Content
- Can a dog eat onions?
- Can a dog eat garlic?
- The toxicity of onion to dogs
- Symptoms of Onion and Garlic Poisoning in Dogs
- My dog ate onions, what do I do?
- Other prohibited dog foods
Decide share our home with a dog represents for us the responsibility to guarantee him a complete state of well-being, which includes a series of precautions. Some of the most important are ensuring adequate socialization, sufficient company and affection, and optimal nutrition.
The dog's food is of great importance, as it directly interferes with its health. In fact, inadequate nutrition acts as a trigger for many diseases. Many tutors decide to give too homemade food for your pet as a supplement to the feed and, therefore, they are informed about which foods can be toxic, but it is also necessary to know how to interpret this information.
In this article by PeritoAnimal, we will talk about a very common question among tutors. Can a dog eat onions? And dog can eat garlic? We will also highlight the symptoms of possible onion and garlic poisoning in dogs. Good reading.
Can a dog eat onions?
Can a dog eat onions? Better to avoid it. This food should not be offered to your furry friend because, if eaten by him, there is a great risk of intoxication and, as a consequence, the triggering of other health problems that we see in this article.
But calm down. It should be noted that the excess onion is the big problem. If the pet eats a portion of rice that has been prepared with onions and garlic, for example, it will not be affected. Practical example: if we are going to give a Yorkshire Terrier a dish of homemade food prepared with onions, are we going to use a whole onion in an exclusive preparation for our dog? Probably not, and that's the key.
In order for a dog to be intoxicated with onions, he would have to consume 0.5% of your body weight in onions, an excessive amount that does not fit in a balanced diet for dogs. To give you an idea, this percentage means 50g of onion for a 10kg small dog.
Offering homemade food prepared with onions at one time or another will certainly not cause any problems. That's why when they ask if a dog can eat onions, the best answer is no.
Can a dog eat garlic?
This is another food that, if consumed in excess, can cause problems in puppies. So if you're wondering if a dog can eat garlic, answer is yes, but with caution.
If it is offered in small amounts, and not constantly, garlic is not harmful to puppies, being even a good natural option to deworm it. But remember: no excesses. Eating more than one clove of garlic a day can cause hairy problems.
The toxicity of onion to dogs
The onion is a great enemy to the health of dogs because it has a toxic principle called N-propyl disulfide, which is a compound capable of inhibiting metabolism enzymes, responsible for causing the transformation of hemoglobin into methemoglobin.
This component, also found in garlic, in high concentrations, can cause damage and destroy the red blood cells and cause a type of anemia called hemolytic anemia. And it doesn't matter if the onion is cooked or raw, this component remains active in the same way.
Symptoms of Onion and Garlic Poisoning in Dogs
You've already seen that a dog can't eat onions and you should be careful with the garlic supply. Now, if your dog has consumed inadequate amounts of garlic and onions for several days or too much in a shorter period, you should know that the symptoms of intoxication will not manifest immediately, but in about 5 to 6 days.
Symptoms of this poisoning in dogs will appear progressively, and include the following:
- vomiting
- Diarrhea
- reddish urine
- breathing difficulty
- Lethargy
- increased heart rate
- pale mucous membranes
- Apathy
- Cyanosis
If these symptoms appear, it is important to see the veterinarian ASAP.
My dog ate onions, what do I do?
If the dog you live with has eaten too much onion or garlic, you need to take some action. As we've already mentioned, contact a veterinarian right away as they can help with decontamination. If ingestion is recent (less than an hour), the professional may even induce vomiting in the dog.
On the other hand, if the amount of onion ingested is too large, the veterinarian will choose the appropriate treatment based on blood tests.He will be able to use the activated charcoal or apply serum to the animal, for example.
Other prohibited dog foods
As you've seen, dogs can't eat onions and we recommend a lot of moderation when offering dog garlic. In addition to these two, there are some prohibited dog food that you should know to avoid including in your four-legged companion's diet. Here are some of them:
- Coffee
- Chocolate
- milk and cheese
- Yeast or yeast
- Dry fruits
- salt
- Alcohol
- raw eggs
- Citrus fruits should be avoided
- Avocado
- Grape
- raw potato
In this other PeritoAnimal article you will have more details about these prohibited foods for dogs, or in the following video:
This article is for information purposes only, at PeritoAnimal.com.br we are not able to prescribe veterinary treatments or perform any type of diagnosis. We suggest that you take your pet to the veterinarian in case it has any type of condition or discomfort.
If you want to read more articles similar to Can a dog eat onions?, we recommend that you enter our Intestinal Problems section.