Can Dogs Eat Nutmeg? Is Nutmeg Safe For Dogs

Can Dogs Eat Onion? Is Onions Safe For Dogs? 

Can Dogs Eat Onion? Is Onions Safe For Dogs? 

Most of us, dog owners, now know that onions are bad for dogs. However, it may be time for us to learn other details, like why are they bad?

What should you do if your dog can eat onions? How much onion is bad for dogs? How serious is this onion business?

No, dogs should not eat onions. The fact is that our pets do not have the same type of digestive tract that we do, and without their knowledge, the food we eat is sometimes toxic to our little furry babies. If you bring home delicious onion rings and leave them on the kitchen table, your dog will eat them.


But we now know that dogs do not eat what is good for them; if they did, we would not have to open their mouths to remove the banned items when they investigate the open spaces.

Why Can Not Dogs Eat Onions?

Onions and other members of the allium family - including garlic, shallots, leeks, and chives - can cause hemolytic anemia in dogs and cats, which can be fatal. According to the national institute of heart, lungs, and blood, hemolytic anemia is "a disease in which red blood cells are destroyed and eliminated from the blood before the end of their normal life ... when blood cells die, the bone marrow produces more blood, However, in hemolytic anemia, the bone marrow can not produce red blood cells fast enough to meet the needs of the body. "

The body uses red blood cells to carry oxygen in your body and remove it from oxygen. When you do not have enough red blood cells, you experience pain, fatigue, irregular heartbeat, heart enlargement, or even heart failure. These are all symptoms of hemolytic anemia, says the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute.

People with hemolytic anemia may be born with this disease or have it in their lifetime. It's a serious, sometimes life-threatening disease for pets and pets, but people do not catch it by eating onions. However, dogs can easily get it.

How Many Onions Can Dogs Eat?

Can Dogs Eat Onion? Is Onions Safe For Dogs? 

The answer, of course, is that you do not want your dog to eat onions, garlic or other vegetables from the allium family. Yet, a dog can easily eat it before you know it. For example, your child could give the dog some of the baked ziti you have prepared for dinner, as well as his delicious sausages and cheese, as well as onion and garlic! Is it dangerous?

According to the NYC Animal Medical Center, onion toxicity appears to occur when animals consume more than 0.5% of their weight in onions at a time. In other words, a quarter cup can make a 20-pound dog sick. Plus, it does not matter if the onions or garlic are cooked or raw - even garlic or onion salt consumed in small amounts can make a pet sick.

A few years ago, some cats had hemolytic anemia while being cared for by their veterinarians. This is what happened with sick cats who could not eat their usual food. Veterinarians gave them baby meat, thinking they would be easier to handle for their digestive tract. However, it turned out that baby food had been scented with onion powder. Just this small amount was enough to make cats sick. Now, baby foods no longer contain onion powder.

What To Do If Your Dog Has Eaten Onions

Can Dogs Eat Onion? Is Onions Safe For Dogs? 

Will my dog ​​get sick in half an hour or immediately? How can I tell if he has eaten onions or not? What signs should I look at? All of these questions may come to mind when you pay close attention to your dogs.

Dr. Jessica Potosky, DMV, Sanford Animal Hospital, says that if you know that your dog has eaten allium family plants, you should contact your veterinarian or emergency clinic immediately. The veterinarian will advise you on how to decontaminate and induce vomiting if swallowed within the last 30 minutes to one hour. If it's been more than an hour, Dr. Potosky says, "We recommend veterinary care for 1) activated carbon decontamination to limit toxin absorption in the gastrointestinal tract, 2) IV fluids for maintaining hydration 3) monitor your pet's progress. "

She adds, "Most of the time, blood tests and clinical signs do not manifest until at least one day after exposure, so when your dog shows signs of allergy intoxication, veterinary care are urgently needed. "

So you see why it's important to act quickly if you notice any of the symptoms of allium poisoning. The symptoms do not appear right away! Your dog snuck into the bin and ate half of the lasagna, or you fed him delicious leftovers accidentally filled with onions. Three days later, he began to show alarming symptoms.

Here are some of the signs to watch for:

1. Excessive fatigue or weakness
2. Lack of coordination
3. Vomiting and/or diarrhea
4. Increased heart rate
5. Urine red or brown

Hyper-salivation and increased respiratory rate

Preventive Measures To Protect Your Dog

Can Dogs Eat Onion? Is Onions Safe For Dogs? 

We are all tired of the same food all the time and we want variety. Should dogs only eat boring food? No, they do not do it. Dogs can eat a lot of the same foods as people, but they are not people (although many people think so!) And they do not have the same digestive tract as us. The best thing to do for your dog is to look for safe foods for dogs.

Is It Bad If My Dog ​​Ate Onions?

Dogs can actually get sick with raw, cooked onions. And the harm a duck can do to a dog goes far beyond bad breath - it can even be fatal.

