He said: “We were about 400 miles from home, in the countryside near Penicuik,” said Keith, 65, from Essex.
“The minute I saw the plate with nothing on it alarm bells started to ring.
“Knowing how dangerous raisins can be to a dog we weren’t going to leave anything to chance.”
He made a dash to the Vets Now emergency clinic in Edinburgh where the three-year-old was made sick and vomited up 12 raisins and the hot cross bun.
Keith was sent home with a prescription for Ralph last Easter and is speaking out as a warning to other owners amid the usual frenzy of buns and other treats.
“We certainly didn’t expect to find ourselves scrabbling around to find an emergency vet eight hours drive from home,” said Keith.
Nutmeg, another common hot cross bun ingredient, can also be potentially dangerous due to hallucinogenic toxin myristicin.
Laura Playforth, Vets Now’s head of veterinary standards, said: “All grapes, raisins, currants and sultanas can be poisonous to dogs, and potentially poisonous to cats. And the dried versions are more frequently associated with severe symptoms.
“It’s unclear what causes the toxic effects but just one can kill so real caution should be taken with foods, such as hot cross buns, that contain them.
“It’s also worth bearing in mind that inducing vomiting doesn’t clear 100% of the contents of a dog’s stomach so there’s no guarantee this form of treatment will always be successful.”
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