If your dog ate French fried onions, you may likely be worried as you may wonder whether they're toxic to dogs.
You may have heard that onions in general are not healthy for dogs and that you should avoid feeding them.
With this information in mind, you may have been avoiding feeding your dog onions in fear of your dog getting sick from them.
Yet, dogs will be dogs and, as opportunistic beings, they will eat anything that appeals to them.
If your dog surfed the countertop and ate French fried onions, you may be eager to know whether you should be worried or not.
French fried onions are crispy slices of onions that are commonly fried so as to attain a nice golden-brown color.
These onions are often used as a topping or ingredient for many dishes. They are typically sold in a can.
You'll often find French fried onions on top of green bean casserole or used as a garnish for salads, burgers, and sandwiches.
That can of French fried onions obviously contains onions as the main ingredient.
Usually, white or yellow onions are utilized so as to impart a slightly sweet and mild flavor to dishes.
In order to obtain their appealing crispy texture, French fried onions are covered in all-purpose flour and are subsequently deep fried using some type of vegetable oil.
To further add some aromas, various seasonings may be added such as salt, pepper, garlic sand paprika.
Of course, every homemade recipe may include different ingredients.
French's Original Crispy Fried Onions is composed of onions, palm oil, wheat flour, dextrose and salt.
French fried onions can be harmful to dogs because they contain onions which can be toxic to dogs, especially when consumed in certain quantities and/or repeatedly.
Onions and garlic are harmful to dogs because they contain special compounds that are known as thiosulfates.
Such compounds, once ingested, are absorbed into the dog's bloodstream where they may oxidize and cause damage to the dog's red blood cells.
Such damage to the red blood cells (hemolysis) may cause dogs to develop what's know as hemolytic anemia, a condition where there are less healthy red blood cells circulating in the dog's body.
The first symptoms of onion toxicity in dogs consist of digestive upset. Affected dogs often develop abdominal pain, vomiting, diarrhea and loss of appetite.
A few days later, they may show signs associated with anemia, such as weakness, pale gums, decreased appetite, rapid breathing and a higher heart rate.
In general, the worst-case scenarios of onion toxicity in dogs involve dogs who ingest significant amount of onions.
However, consider that, smaller amounts of onions fed on a regular basis can still cause serious side effects such as anemia, so you want to continue keeping onions out of your dog's reach.
According to a study, consumption of as little as 15 to 30 g/kg in dogs has resulted in clinically important hematologic changes (Cope, 2005).
If you're looking for ballpoint figures, consider that the exact amount of how much onion is toxic to a dog remains for the most part unknown. The onion's toxic effects can also be cumulative.
Because of this, it is always best to play it safe and not feed any forms of onions to dogs and report to the vet if your dog happened to eat onions.
Did you know? Onion-induced anemia in dogs was first recognized in 1930 by chance. During research conducted to test the potential value of dietary onions in the prevention of niacin deficiency, dogs were observed getting ill during the trials.
If you suspect your dog ate onions, you want to give your vet a call.
If the ingestion was a single event involving minimal quantities, your vet may suggest to do nothing or to simply monitor your dog. Dogs with sensitive stomachs may develop some level of digestive upset.
If your vet doesn't want to take any chances, he or she may give you instructions on how to induce vomiting. Vomiting can be induced if your dog ate the fried onions within the past two hours.
Vomiting in dogs is induced by using fresh three percent hydrogen peroxide in a quantity that is based on your dog's weight. If your dog is reluctant to swallow it, you can try mixing it in a 50:50 ratio with some milk.
In general, dogs will vomit the onions back up within 10 minutes, especially if you allowed your dog to romp around, which helps the peroxide foam up and trigger vomiting, points out veterinarian Dr. Keto.
If you are not comfortable doing so, or your dog is not very collaborative, your vet can induce vomiting by giving your dog a fast-acting shot of apomorphine.
Did you know? There is no antidote for onion poisoning in dogs. Treatment is for the most part supportive and may include administration of intravenous fluids and blood transfusions.
It's all a matter of how the onions are metabolized. Humans are blessed with all the necessary enzymes to efficiently metabolize the thiosulphates found in onions.
Once metabolized, these compounds are efficiently eliminated by the body without causing harm.
Dogs, on the other hand, lack these important enzymes, and therefore, thiosulphates risk accumulating causing damage to the dog's red blood cells.
This difference is what makes onions quite harmless to humans, while damaging, or even toxic to dogs.
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