her food motivation gets her into trouble sometimes,” says Kevin. “But there isn’t anything we wouldn’t do for her. She means the world to us; she’s family.”

Lula is part of the family; Sharon and Bill “love her like a grandchild,” says Kevin.

Available 24/7

In 2024, ASPCA Poison Control received 451,712 calls — about one call every 70 seconds — to assist 323,380 animals. To date, ASPCA Poison Control has assisted pet owners with more than 5 million cases regarding toxicology concerns in their animals. The staff includes 25 board-certified toxicologists, 63 veterinarians, 98 certified veterinary technicians and 10 veterinary assistants.

“It’s a lot of people power, and we need it,” says Jackie Klonowski, manager of ASPCA Poison Control office operations. “Animals get into a lot of mischief.”

Human food and drink are a common cause for toxicology-related concerns in dogs, ranking second on the ASPCA’s top ten toxins of 2024 list. Raisins and grapes in particular result in many cases referred to ASPCA Poison Control, with more than 9,300 cases in 2025 so far.

Raisins contain tartaric acid, which ASPCA toxicologists revealed is the suspected toxic component in grapes and raisins in a 2022 research study published in the Journal of Veterinary Emergency and Critical Care. Since dogs are not able to process tartaric acid, exposure to grapes and raisins can lead to gastrointestinal upset, lethargy, excessive thirst, tremors, abdominal pain, and in severe cases, irreversible kidney damage.

For pets who are prone to potentially poisonous misadventures, ASPCA Poison Control is available 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.

“For nearly 50 years, ASPCA Poison Control has been helping pets and their families by providing customized medical advice for cases of accidental poisonings and toxic ingestions, offering a lifesaving resource for pet owners nationwide,” says Dr. Tina Wismer, senior director of toxicology at ASPCA Poison Control. “This milestone represents the application of the deep expertise and compassion of our staff in helping pet owners recognize, respond to and effectively take steps to help their pets, leading to more animal lives saved.”

“It’s great to know this resource is available, especially when you’re faced with a situation like ours,” says Sharon. “We were relieved after the call, knowing the chances were slim that Lula was in any danger.”

If you have any reason to suspect your pet has ingested something toxic, please contact your veterinarian or the 24-hour ASPCA Poison Control hotline at (888) 426-4435.