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My dog ate onion, now coughing, vomiting, shivering. What to do?

Updated on September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Dog | Mixed Breed Large (61lb +) | Male | 1 year and 7 months old | 65 lbs

My large breed 1 1/2 yo shrppherd-rottweiler has been coughing,/gagging the last 2 days. Throws up clear watery liquid if he throws up. No appetite, drinking water well . Body temp feels low. and shivers frequently. He may have eaten some onion fried in hamburger meat yesterday.

1 Answer

Most Helpful Answer

Answered By Dr. Elizabeth

Veterinarian

Published on November 9th, 2019

Muchacho sounds like he definitely sick. Just like humans, pets can vomit and not feel well for many reasons. The illness could be due to many conditions including eating something he shouldn't have, bacterial over growth, parasites (worms and giardia) or even something more severe like organ dysfunction or intestinal blockage. Onions are toxic to pets.
The low body temperature and shivering a signs of serious illness. Also given the fact that he is vomiting and has no appetite, this could also be indicative of a serious illness. I recommend to have your pup examined by the veterinarian today. If this is serious, the sooner he gets treatment, the better. Remember to take in a stool sample just in case. He may need some diagnostics like bloodwork or x-rays. Treatment will be based upon what the doctor finds.
I hope they figure out the cause quickly and that Muchacho starts recovering. Please feel free to post any additional questions.

1Pet Parents found this answer helpful

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