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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Mothers chihuahua ate half of my babies grape

356 replies

Anonymous23458d · 19/08/2025 14:37

Just as the title states.. I took my boys 1 and 3 years old to my mothers. She never makes the effort to visit us i see her every other week. She lives with my two other older siblings and my dad. Last year they've bought another chihuahua that is just crazy. They don't train it it bites my children and now my baby is crawling it bites his face and is vicious, it steals food and items and growls when I try and get them. They don't do anything to help just idolise this dog. They have about a 2 metre crate for it, which I have to put it in when it gets vicious with my children.
I went because my eldest loves my older sister who lives there and loves seeing her. I was feeding my one year old downstairs whilst the dog was upstairs. I didn't realise the dog ran down and at the same time my baby threw one half of a grape then another one and the dog ran and ate them up. My sister and mum started screaming and rang the vet who said they must rush her down. All the while so hostile and angry at me when I said I didn't realise and im sorry. I know dogs cant eat grapes but I have a baby and toddler and thought the dog was upstairs. It's hard to manage in basically a glass house with so many ornaments and crap everywhere. It's the opposite of baby proof which I don't expect it to be but she doesn't even help me one bit when I come round. My mum only has interest in her new dog not her grandchildren. She has now sent me the receipt for £105 she's had to pay to make the dog be sick at the vets. I am not paying it and for one don't have that money. AiBu?

OP posts:
Livpool · 19/08/2025 19:04

Don’t pay and stop going there. Protect your children and your mental health!

Northernlassie1974 · 19/08/2025 19:04

if your baby had eaten something, for example a tablet left on your mums floor, would you blame her for it and ask her to pay medical bills or would everyone agree you are responsible for safeguarding your child wherever you are and need to foot the bills yourself?
Id think it would be option 2.
Dont pay and dont go there again, if they ever visit, dog doesn’t come!

LovePoppy · 19/08/2025 19:05

You seriously need to stop taking your children somewhere so unsafe!

AD1509 · 19/08/2025 19:07

Returnofjude · 19/08/2025 19:00

you asked a poster a question
I speculated an answer

🤷‍♀️

Ok- doesn’t feel like a particularly nuanced
response though? That males are generally twats? Im also not male….

SweetHydrangea · 19/08/2025 19:11

I wouldn’t pay anything. If the dog was trained properly it wouldn’t have eaten the grape, so it’s your mums fault as far as I’m concerned. I also wouldn’t be going be back there with a dog of any size that bites my children, so it doesn’t really matter if she gets in a huff about it. Doesn’t sound like you have a lot to lose if she stops speaking to you op.

Mapletree1985 · 19/08/2025 19:11

Anonymous23458d · 19/08/2025 14:37

Just as the title states.. I took my boys 1 and 3 years old to my mothers. She never makes the effort to visit us i see her every other week. She lives with my two other older siblings and my dad. Last year they've bought another chihuahua that is just crazy. They don't train it it bites my children and now my baby is crawling it bites his face and is vicious, it steals food and items and growls when I try and get them. They don't do anything to help just idolise this dog. They have about a 2 metre crate for it, which I have to put it in when it gets vicious with my children.
I went because my eldest loves my older sister who lives there and loves seeing her. I was feeding my one year old downstairs whilst the dog was upstairs. I didn't realise the dog ran down and at the same time my baby threw one half of a grape then another one and the dog ran and ate them up. My sister and mum started screaming and rang the vet who said they must rush her down. All the while so hostile and angry at me when I said I didn't realise and im sorry. I know dogs cant eat grapes but I have a baby and toddler and thought the dog was upstairs. It's hard to manage in basically a glass house with so many ornaments and crap everywhere. It's the opposite of baby proof which I don't expect it to be but she doesn't even help me one bit when I come round. My mum only has interest in her new dog not her grandchildren. She has now sent me the receipt for £105 she's had to pay to make the dog be sick at the vets. I am not paying it and for one don't have that money. AiBu?

My dog frequently ate grapes - and chocolate! - because he was a greedy thief, and he lived to be 15. They were unreasonable to rush it to the vet. I would not pay.

Returnofjude · 19/08/2025 19:13

AD1509 · 19/08/2025 19:07

Ok- doesn’t feel like a particularly nuanced
response though? That males are generally twats? Im also not male….

Seriously, did you read my post?

I don’t think men are generally twats. Far from it.

I think men that post on mumsnet are generally twats

AD1509 · 19/08/2025 19:18

Returnofjude · 19/08/2025 19:13

Seriously, did you read my post?

I don’t think men are generally twats. Far from it.

