Onions are an individual member belonging to the root vegetable family because they (like garlic) are bulbs and don’t grow as deep as other root veggies. Onions come in white, red, and yellow bulbs, in addition to leeks and chives, and are often a delicious addition to meals and other dishes that are served raw and cooked. They are a great addition to many of our favorite meals, but can dogs take onions? If your dog was eating onions, what would you do?
Can Dogs Eat Onions?
The truth is that onions aren’t suitable for dogs. They’re among the most harmful human food items available to our furry friends. Ingestion of excessive amounts of onions can cause damage to the red blood cells of a dog. It could lead to a severe medical condition known as hemolytic anemia.
Let’s take a deeper review of the toxicity of onions in dogs to be aware of what you can do to keep your dog safe, what the signs of onion poisoning could look like in your pet, and what you should do should your dog accidentally inhale the nutrient-dangerous vegetable.
Why Are Onions Bad for Dogs?
For certain dog food items toxic to dogs, such as grapes, the experts aren’t sure exactly what causes these foods to be dangerous. For onions, however, it is obvious.
Onions contain a toxic compound to dogs, known as N-propyl disulfide. It’s a sulfur compound and is at the heart of why onions are hazardous for dogs.
N-propyl disulfide binds to oxygen molecules in the red blood cells in your dog and causes oxidative damage. This stops these red blood cells from properly carrying oxygen. It’s enough to be harmful by itself. However, it also tricks the dog’s body into thinking that the red blood cells in its system are unhealthy. In this manner, your dog’s body is attacking its red blood cells via an event known as hemolysis.
If it is not treated can result in hemolytic anemia. This means that the red blood cells of your dog are being destroyed more quickly than they can be produced, which can cause severe signs of poisoning and death if treatment is not given.
What do you think of cooking onions?
Cooking onions do not affect the safety and security issues of the onions. However, cooked onions can be poisonous to dogs due to their toxic effect on the red blood cells of a dog. Every type of onion can be deadly to dogs, whether dried, powdered, fresh, or cooked. While onions may not be as harmful to canines as xylitol and grapes, please do not feed your pet onions regardless of whether they’re cooked or raw.
What is broth made in onions?
Suppose you’re cooking meals for your dog or allowing your dog to get a treat off your plate. In that case, you should avoid eating anything with your pet that has been cooked using onions, including onion in the broth. Hinder suggests that “although an insignificant amount of onion is not likely to cause issues, it’s better to avoid it altogether .”
Also, if you’re buying a broth that has been made, be sure to read the label on the broth and choose one that does not contain onions. Hinder suggests that dog owners also search for onion powder in the pre-made food items and beware of using it in any recipe you are sharing with your dog since it comprises ground and dried onions, which could be harmful to your dog.
It doesn’t matter if you’re using the juice of flesh, leaves, or even the juice of any part of onions that could cause problems with dogs. Don’t cook anything with onions for your pet or even powdered onion.
What do you do when your dog has eaten onions?
To ensure your safety, keep all onion products and any other items that contain onions out of reach of your pets. What happens if you’re cooking and throwing a piece of onion on the floor, or a person shares a bite of their meal with your dog containing onions? Although we wouldn’t want our pets to eat onions, having the chance to eat something that contains onion won’t cause your pet to be sick. “Your dog probably would not eat enough to cause a real problem because dogs typically don’t like the taste,” Dr. Werber says.
If you believe your dog has eaten onions in large amounts or suffers from a lack of well, the Doctor. Werber suggests seeking immediate medical attention from a veterinarian. The vet is competent to assess your dog’s condition and determine if treatments are required.
Signs of toxicity to onions are signs of anemia when your dog is deficient in white blood cell count. Be aware of decreased appetite, weakness, lethargy, and pale gums. The ASPCA’s animal poison control site (aspca.org/animal-poison-control) also says that clinical signs include vomiting, panting, and high heart rate. Take your dog to a veterinarian if you observe any of these signs.
Foods Similar To Onions That Can Be Harmful
Onions are part of the family of alliums, which includes root vegetables. The alliums consist of garlic and shallots, leeks, scallions (also called the green onion), and chives. Each of these vegetables can be dangerous to your dog. Garlic contains a higher amount of N-propyl disulfide than regular onions, which means it could cause harm to your dog more quickly.
Be aware that a large portion of food items contain garlic, onions, or even garlic powder in the form of an ingredient. Your dog may not gobble down on a whole onion that fell to your kitchen floor even though it’s possible. However, they are bound to go after the delicious onion ring or even a little bit of the breakfast quiche.
Signs of Onion Toxicity in Dogs
If your dog is fed lots of onions or other related food within a short period, toxicity may develop rapidly. However, it’s more likely that the symptoms show up only a few days after the incident.
It is also possible for N-propyl disulfide to gradually accumulate in the blood due to the dog’s diet of tiny amounts of allium-family-style food for a prolonged period.
What Are the Symptoms of Onion Toxicity?
If your dog consumes onions, there is a possibility that your dog will get sick. Therefore, it is essential to be aware of the signs of toxic effects of onions. The symptoms of toxicity to onions include:
- Lethargy
- Appetit loss
- Pale gums
- Heart rate elevated, and respiratory rate
- Vomiting
- Diarrhea
- ataxia (an absence of coordination)
- Discolored urine
If not treated, A dog suffering from onion poisoning could suffer from kidney failure or death.
What amount of onion can make an animal sick?
Another reason why onions and alliums are dangerous is that it’s not necessary to consume a considerable amount to trigger serious health issues for dogs. In general, toxicity is triggered when a dog consumes more than 0.5 percent of its weight of onions.
It is crucial to know which kinds of human food your dog can safely take in as there are suitable food items for the dog. Still, some human foods could be harmful to your pet’s well-being. In simple terms, even a tiny amount of garlic, onion,s, or any other poisonous allium foods can cause poisoning in dogs easily. Eating a tiny amount of onion may be safe for a mastiff weighing 150 pounds if the pet is small. However, it could cause serious health issues for a dog of 10 pounds like the chihuahua.
Conclusion
Avoid all human food and give your dog food and treats specifically designed for dogs. Make sure that onions are away from your pet as they are incredibly harmful in the event of ingestion. Also, examine the ingredients before introducing any human food to your pet. Many ready-made sauces and soups are made with onions.
Now that you know onions are harmful to dogs, why not more about your dog’s diet?
