My dog ate a tiny piece of onion. Is it toxic? What should I do?

Related Answers from Veterinarians

• Answered By Daniela Jessen, DVM

  Veterinarian

  Published on January 2nd, 2019

  Hi,
  It all depends on how much she ate and how much she weighs, in general, toxic dose is typically 15-30 grams per kilogram of the dog’s weight (both not specified in the question unfortunately). For now I would suggest to monitor her closely for signs of toxicity such as: lethargy, vomiting, diarrhea, weakness, pale gum and collapse. Bear in mind signs may take several days to manifest so monitor for the next week or so.
  If it has been less than 2 hours it is worth going to the vet to try induce vomiting.
  
  
  

  

  1Pet Parents found this answer helpful

• Answered By Daniel Fonza, DVM

  Veterinarian

  Published on November 23rd, 2017

  Hi there and thank you for using Pet Coach! It only takes approximately 100 grams of onion (the size of a medium onion) per 20 kilograms of body weight to cause toxic side effects. This means that a 45-pound dog wound only have to eat a single medium to large size onion to experience dangerous toxic levels. So it depends on how much onion was in the stuffing. If you think it wasn't even close to this amount, Jager will likely be ok. If he ate enough to cause serious side effects and it has been less than 2 hours since he ingested the onion, you can induce vomiting by giving an oral dose or hydrogen peroxide. The dose for this is about 1ml per pound of body weight. Longer than two hours post ingestion and it will have already moved along from the stomach to the intestines and the hydrogen peroxide will not work. You can also call the ASPCA poison control hotline and they can advise you further. I hope this helps! Please let me know if you have any other questions or concerns.

  

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• Answered By Catherine Stecyk

  Veterinarian

  Published on June 19th, 2019

  Hello and thank you for reaching out to Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. Hazel would have to eat a large amount of onion to become sick, so definitely more than little pieces that would be on a burger. The toxic dose is approximately 30 g per kilogram, so if she weighs 2kg, she would have had to eat at least 60g of onion to become sick. I recommend watching for any signs of pale gums, difficulty breathing, or GI signs such as vomiting or diarrhea. If you don't notice any signs in the next couple hours, Hazel will likely be just fine. I hope this is helpful!

  

  1Pet Parents found this answer helpful

• Answered By Linda G, MS, DVM

  Veterinarian

  Published on October 12th, 2018

  Hello. You have nothing to worry about with this small amount of cooked onion. The problems associated with ingesting onions usually occur with chronic, long term ingestion possibly from a bored dog eating onion grass outdoors or home cooking for a pet & an owner not realizing that onions may cause problems . An occasional bite will never cause a problem. All will be fine. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

  

  27Pet Parents found this answer helpful