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My
mom loves onions! They smell so good on her
burger – but not on her breath! Sometimes I get
a bite of burger – but NO onion as they can be
deadly for us dogs.
Onions contain a substance called “Theosulphate”.
Dogs and cats (yes, I care about my feline
friends) lack an enzyme necessary to digest this
substance. Theosulphate breaks down red blood
cells (RBC’S), shortening their life span. When
enough RBC’s are destroyed, anemia occurs and
the body becomes starved for oxygen. It may
take several days to cause the RBC destruction.
Severe anemia can lead to heart failure and
other organ shut-down because of the lack of
oxygen carrying RBC’s.
Most
case reports of toxicity involve whole onions or
sizable amounts of chopped onion. Your parents
may not notice problems with small amounts but
bigger doses can cause bigger problems. NO
amount is safe since dogs may respond
differently based on current health issues or
underlying conditions.
Avoid ALL forms of onion in the food you give
your dog(s) – raw, cooked, and even powdered and
dehydrated (often found in spice/packet mixes).
Avoid that tasty gravy from pot roast if it was
cooked with onions, just to be safe. Even
things like pizza, spaghetti sauce and other
processed foods could have onion in some form in
them. I’m not saying we can’t have some left
over people food – just tell your human parents
to be careful!
Signs of toxicity to look for include: lethargy
(weakness), vomiting, depression, decreased
appetite, fast heart beat and respirations,
diarrhea, bloody stool and/or urine and jaundice
(yellowing of skin or whites of eyes).
If
you suspect your pet has ingested onions and
simply is not acting like you know he/she
normally acts, get them to your vet or emergency
clinic right away!
With
so many great tasting foods to choose from, why
even take a chance with onions. Plus, who wants
onion breath anyway?!
Bone-Appétit!
Chef, Nola “Child”
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