I have a 4 Month old belgian shepherd and today he ate an onion by mistake! Will he be ok?

Answer 1

That's a pretty big deal. Eating onions....even just one time....can cause Heinz body anemia, which is often fatal. (For those of you saying it's fine....it's NEVER fine.)

Induce vomiting right away. If you don't know how, get off the Internet and call your veterinarian ASAP. After he vomits, you'll need to take him in so they can give him activated charcoal to absorb any onion bits he didn't vomit up, and they'll need to monitor his blood. Severe cases require blood transfusions. If not given, he will die.

But if you hurry up, you can maybe avoid all of that if is hasn't been too long since he ate the onion. If you wait until he shows symptoms, it's often too late.

Go.....NOW!!!!


Amy, you might need to look for a new job if that's what you believe. Any vet tech knows better. :-(

As to dogs 'instinctively' avoiding things that are bad for them...I only WISH that were true. If it were, dogs (and cats) wouldn't continue to drink antifreeze while a full bowl of water sits right next to it. (Which happens all the time.) And our daily quotas of gastroenteritis, pancreatitis, toxicities, etc. would be a thing of the past. (In fact, we'd be in danger of going out of business, because cases of dogs eating things they shouldn't make up a huge percentage of our caseloads.)

Sandsunsurf, you are correct about hydrogen peroxide being good for inducing vomiting....but that's way too much. The proper dose is 5-10cc per DOG, chased by 15-20cc of water. That can be repeated every 10-15 minutes until the stomach is empty, or a total of 3 times if vomiting doesn't occur. (Then, other things must be used.) A tablespoon equals 15cc. A teaspoon equals 5cc. (And PLEASE don't use hydrogen peroxide for cleaning skin abrasions or wounds....carry Betadine instead. Peroxide actually pushes bacteria deeper into the wound when it effervesces, plus it is damaging to the cell membranes of healthy exposed tissue. It's okay on INTACT skin, but never on abraded skin. Same thing holds true for humans. It has been proven time and time again, so it baffles us why some nurses still tell people to do it.)

Answer 2

Onions are toxic to dogs, especially to one this young. You should call a vet right away & keep a close eye on him.

Onions and garlic contain thiosulphate which is toxic to dogs. Onions contain more than garlic does. Thiosulphate causes haemolytic anaemia in dogs, where the red blood cells burst while circulating in its body. First symptoms are gastroenteritis with vomiting and diarrhoea. They will show no interest in food and will be dull and weak. The red pigment from the burst blood cells appears in an affected animal’s urine and it becomes breathless. The breathlessness occurs because the red blood cells that carry oxygen through the body are reduced in number. Poisoning occurs a few days after the pug has eaten onion. All forms of onion can be a problem including dehydrated,raw, and table scraps containing cooked onions and/or garlic. Left over pizza, Chinese dishes and commercial baby food containing onion, sometimes fed as a supplement, can cause illness. Onion poisoning can occur with a single ingestion of large quantities or even with repeated meals containing small amounts of onion. A single meal of 600 to 800 grams of raw onion can be dangerous whereas a 20lb dog, fed 150 grams of onion for several days, is also likely to develop anaemia. The condition improves once the dog is prevented from eating any further onion. While garlic also contains the toxic ingredient thiosulphate, it seems that garlic is less toxic and large amounts would need to be eaten to cause illness. Small puppies have died of hemolytic anemia after being fed baby food containing onion powder. Occasional exposure to small amounts is usually not a problem, but continuous exposure to even small amounts can be a serious threat.

Answer 3

Please call the vet NOW! Onions can be extremely toxic to dogs! Especially one that young and the signs may not show up for days! If this has happened in the last 2 hours they may have you induce vomiting which can save you some serious vet bills in the next five days. Onions can damage red blood cells in dogs and cats. Don't wait this one out! Call the vet ASAP.

Answer 4

If he ate too much onion, he can get very sick (vkb, jcn, Jen N, and the vet have the right info). Call your vet. For future reference, one safe way to induce vomiting is to administer a dose of hydrogen peroxide, about 1 Tablespoon per 10 pounds- this is WRONG per the vet it's 5-10 CCs per dog.

I hope the vet that answered above can back me up on this one- I've always kept H2O2 in my emergency dog first aid kit for this purpose as well as for cleaning small or moderate abrasions when in the wilderness. If I'm wrong, let me know!

Thanks Doc, I appreciate the correct dosage info. And for wounds, I do carry betadine as well for cleaning anything serious, but my thought on h2o2 is that I like it when it helps to stop a scrape from oozing blood. I like your info though, so I think I'll rethink my k9 first aid plans.

Answer 5

If He hasn't been sick he's ok but watch him for diarrhorea! If he gets that make sure he has plenty of water to drink and restrict his food and NO treats. If it seems more than mild and you are worried in any way phone your Vets and ask advice. They'll know whether he needs further treatment and give you an appointment if He does.
Onions like Chocolate(made for Humans) are very toxic to dogs!
We have had problems in the past with both! The Vet gave the above advice. Any sign of Sickness or more than mild Diarrhorea NEEDS a VET!

Answer 6

The onion, is actually the food that presents the highest risk of toxicity from thiosulphate. A single generous serving of onion can cause hemolytic anemia in a dog.

Call the vet, he may want to induce vomiting.

Answer 7

Consult your vet. What size was the onion. Is he acting strangely? I would get him to eat and drink and call the vet. Onions are not good for dogs, however, each dog will react differently. Also the toxins in onions do build up, so just make sure to keep them out of his reach in the future. :)

Answer 8

If you have a dog, dont you have a vet? Most vets will answer questions like this over the phone. If your a good customer and they know you care for your pet, I dont see a problem with them giving you a free call back. If the vet does I would say get a new vet.

Answer 9

I am not sure I would put my puppy in the hands of losers here.

I have heard onions ARE toxic to dogs, they can cause organ failure if I recall correctly.

CALL YOUR VET, don't ask people here. There is a reason the newspaper is printed on a 3rd grade level - the masses are asses, get professional advice.

Answer 10

I too have read that onions and chocolate are the two things toxic to dogs. Take him to the vet!