The short answer to the question “can dogs eat onions?” is “no, it is absolutely not healthy for cats or dogs to eat onions.” Every vegetable related to the onion is highly toxic for dogs to ingest because it negatively affects their blood. The science and facts behind this conclusion will be discussed more in-depth below in the article.
Misconception Behind “Can Dogs Eat Onions?”
Usually, the main concern about what dogs cannot eat is usually chocolate and grapes. While these are extremely harmful, onions are even more so. For example, pets consuming chocolate usually causes vomiting and restlessness. Grapes have a similar reaction with an increased chance of death, if medical treatment is not sought after.
However, onions and other related vegetables actually attack the red blood cells in cats and dogs, which can lead to very serious health problems, such as anemia and kidney failure. This is not just limited to large quantities of raw onions either. Even smaller portions of onion soup or meat seasoned with it can have these harmful effects.
It is highly important to quickly recognize when your dog has consumed this terribly toxic food, so that veterinary care can be found before serious damage occurs. This is especially important because the effects do not present themselves until days after consumption. The signs and symptoms are listed below.
- Discolored urine with orange or red tint
- Vomiting
- Diarrhea
- Tiredness
More severe problems will begin if treatment is not administered after these reactions occur, such as organ failure and anemia. Then much more intense methods must be used to save the life of your beloved pet, including blood transfusions.
Relevance and Reality
I am sure that you have heard the stories and suggestions that state if your pet eats even a small piece of onion, they collapse immediately and extreme measures must to taken to recover them. You may even read this over exaggeration in articles and medical oriented websites that discuss the question “can dogs eat onions?” This is not very factual or accurate for multiple reasons that I have listed below.
- Pets do not enjoy raw onions. If you have some sitting on your counter or table, your animal friends would likely not pay any attention to it.
- A reasonable quantity must be consumed. While not a large amount, small dogs may need up to half of a cup, and over one cup for larger sizes. How often do you give your pet cups of onions?
- Reports state that the occurrence of this happening is rather low. This is mostly due to the reasons above, considering seasoned meats or soups usually do not contain a high enough quantity to show any effect.
While the may be the reality of the situation, if your pet does consume any type of onion, you should most likely seek medical treatment to ensure the safety of that animal.
That is the long answer to the question “can dogs eat onions?” There are multiple signs that your dog has consumed them that are quite severe, so there is no excuse to not realize the situation and find help. While uncommon, the reality is that the consequences can be life threatening.