Is Currants (dried / Zante currants) safe for cats and dogs?
| Species | Verdict |
|---|---|
| Cats | Caution |
| Dogs | Toxic |
Severity: Severe
Read the full first-aid guide: what to do if your pet ate something toxic
The dried 'currants' on a US grocery shelf -- spooned into scones, trail mix, and boxed cereal -- are Zante currants, which VCA Hospitals and Pet Poison Helpline both confirm are actually a small dried grape (Vitis), botanically identical in risk to raisins and capable of triggering acute kidney failure in dogs with no established safe dose. That is a completely different plant from black currant (Ribes nigrum), the fruit used in US black currant jam, juice, and cordial, which belongs to the gooseberry family and carries no established kidney risk in dogs. Packaging rarely spells out the distinction -- a box just says 'currants' -- so the safest read for a US household is: if it is a dried, raisin-like currant used in baking or snacking, treat it exactly like a raisin; if it is a black currant jam, juice, or cordial, it is a different plant. If a dog eats dried currants of any kind or amount, do not wait for symptoms -- kidney damage can be silent for the first day. Call your vet, ASPCA Animal Poison Control at (888) 426-4435, or Pet Poison Helpline at (855) 764-7661 right away.
Verdict re-verified against vcahospitals.com, 2026-07-26 — confirmed unchanged. Source
This page is for general information only and is not veterinary advice, diagnosis, or treatment. If your pet is showing symptoms, or you think they ate or touched something dangerous, contact your veterinarian or a pet poison-control hotline immediately.
Last verified 2026-07-26