Can My Dog Eat Onions? How much is toxic to dogs?

Is It Bad If My Dog Ate Onions?

Dogs can actually get sick from both raw and cooked onions.  And the harm an onion can cause a canine goes well beyond bad breath — it can even be life-threatening.

The agent in onions that is toxic to dogs is known as N-propyl disulfide or thiosulfate. This is a compound that causes a breakdown of red blood cells because dogs do not have the enzyme needed to digest this substance. This can lead to anemia in dogs, among other potential canine health problems.

More specifically, the toxic portion of an onion can cause damage to your dog’s red blood cells by attaching to the oxygen-transporting protein, called hemoglobin, in your dog’s red blood cells. This will reduce the red blood cells’ ability to carry oxygen throughout the animal, and will also trick your dog’s body into thinking that the blood cell is an invader. This triggers a process known as hemolysis, which will destroy the red blood cell and result in hemolytic anemia.

What Part of an Onion is Toxic to Dogs?

No specific part of an onion carries the toxin that is harmful to dogs — they’re in the whole thing! Onion Toxicosis can occur from ingestion of:

• Onion flesh
• Onion juice
• Onion leaves
• Processed onion powder

This means that onions can cause harm to dogs if they are consumed even after they are cooked, fried, or powdered.

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