Can dogs eat onions?

Quick takeaways about onions and dogs

• Onions are poisonous to dogs in surprisingly small amounts
• Symptoms of onion toxicity can take a few days to appear, but you should call your vet as soon as you realise your dog has eaten them.
• Keep onions, garlic, leeks and all alliums off the menu.

 

Curries, stir-fries, soups and stews – our taste buds owe a lot to onions. But when it comes to your dog’s bowl, onions are strictly off the menu.

Onions can mean more than just bad doggy breath. They’re toxic to dogs in all forms; raw, cooked, or powdered.

If your dog has accidentally snaffed some onion, don’t panic. Just call your vet straight away for their advice.

Read on to understand why the whole onion family is toxic to dogs – including garlic – and the symptoms of onion (allium) toxicity.

 

Can dogs eat onions?

Onions, in any form, are a big no-go for dogs. They’re part of a veg family called alliums, which are all on the list of human foods that are toxic to dogs.

This includes:

• Leeks
• Chives
• Spring onions
• Garlic

Cooked onion, onion powder and garlic powder are all off-limits too. This means that most pre-cooked meals are unsuitable for dogs.

Mild cases of onion toxicity in dogs cause gastroenteritis – aka an upset stomach, vomiting, diarrhea, and all the usual suspects.

More severe cases can cause anaemia (low blood cell count). Alliums contain a natural chemical called disulphides and thiosulfinates, which break down red blood cells.

 

How much onion can dogs eat?

It’s best to play it safe and avoid all onions. Trust us – our four-legged friends are far less discerning in culinary taste, and they won’t miss onions.

A well-balanced, healthy, protein-packed meal gives them plenty of flavours and textures to enjoy!

The amount of onion that’s toxic to dogs is estimated at 100g of onion per 20kg of body weight. That’s about half an onion for a medium-sized dog.

 

Symptoms of onion toxicity

Onions affect dogs in 2 ways – an upset stomach (gastroenteritis) and low red blood cell count (anaemia).

Symptoms of gastroenteritis in dogs include:

• Being sick
• Diarrhea
• Not wanting to eat
• Drooling
• Being very tired or low energy
• Stumbling or lack of coordination

Symptoms of anaemia in dogs include:

• Red or brown pee
• Fainting or weakness
• Being sleepy
• Pale gums
• Not wanting to eat
• Very fast heartbeat
• Being sick
• Panting

Symptoms can take 24 hours or a few days to appear but don’t wait. If your pooch got their paws on an onion, call the vet straight away.

They might give your dog an injection to help them vomit, so they can avoid any symptoms of onion toxicity, or activated charcoal to absorb toxins.

If your dog already has gastroenteritis, they might need to have a drip to rehydrate them and medicines to manage symptoms.

For severe cases of anaemia, a dog might need a blood transfusion.

That sounds scary, but remember that almost all dogs make a full recovery from allium poisoning when treated.

 

Alternatives to onion – dog-safe vegetables

Naturally, you want your dog to have a tasty and balanced diet. The good news is that plenty of other veg are great for dogs, including:

• Tomatoes
• Cooked sweet potato
• Cooked beans
• Carrots
• Cabbage

For an easy way to get more fibre and nutrients into your dog's diet, check out our personalised raw meal plans.

 

Bottom line

To keep your dog happy and healthy, keep those onions out of their dog bowl:

• Double-check food labels
• Store onions out of dogs’ reach
• Fence off any alliums growing in your garden.

Now you know about onions, learn more about which plants are poisonous to dogs.

 
Try our personalised meal plans with high-quality raw ingredients – including fresh fruits and vegetables – to help keep your dog healthy and happy.