Can Dogs Eat Onions?
Can Dogs Eat Onions? Onions can potentially harm your dog more than bad breath. That pungent culinary mainstay might flavor your dinner, but it contains a toxin that could develop serious complications in canines.
Why Are Onions Toxic to Dogs?
Can Dogs Eat Onions? Onions have a harmful substance called N-propyl disulfide, which damages a dog’s red blood cells and can lead to anemia.
This toxin works by binding to the oxygen in the cells, weakening their ability to transport it. It also tricks the body into treating those blood cells as invaders, leading to their destruction. The red blood cell is lost in hemolysis and causes hemolytic anemia.
Green onions (Allium fistulosum) and chives (Allium schoenoprasum) are also from the Allium family and are poisonous to dogs. Any kind of onion—red, white, yellow, sweet, green onions, chives, leeks, or even garlic—is not meant for consumption by dogs because they are all members of the Allium family.
How Much Onion Is Toxic to Dogs
Can Dogs Eat Onions? Onion poisoning is always reported in animals that ingest more than 0.5% of their body weight in onions. Large doses of onion ingestion are fatal to dogs. The amount of onion that would be toxic to your dog depends on your dog’s weight and a few other conditions that predispose them to onion poisoning.
Dogs at greater risk of onion poisoning include:
- Japanese breeds (Akita, Shiba Inu)
- Dogs with pre-existing conditions such as diabetes, liver disease, or anemia
- Dogs on certain medications
To help determine how much onion is poisonous based on your dog’s size, it’s helpful to establish some parameters in onion size. For the sake of this exercise, a medium onion would be the size equivalent of a navel orange and would weigh approximately 1/2 pound. An onion this size would have a yield of roughly 1 cup diced onion, or be the equivalent of 1 tablespoon onion powder.
1 medium onion = 1 cup chopped onions = 1 tablespoon (or 3 teaspoons) of onion powder
Symptoms of Onion Toxicity
If your dog ingests onions, they will show signs of illness in a day or so, but sometimes the anemia signs can take days to develop. The following can arise:
- Decreased appetite
- Pale gums
- Lethargy
- Weakeness
- Collapse
- Red tint to the urine
- Vomiting and/or diarrhea
- Rapid heart rate
- Panting
If you notice your dog showing any or all of the symptoms listed above, rush them to the vet to be diagnosed and treated. A quick response can save a life.
What Do I Do if My Dog Has Ate Onions?
Can Dogs Eat Onions? If you think your dog has consumed onion, take them to a veterinarian right away. Don’t attempt to treat your dog yourself, or wait until the symptoms worsen before getting your dog into the vet.
Try to determine how much onion your dog has ingested so that you can inform your vet of how serious the problem is.
Symptoms of onion toxicity
Onions affect dogs in 2 ways – upset stomach (gastroenteritis) and reduced number of red blood cells (anaemia).
Symptoms of gastroenteritis in dogs are:
- Vomiting
- Diarrhea
- Not eating
- Drooling
- Being extremely weak or lacking energy
- Stumbling or loss of coordination
Symptoms of anaemia in dogs are:
- Red or brown-colored urine
- Passing out or weakness
- Sleepiness
- Pale gums
- Not eating
- Racing heartbeat
- Vomiting
- Panting
The symptoms will take 24 hours or a few days to manifest but don’t wait. If your dog stepped on an onion, call the vet right away.
They might give your dog an injection to cause them to vomit, so they can avoid onion toxicity symptoms, or activated charcoal to remove toxins.
If your dog is suffering from gastroenteritis, they may require IV fluids for rehydration along with medication to control the symptoms.
In very severe cases of anaemia, a dog will require a blood transfusion.
That’s all pretty scary, but take comfort in the fact that almost all dogs survive fully from allium poisoning if treated.
Onion alternatives – vegetables safe for dogs
Of course, you’d prefer your dog’s food to be healthy and delicious. The best part is that a lot of other vegetables are perfect for dogs, including:
For an easy way to provide your dog with more fibre and nutrients in their diet, check out our tailor-made raw meal plans.
Healthy Vegetables for Dogs
Can Dogs Eat Onions? Giving your dog small amounts of certain human foods occasionally, alongside their regular pet food, can be fine. Vegetables that are good to use as dog treats are cucumbers, carrots, celery, and broccoli. Brussels sprouts and cabbage work well too, but overfeeding can make your dog gassy. Green beans are excellent and can be easily added to dog food; however, be mindful of the salt level if using canned green beans as a treat for your dog, as excessive sodium can create other health problems.
Before Sharing With Your Pooch
Can Dogs Eat Onions? Some of these human foods are known to cause reaction in dogs, therefore, please consult your veterinarian in determining if it is safe to include them in your pet’s diet. This article is for educational and informational purposes only and does not constitute medical or dietary advice.