Onions can cause harm to your dog in ways other than bad breath. This spicy culinary staple adds flavor and richness to a wide range of dishes, but can dogs eat onions? Let’s find out together.
Jump Ahead To
Can Dogs Eat Onions?
Onions are harmful to dogs’ health. In fact, they are the most dangerous human foods available to your pets. It appears that eating too many onions may harm a dog’s blood cells, potentially leading to hemolytic anemia, a serious medical condition.
Why Are Onions So Harmful to Dogs?
Specialists are unsure why some poisonous items for dogs, such as grapes, are dangerous. However, when it comes to onions, the answer is self-evident. Dogs are poisoned by N-propyl disulfide, a molecule found in onions. This molecule is a sulfur group, and it is the cause of onion toxicity in dogs.
N-propyl disulfide’s reactive damage adheres to the molecular oxygen in the pet’s blood cells. As a result, the blood cells are unable to transport oxygen properly. That’s bad enough, but it also tricks the dog’s body into thinking his red cells are dangerous.
Health Benefits of Onions for Dogs
However, you should not feed onions to your dog as a snack. Onions are toxic to dogs. However, unlike raisins, where a small amount can be harmful, onion poisoning is proportional to the amount consumed. All onion components, including the flesh, stems, liquids, and powders made from this vegetable, are toxic to dogs. If you grow onions in your yard, keep them walled in to keep hungry dogs out.
How to Feed Onions to Dogs?
It is not advised to feed onions to dogs. Onions contain a poisonous substance known as N-propyl disulfide. This substance causes cell damage in dogs, resulting in anemia. All types of onions are poisonous to dogs. Onions and other members of the allium family are toxic to dogs, whether fried or raw.
This is a major concern because most dogs would happily devour a package of discarded onion fingers or an onion dish if given the chance.
What Foods Can You Give to Dogs Instead of Onions?
While onions should be avoided, there are plenty of other nutritious vegetables that can be fed to dogs. Give the dog carrots, radishes, or other vegetables as a nutritious treat.
Are Dogs Allergic to Onions?
It will be much easier for the vet to reach a conclusion if you know the dog has eaten onions or an item containing onions. If the pet is already exhibiting symptoms such as sleepiness and stiffness, a low blood cell count will almost certainly be detected in a blood sample. This can assist in determining the severity of the problem.
Hemoglobin lumps form on the dog’s blood cells, making them less efficient at delivering oxygen. When the veterinarian examines the dog’s blood test under a microscope, these small masses that appear violet on the RBCs are a clear sign of onion poisoning.
Other health issues can cause these symptoms, but if it’s suspected that the dog ate onions, that’s usually enough to make a diagnosis.
What to Do If the Dog Eats Onions?
If you see the dog eating onions or suspect that the pet has eaten them, seek immediate veterinary attention, especially if the dog does not appear to be doing well or appears lethargic and weak. Your veterinarian will examine the dog and advise you on the best course of action.
The severity of the symptoms depends on how many onions were consumed, the dog’s weight, and how quickly they were consumed. If a small dog consumes a large amount of onions quickly, the consequences will be more severe than if a large dog consumes a small amount of onions slowly. When you arrive at the veterinarian’s office, the therapy will be based on when the dog ate the onions.
Can Dogs Eat Onions – Our Verdict!
Although severe toxicity can be fatal if untreated, dogs suffering from mild onion poisoning will recover completely within a few days. All you have to do now is monitor the dog’s condition and make sure he doesn’t eat any more onion.
