Can Dogs Drink Grape Juice?

In this research you will know the answer to the query “Can Dogs Drink Grape Juice?“.

You are doubtless aware that one of the biggest brands in the US is Welch grape juice if grape juice is one of your familys staples.

Welch invented grape juice in a way we are familiar with today but many people are unaware of this.

The first batch of grape juice that Welch made was in 1869 so that he could serve it at his local church. 

No matter how non-alcoholic it might be is this juice suitable for sharing with your pet?

But before I get into the details of how grape juice can benefit your dog let me whet your appetite with a few fun facts about grape juice!

What is grape juice? Can dogs drink juice?

As a result of crushing and pulping grapes grape juice is the liquid left behind.

Every year the staff is estimated to be sold for just over a billion dollars in the United States. 

A person who drinks about a liter per year would be equivalent to one adult…

A large number of Welchs grapes are grown in Washington one of the states largest wine producers.

The grape juice they make at this plant is equivalent to more than 20 million gallons. 

Thats fine and dandy but what does that mean for how your dog should deal with grape juice?

Is grape juice bad for dogs? How and why are grapes toxic to dogs?

Dog owners are probably aware of how deadly grapes can be to a dog if it eats them.

The question of whether your dog can eat certain foods and drink certain juices is not one I can answer in a way that is plain and simple.

When it comes to grape juice however its simple.

Your dog should not drink eat or lick this stuff because it is so toxic that it might kill them.

Grapes grape juice and even raisins are toxic to dogs for unknown reasons. 

All they know is that they are. 

Dogs weighing 18 pounds (9 kg) can die from just five grapes. 

In terms of size 18lbs would be considered small – think Boston Terrier or Dachshund.

Still five grapes?

Dogs are not all affected by grape poisoning which is also strange.

While some dogs have died after eating five grapes others are not hurt after eating a whole bunch.

A dogs size or breed is not related to this condition. 

But is grape juice toxic?

Can Dogs Drink Grape Juice? Is grape juice toxic to dogs?

A dog might be affected differently by grapes than grape juice something that can be argued.

There are preservatives and sweeteners in grape juice – its not 100% juice.

Furthermore grape juice contains no skin pips or seeds of the grape.

Cherry pits are very dangerous for dogs (because of the cyanide they contain) but the flesh and skin are not.

Wouldnot it be the same for grapes?

All these points are related so I will address them all together.

It is important to note that most of the best selling grape juices do not contain just grape juice.

Water (filtered do not you know) is usually part of these ingredients as is ascorbic acid (which boosts vitamin C content) and citric acid which adds a bit of bite or tartness to the taste. 

We do not know what the ratio of grape juice to water is but we do know there is more juice than water since grape juice is listed first in the list.

Adding all these ingredients to the juice does not make grape juice less toxic than fresh grapes because we do not know why grapes are more toxic to some dogs than others.

Therefore we do not know how many grapes or how much grape juice it would take to poison a dog.

Similarly cherries can be compared to apples in the same way.

Once the pip has been removed cherries become much less toxic.

Due to the lack of veterinarian knowledge about what makes grapes harmful to dogs grape juice cannot be argued to be dog safe since its skin and seeds are removed.

It is unclear whether grape juice contains seeds or skin.

Based on my online research I can confirm that Welchs grape juice does contain uniquely the pulp from grapes. 

What varieties of grape juice are there? Can dogs have grape juice?

There are quite a few varieties and flavors of grape juice.

Purple and white grape juice make up the majority of grape juice varieties.

Concord grapes are used to make purple juice and Niagara grapes are used to make white juice.

Each grape variety is a solid American variety. 

There are essentially two types of juice in the United States: purple grape juice and white grape juice. 

In addition you can have peach apple cherry and other fruit flavors in grape juices. 

White grape juice varieties typically have additional flavors blended in with them. 

In this case the interesting thing is that the juice is made from many more fruits than you might expect.

Simply drink white grape juice with cherry flavor.

There is juice from grapes and cherries in this blend. 

Despite not appearing on the label as a flavor it also contains apple and pear juice. 

The combination of grape juice with cranberries is also very popular. 

You should not give your dog any of these varieties or flavors. 

What are the symptoms of grape poisoning?

After all is said and done what if your dog has managed to slurp some grape juice from an unattended glass on the counter or from a careless spill by one of the kids that left a big grape puddle on the floor?

When does grape poisoning manifest- the dreaded symptoms? 

There are no particular symptoms associated with grape poisoning that make it distinctive from many other diseases.

Vomiting is the most common symptom which may be accompanied by low energy and diarrhea.

Grape juice-induced symptoms should appear within six to twelve hours of the dog ingesting it. Leaving the kidneys untreated for more than 24 hours causes irreversible damage.

There is a possibility that a dog may die within three days of the incident.

If there are symptoms what next?

It is really impossible to carry on with your day if your dog displays these symptoms and you cannot find any other explanation for how they are acting. Therefore you should make an appointment with your veterinarian to find out more. 

Why are many fruit juices a bad idea for dogs?

By now you might be breathing a huge sigh of relief that you looked online for some advice before giving your dog a dribble of grape juice.

There are not many other fruits whose juices are safe for your dog to consume.

Except for the juice of grape or cherry this is true. 

However there is a problem.

The packaging and sun-drenched advertisements for fruit juices may make them appear healthy but they are not.

I am referring to people as well as to dogs.

According to research fruit juices have more calories per calorie than fizzy drinks.

This is pretty frightening isnot it? 

Sugar-filled fruit juices can cause obesity as they contain a high content of sugar. 

Sugar is present in every fruit juice.

Even though a piece of fruit contains the same amount of sugar as juice the flesh of the fruit lowers the effects of the sugar on our bodies.

Juices contain sugar as well as fruit acids that can harm more than just dogs’ waistlines.

Acids in fruit are extremely damaging to teeth.

In a study cited in this research eating oranges frequently softened the enamel on your teeth by over 80%.

This means you can claim that the study does not matter because its about humans rather than dogs.

Although the same materials make up dog and human teeth dogs’ teeth are not made from hard materials. 

The truth is dogs do not need to drink fruit juices since they’re much better at drinking water than we are.

Why is drinking water so important to dogs?

What are you talking about?

Dogs are much better at dealing with water than humans?

You’re out of your mind are not you?

Please consider my argument. 

Though some of what I just said is exaggerated there is much truth to it as well.

If water had a bit more flavor we might drink more of it.

It does not seem like much is going on in our taste buds when we drink water does it?

You make a very good point very well stated.

Water on the other hand has a very different taste to dogs than it does to us due to the way their taste buds are arranged on their tongues.

If compared to human tongues dogs lap the water up with their tongue and the front of their tongue (which meets water) is filled with taste buds.

Check out this fascinating but ultra slow video of a dog drinking. 

A dog therefore enjoys the taste of water.

This tastes even better when they’re thirsty. 

If you want to read more about dog food tips read here: Dog Food Tips and Tricks.

Can Dogs Drink Grape Juice? (Watch Video)