Can Dogs Eat Onions?
Can Dogs Eat Onions? Onions are a common staple in many kitchens, bringing delicious smells and savory flavor to some of our beloved foods. This particular food is, however, toxic to dogs.
Following is some helpful information on why it’s a bad idea for dogs to eat onions and how to respond if your dog has ingested raw onions, cooked onions, or any meal that includes onions or onion powder.
Are Onions Toxic to Dogs?
Yes, onions are poisonous to dogs and must not be eaten. Raw or cooked, all varieties of the onion and onion plant are poisonous to dogs, such as the bulb, the leaves, juice, and processed dehydrated powders. None of the onion varieties must be a part of your pet’s food or snacks. A precaution should also be exercised not to let dogs into any onion beds or wild onion beds.
Onions are of the genus Allium, and their scientific classification is Allium cepa (in which “cepa” is Latin for “onion”).
Onions contain a harmful compound called N-propyl disulfide, which damages red blood cells and leads to their breakdown. Breakdown of the red blood cells, known as hemolysis, causes anemia and reddening or brownish coloration of urine. Anemia results in body organs failing to receive enough oxygen. In extreme conditions, this can lead to failure of organs and death.
Symptoms of Onion Poisoning in Canines
If your pet consumes onions, signs of illness may not appear until after 24 hours or more. Take your pet to the vet if they ate the quantities on the above chart or display the following symptoms:
- Vomiting
- Diarrhea
- Refusal to eat
- Abdominal tenderness
- Pale gums
- Lethargy/Weakness
- Stumbling or loss of balance
- Exercise intolerance
- Red or brown urine
- Elevated respiratory rate
- Elevated heart rate
What If My Dog Ate Onions?
Can Dogs Eat Onions?Don’t cause vomiting at home unless you have specifically been told to do so by a vet. If you think your pet has ingested onions, or you noticed them eating onions, don’t delay and go to the vet. Your dogs must be treated immediately.
If your pet has ingested onions, the initial action is to identify the amount of onion or product of onion ingested. If you do not know, or amounts are close or higher than those given in the table above, take your pet to the vet immediately.
You can also contact your veterinarian, the Pet Poison Helpline at 855-764-7661, or the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center at 888-426-4435 for additional advice in determining whether your pet should be seen at the emergency room.
What Components of Onions Are Poisonous to Dogs?
Dogs are poisoned by all parts of the onion plant, meat, greens, juice, and powdered forms. Raw or cooked, fried or in powder form, onions and all the rest of the allium family, including shallots, leeks, chives, and garlic, are toxic to dogs.
Garlic and onion powders are far more concentrated than fresh onions and turn up in an astounding variety of foods, from soups to baby food. It’s always a good idea to read the label on any human food we feed our dogs. Anything containing onion powder should be on your “don’t feeds” list.
As a cautionary note to multi-species household pet owners, onions are more toxic to cats than they are to dogs, so don’t stuff both canine and feline bellies with onion treats.
How Much Onion Is Toxic to Dogs?
It takes only 100 grams of onion (the amount in a medium onion) per 20 kilograms of body weight in a dog to be toxic, so a 45-pound dog would only need to ingest one large or medium onion to reach toxic levels of toxicity.
Because it’s not unusual for most dogs to gorge on a bag of forgotten onion rings or an onion casserole if they could, this is a significant issue.
Symptoms of Onion Poisoning in Dogs
If you suspect that your dog consumed onions, check for symptoms of anemia, such as:
Can Dogs Eat Onions? Additional signs of onion poisoning in dogs can include vomiting, rapid heartbeat, and excessive panting.
If you notice any of these symptoms, it’s crucial to take your dog to a veterinarian right away. The vet will assess your pet’s condition through physical symptoms and confirm it with blood tests. If your vet does develop hemolytic anemia or Heinz body in a blood smear, and that is in conjunction with recent onion exposure, then all the symptoms will be attributed to onion toxicity.
There are numerous diseases, though, which produce hemolytic anemia, so proper diagnosis must be obtained in order to treat your dog correctly.
How Are Dogs Treated for Onion Toxicity?
Can Dogs Eat Onions? Treatment of onion poisoning varies with the quantity of onion your dog consumed and when he consumed it. If you catch your dog ingesting onion and are able to rush him to the vet, the vet can induce vomiting in an attempt to get the onion out of your dog’s body before it is absorbed. This works only as a prevention if you are able to act quickly enough, however.
If your dog has onion toxicity, they will require supportive therapy. In severe cases when the dog is critically ill, blood transfusion might be required.
In case your dog’s red blood cells are severely damaged, your vet will also offer follow-up care to restore them to their normal happy healthy state.
Preventing Onion Toxicity
Can Dogs Eat Onions? Always keep onions away from your dog since these vegetables are very harmful if consumed. In addition to this, do not forget to check the ingredient labels before giving any human foods to your dog since many prepared soups and sauces have onions in them. Even better, simply stick to feeding your dog food and treats specifically designed for dogs.