Gardeners are being warned over leaving raisins on bird feeders (Image: Getty)
It seems like a great way to help out the wildlife in your back garden and for decades gardeners have been leaving seeds, nuts and raisins in their green spaces in order to help provide food for ailing bird populations.
With figures showing bird species have declined by as much as 16% in the UK since the 1970s, it’s never been more important to do what we can to help our feathered friends outside.
But a food website has raised the alarm over one possible drawback of using raisins on your bird tables or in bird feeders.
That’s because raisins are actually toxic to dogs, and may cause kidney failure in dogs which eat them.
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Really Wild Bird Food says; “If you’re looking for a seed mixture that contains raisins, why not try our Ground Blend? See also our Raisin-Free Ground Blend.
“NOTE: These are raisins for birds only! They may look delicious, but they are not suitable for human consumption. Also, raisins can be nephrotoxic to some dogs and may cause kidney failure.
“It’s not known which dogs are affected – that is, until a susceptible dog eats them and becomes unwell – so please do not allow your pets to eat these raisins either.”
Vets charity the PDSA expounds on this, explaining how these dried fruits can end up killing your beloved pet.
It says: “Grapes, raisins, sultanas and currants are all potentially poisonous to dogs. If eaten they can cause gut problems and in serious cases, kidney failure.
“The toxic dose varies from dog to dog, but in some cases, can be very small (i.e. some dogs don’t have to eat much of the fruit to become poorly). Treatment should be given quickly because left untreated, grape/raisin/currant/sultana poisoning can cause death.”
It adds: “Grapes, raisins, currants and sultanas are all part of a family of fruit called ‘Vitis vinifera’ that can cause gut and kidney problems in dogs.
“We don’t currently know how these fruits cause poisoning, but we do know that dogs can become extremely poorly (and sometimes even die) after eating very small amounts of them (especially the dried fruits).
“Interestingly, symptoms of poisoning can vary a lot from one dog to the next. Some appear to be mostly unaffected by the fruits, whereas others develop severe symptoms just a few hours after eating them.
“Unfortunately, it’s impossible to know whether a dog will be severely affected or not, even if they have eaten the fruit before without issues.”
So if you are planning on leaving raisins out for the birds, be sure that they won’t be eaten by your pets. Otherwise, it might be better to opt for a raisin-free feed mix to be on the safe side.