Can dogs eat onions? Is that a good idea or is the leek plant poisonous or even fatal for four-legged friends? How do I react correctly when the dog has eaten an onion? Do you have to go to the vet because of poisoning? Lets go to deep into our article for answers..
No, dogs cannot eat onions. These contain sulfur compounds such as propyl disulfide and allyl propyl sulfide, which are toxic to dogs. Sulfur in the body breaks down red blood cells that have been associated with a toxic effect and can be fatal to the dog. The same goes for garlic.
Why can not dogs eat onions?
- Sulphides are found in onions as well as in garlic. These sulfides destroy the red blood cells in your dog’s body. The consequence of this can be anemia in your dog friend.
- Then the body can no longer supply the organs of your darling with sufficient oxygen. This leads to organ failure and ultimately your dog’s death.
- Make absolutely sure that your fur nose cannot reach onions. An amount greater than 0.5% of your dog’s total weight can be enough to cause symptoms of intoxication.
- For a dog weighing 10 kg, this corresponds to 50 grams of onions. On the other hand, if your dog weighs only 2 kg, the dangerous amount of onions is only 10 grams.
- Freshly picked onions are especially dangerous. Because they have the highest content of essential oils.
Raw Onions and Garlic: Even a medium-sized onion can be fatal to a medium-sized dog because the sulfur compounds in the onion and garlic break down the red blood cells in the dog’s blood (called hemolysis). Even if the onions are cooked or dried, there is still a risk.
A poisoning of the dog by onions or garlic is not always easy to recognize for the layman, especially since the extreme symptoms of poisoning often only manifest themselves after two to four days. If your dog seems apathetic and withdraws into a corner, this is actually always a sign that something is wrong and can already be a sign of poisoning. Vomiting or diarrhea and frequent tremors can also indicate poisoning. Most often, when poisoned, the animal’s urine will be dark in color. Other symptoms can include a rapid heartbeat and heavy breathing, as well as a rather weak pulse.
Dog ate onions: what to do?
If your dog has eaten onions in spite of all caution, you should always consult your vet. Even small amounts can cause a lot of damage. Therefore, it is better to call one too many times than one too few. Especially if your furry friend belongs to the smaller dog breeds.
Consequences of onion or garlic poisoning
Onion or garlic poisoning attacks the dog’s red blood cells. The result is anemia, i.e. anemia, which endangers the oxygen supply to the organs and can be fatal. Another possible sequela is hypertension. This is an increased blood pressure which, depending on the degree of intoxication, also puts a heavy strain on the organs. If the dog has ingested large quantities of the growth and is not taken care of by a veterinarian, this can lead to death.
Our previous article Can Dogs Eat Cantaloupe? We recommend that you read our article titled.