I think men that post on mumsnet are generally twats

Apologies I’ll clarify- I am currently posting on mumsnet (which I think is obvious to all with the capability to read) and I am in no way a male. Unless your responding comment speculating to the response to my previous post was in fact no way correlated to me and somewhat random?

jen337 · 19/08/2025 19:20

Since when can’t dogs eat grapes??

Returnofjude · 19/08/2025 19:20

AD1509 · 19/08/2025 19:18

Apologies I’ll clarify- I am currently posting on mumsnet (which I think is obvious to all with the capability to read) and I am in no way a male. Unless your responding comment speculating to the response to my previous post was in fact no way correlated to me and somewhat random?

Apology accepted

AD1509 · 19/08/2025 19:21

Returnofjude · 19/08/2025 19:20

Apology accepted

Lovely!

CountryMouse22 · 19/08/2025 19:21

Deleted

GladiatoooorsReadyyyy · 19/08/2025 19:23

YABU to even consider taking your kids there when you know there’s a dog - regardless of its size - that attacks them

WooleyMunky · 19/08/2025 19:25

upandleftthenright · 19/08/2025 14:45

Hmmm. I think you are being unreasonable as you knew grapes were an issue and your DD threw them on the floor, thus opening up the possibility of a dog eating them. They need to supervise their dog, you equally need to supervise you child.

Always a Lampard...

northernerinsomerset · 19/08/2025 19:26

That would put me off going around to visit,they sound more bothered about the dog than your children.If that was me I wouldn’t bother again.

Murdoch1949 · 19/08/2025 19:27

The only unreasonable aspect is that you continue to take your children to a house where there is an out of control yappy little ankle biter. There is obviously no interest in you or your children from this strange family, or they would visit you or meet you in a convenient park etc. You say you put the dog in the crate, but you didn't on the day of the grape stealing incident. Protect your very young children.

GertieLawrence · 19/08/2025 19:27

Jackiepumpkinhead · 19/08/2025 15:44

They can be highly toxic, especially to a small dog like a chihuahua.

True. According to my vet, they’ve known one raisin to be fatal before so I imagine grapes would be similar. I’ve banned raisins and grapes from my house, bloody husband makes more mess than a toddler and visitors are clueless.

WaltzingWaters · 19/08/2025 19:30

Do not take your children to your mums house again with the dog there. They could be in real danger and your mum obviously doesn’t give a shit about keeping the dog in the crate and keeping her grandchildren safe. Your sister can get over her issues and visit you if she wants a relationship with you or your children. But it sounds as if no/low contact is the way to go.
I wouldn’t be paying the vets bill, no, when the dog shouldn’t have been in that area.

Horsie · 19/08/2025 19:44

That dog needs a muzzle near children. Let me guess...they will never muzzle their sweet baby. 🙄

No way should you pay that bill. You have a child to provide for, and your stupid mother should have left that dog at home.

Sorry OP. Handhold for you. Families can be the fucking worst.

Rosscameasdoody · 19/08/2025 19:53

ShesTheAlbatross · 19/08/2025 14:40

I wouldn’t have apologised, I wouldn’t be paying, and I wouldn’t be visiting again. This dog bites your children! I find it hard to believe you still visit, no matter how much your eldest likes your sister.

This. And the vet is ripping OP off. Grapes are harmful to dogs but in proportion to their weight. One grape isn’t going to hurt the dog.

Rosscameasdoody · 19/08/2025 19:54

GertieLawrence · 19/08/2025 19:27

True. According to my vet, they’ve known one raisin to be fatal before so I imagine grapes would be similar. I’ve banned raisins and grapes from my house, bloody husband makes more mess than a toddler and visitors are clueless.

BiL is a vet. Grapes and raisins are poisonous to dogs in proportion to their weight. The average small dog wouldn’t be affected by one grape.

TearsForFears25 · 19/08/2025 19:56

Don’t pay, don’t visit again OP

Rosscameasdoody · 19/08/2025 19:57

jen337 · 19/08/2025 19:20

Since when can’t dogs eat grapes??

They’re toxic and so are raisins but MN tends to catastrophise. One grape isn’t likely to harm a dog the size of a chihuahua because safe consumption is proportionate to the weight of the dog. Our Parsons Russell loves grapes and we have to keep them well out of his way. My BiL is a vet and on hearing the dog had eaten one or two grapes he’d managed to snaffle he said just to keep an eye on him because a dog that size (he’s a fatty) would be able to safely eat up to half a dozen grapes with no ill effect.

Mrsttcno1 · 19/08/2025 20:13

Either you’re being

Mrsttcno1 · 19/08/2025 20:14

Too soon:

Either you’re being dramatic about the whole dog situation, in which case yes I’d offer to pay the bill or at least contribute to it.

Or the dog genuinely IS vicious in which case why on earth do you keep taking your kids back?

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