The toxic agent for dogs in onions is known as N-propyl disulfide or thiosulfate. It is a compound that causes red blood cell degradation because dogs do not have the enzyme needed to digest this substance. This can lead to anemia in dogs, among other potential health problems.

Specifically, the toxic part of an onion can damage your dog's red blood cells by attaching to the oxygen-carrying protein called hemoglobin found in your dog's red blood cells. This will reduce the ability of red blood cells to carry oxygen in the animal and will also cause your dog's body to think that the blood cell is an invader. This triggers a process called hemolysis, which destroys red blood cells and causes hemolytic anemia.

When hemoglobin is oxidized, it forms clusters called Heinz bodies. These Heinz bodies can not carry oxygen and will cause red blood cells to carry it less efficiently.

What Part Of An Onion is Toxic To Dogs?

Can Dogs Eat Onion? Is Onions Safe For Dogs? 

No specific part of an onion contains harmful toxins for dogs, it's their content! This includes flesh, juice, leaves and even processed powders. This means that onions can be harmful to dogs if they are eaten even after they have been cooked, dried or powdered.

In fact, all the other foods in the allium family, including garlic, shallots, leeks, and chives, are also harmful to dogs because they contain the same toxin. Onion and garlic powders are actually even more powerful than fresh onions, which is extremely dangerous news because they are present in many human foods. Always check the food labels you give your dog to make sure no onion or garlic powder is included.

Onion powder is also present in a surprisingly wide range of foods for human health, and it does not take a lot of onion for a dog to get sick. For example, a 45-pound dog would need to eat only a medium bunion to experience dangerous levels of toxicity. It is difficult to keep a watchful eye on a dog at all times when food is eaten, but it must be onions.

How Many Onions Do You Need To Make a Dog Sick?

Many factors determine the amount of onion needed to cause problems for your dog, including the amount ingested, dog size and other biological factors. Generally, if your dog is eating a small number of onions, he will probably be fine. However, if he consumes onions frequently, this can lead to health problems.

If the dog consumes a large number of onions at a time, your dog may suddenly develop anemia for the following days. Consuming small amounts over some time can cause the progressive development of anemia.


Onions that are eaten must also not be believed to cause damage. They can be dehydrated in soups, fried in onion rings or otherwise prepared. Onion powder in baby foods is known to cause a series of poisonings, as young children often leave dogs eating or lying around looking for their dogs.

What To Do If Your Dog Eats Onions

Can Dogs Eat Onion? Is Onions Safe For Dogs? 

If you see your dog eating onions or if you suspect that your dog has eaten it, it is best to seek immediate veterinary care, especially if your dog seems to be feeling unwell, or if he is tired and low. Your veterinarian will evaluate your dog and take the necessary action.

Once at your vet, the treatment depends on when your dog has eaten the onions. If it's just before you have your dog brought to the vet, your vet will usually throw up to free your dog's stomach. They can also use activated charcoal to treat intoxication as well as possible allergic reactions.

Activated charcoal reduces the absorption of onions in the gastrointestinal tract. After this initial treatment, your veterinarian can also wash and dry your dog to prevent the risk of skin infection. You may also need to monitor your dog for a specific period and make sure he stays hydrated.

In cases where the dog is more seriously ill and anemia has set in, the veterinarian will administer a fluid to his blood, treat any liver damage present, and request blood transfusions if necessary. Some dogs may need extra oxygen to compensate for the reduced red blood cell circulation in their bodies. Sometimes this will require that your dog be kept overnight or longer.

Once you can bring your dog back home, your veterinarian will explain how to monitor your dog, describing the specific signs of anemia that you will need to look for in the next few days.

Since the toxicity of the onion can be fatal in severe cases, it is best to bring your dog to the vet as soon as you suspect something is wrong.

Long-Term Prospects For Dogs With Onion Poisoning

Severe intoxication can be fatal, especially if left untreated, but dogs with mild onion toxicity will recover quickly. You will simply continue to monitor your dog for symptoms and make sure he is unable to ingest other onions.

Train Your Dog To Avoid Onions

Can Dogs Eat Onion? Is Onions Safe For Dogs? 

As we have said a few times in this article, onions are not a joke. A small amount of onion - even if you have a big dog - can potentially poison them. That being said, it is essential that you do not feed anything with your dog, which could possibly contain an onion or onion seasoning, but also that you train your dog not to feed on food that he should not eat. It will take a bit of work on your part! First, we recommend training your dog to follow a series of obedience commands that could save his life. For example, if your dog eats a lot of onions, a simple "no" or "drop" could be the command that will save them from toxicity. It is also important that you train your dog not to beg. Even if we do not think that you, or whoever knows your dog, would ever deliberately give your puppy an onion, the reality is that onions are stealthily placed in many different foods to give aromas. Even more realistic, it's hard to say no to big begging eyes. Accidentally feeding your dog with onions is certainly possible if your dog is begging, so it is best to train your dog to completely avoid this habit. Training your dog to go out in his crate while the family eats can also help avoid any accidental ingestion of onions.