Jan 14 2009
Onion & Garlic- both ARE toxic to dogs
I get worried seeing so many non-experts claiming on dog threads all over the world wide web that they continually feed their dog food or treats with onion or garlic and therefore that gives them the ok to make a rediculous statement to others that it is safe to do so.
Onions, including onion powder, as well as garlic and garlic powder, are toxic to dogs. Unfortunately, these are products which there is no known toxic dosage for: in fact, it affects dogs differently, whereas one dog can ingest a fair amount with no effect and another can have a smaller amount and have a problem. Furthermore, one dog may have no problem for years with tiny amounts added to food, then suddenly have a toxicity. Is it worth risking because a non-educated soul is telling you their dog is fine? Not to my pets or patients, it isn’t.
There are still some pet companies which add garlic to their treats in tiny amounts, and rarely does a dog have a problem with it, since the amount is so small. However, it is best to avoid both onion products and garlic products if at all possible, especially in a growing puppy. Instead, you can always make a chicken broth homemade without onion powder included, if needed to help increase the pup’s appetite and eating habits.
Onions are more of a danger than garlic, but both contain thiosulphate, a toxin. When onions are ingested, they cause hemolytic anemia, which basically makes the dog’s red blood cells burst spontaneously. Garlic contains less thiosulphate than onions, but an unknown amount can cause toxicity and each dog is different in how they handle the toxin. Would you taste arsenic in small amounts? What’s the point? Just avoid it.
Christine, LVT
Important info - and something I didn’t know. Chocolate and caffeine I knew about, garlic and onion, I didn’t.
Yes, useful info. Didn’t know about the onions, though I doubt our dog would even eat them - she’s very picky
I agree with you regarding onions and would never knowingly feed my dogs onions. However, I have never had an issue with garlic and have used it to help keep fleas away.
If you really want to consider toxicity, consider corn and wheat, two products that are used in bulk in commercial dog foods. A dog’s gut is not made to digest either of these items and yet they make up the VAST majority of foods available today. Do dog owners hear about this - no - all of it is marketing. Yes, I do not deny that some dogs have issues with garlic, onions, etc. But then so do people.
The word should always be to get educated and grow from what you learn!!!
REPLY:
Exactly! we are discussing toxicity, not foods that some dogs may not be able to handle. I’m not talking about what you or other people may not like to give dogs or may like to. I’m talking about toxic effects. Wheat and corn do not have toxic effects. That’s a fact. Some animals may have allergies, some may not be able to handle it. Thats just individual problems, not a species toxicity. Garlic is a toxic product due to its ingredient. You choose to use poison orally in your dog to kill fleas. How does it do so? By forming heinz bodies in the red blood cells of adult fleas, just as it is doing in your dog. You’ve been giving small amounts of poison to your dog on purpose. My dog has eaten garlic treats as well when in the shelter. It was not enough to cause him a problem. But I do not purposely give him those, just as I would not start taking in small amounts of arsenic. Just as I do not give him chocolate cookies, even though I know what amount is not toxic. Why would I want him to like the taste, so he can find this product somewhere and eat it in a toxic amout? There’s no reason to. Being too cheap to buy a safer drug that can actually work on all fleas and their larvae and not cause red blood cells to rupture in a dog is not a reason to lie and say this ingredient does not cause heinz bodies, b/c the fact is, it does, and for people who’s dogs are more sensitive to a lower dose, that commenting can kill an animal. Certainly people will continue to used toxic products, I’m just educating people who care. I’m not marketing, I don’t sell anything. I’m writing. People will choose to hear what they want to hear for their own comfort level.