Dogs are highly valued pets and keeping the pet healthy is one way of ensuring that the pet will be with the family much longer. Aside from nutritious foods, the dog will have vitamins and supplements. Home cooked meals in addition to nutrient-rich commercial dog foods will be given to the pet. Unfortunately, the owner's good intentions can have dangerous effects on the pet. Not all human-safe foods would be safe for the pet as well. Onion is one of the people foods that have toxic effect on dogs.
Any form of onion -cooked, raw or powdered would poison the dogs. The thiosuphate found in this pungent cooking ingredient is poisonous to dogs. Onions become toxic to dogs because these four legged friends do not have the enzyme that will metabolize this pungent dish ingredient.
Toxicity of onions is dose dependent. Dogs are voracious eaters and a big bowl of onion rings would be too tempting for the pet to resist. The dog will suffer from the fatal effects of onions if significant amounts was consumed in one meal. Small amounts of onions consumed regularly would also result to poisoning but the toxic effects will only surface after a few days.
Dogs that eats onions can have allergies and liver damage. The dog will vomit and have diarrhea. Some dogs can have asthma attacks. The most dangerous effect of onions in dog is Hemolytic anemia. Also known as Heinz body anemia, this health concern hampers the normal functioning of the dog's hemoglobin. Hemoglobin has the very important function of carrying oxygen from the lungs to all the tissues of the body.
Dogs do not have the enzyme that will digest thiosulphate thus this substance found in onions will oxidize hemoglobin. Once hemoglobin is oxidized, bubble-like clumps will form in the red blood cells. These clumps known as Heinz bodies will stick out and eventually rupture causing the premature destruction of the red blood cells. The bone marrow has the function of repairing damaged red blood cells but the bone marrow's function will be ineffective if the red blood cells destruction is massive. Massive destruction of red blood cells will hamper its normal functioning so that the vital organs will have insufficient supply of oxygen.
Owners need not add onions to the home cooked meal of the pet. Even without onion to enhance the taste of the food, a dog will still eat with gusto.
Any form of onion -cooked, raw or powdered would poison the dogs. The thiosuphate found in this pungent cooking ingredient is poisonous to dogs. Onions become toxic to dogs because these four legged friends do not have the enzyme that will metabolize this pungent dish ingredient.
Toxicity of onions is dose dependent. Dogs are voracious eaters and a big bowl of onion rings would be too tempting for the pet to resist. The dog will suffer from the fatal effects of onions if significant amounts was consumed in one meal. Small amounts of onions consumed regularly would also result to poisoning but the toxic effects will only surface after a few days.
Dogs that eats onions can have allergies and liver damage. The dog will vomit and have diarrhea. Some dogs can have asthma attacks. The most dangerous effect of onions in dog is Hemolytic anemia. Also known as Heinz body anemia, this health concern hampers the normal functioning of the dog's hemoglobin. Hemoglobin has the very important function of carrying oxygen from the lungs to all the tissues of the body.
Dogs do not have the enzyme that will digest thiosulphate thus this substance found in onions will oxidize hemoglobin. Once hemoglobin is oxidized, bubble-like clumps will form in the red blood cells. These clumps known as Heinz bodies will stick out and eventually rupture causing the premature destruction of the red blood cells. The bone marrow has the function of repairing damaged red blood cells but the bone marrow's function will be ineffective if the red blood cells destruction is massive. Massive destruction of red blood cells will hamper its normal functioning so that the vital organs will have insufficient supply of oxygen.
Owners need not add onions to the home cooked meal of the pet. Even without onion to enhance the taste of the food, a dog will still eat with gusto.
About the Author:
While you now have some knowledge about onion toxicity in dogs. There is still much to learn about dogs and onions. Not only that, but how about dogs and bananas, popcorn, nuts, garlic, ham or honey? Find out more about foods toxic to dogs at Sarah's Dogs?
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