Why are onions bad for dogs

Modern times are much better to be living in as far as pet owners are concerned. Medical science had made huge leaps, and the results are equally veritable for the health of pets as for human health. The unpredictability associated with animal behavior is mitigated to a huge extent, and the most suitable evidence for this assertion is the extensive information and awareness pertaining to the diet of the most common pets — dogs.

Research has established it beyond doubt that onions, the staple of diets worldwide, are toxic for dogs. And this holds true for all the forms of existence of onions in edibles; from raw to fried and roasted to steamed. Whereas the effects of minor intake may be either delayed or negligible, the impact of a hefty diet of onions is immediate in most of the cases, in the form of acute indigestion for the dog. This is because of the fact that the digestive system of a dog does not produce the enzymes required to digest the thiosulfates contained in onions. Organosulfur compounds form a good part of the chemical composition of onions. These compounds enter the digestive tract of dogs effortlessly, but due to the absence of any ameliorating agent, accumulate to lead to a situation called toxicosis in dogs, which is a form of poisoning. Onions also release a compound called ‘allyl propyl disulfide’ in the dog’s body. This compound disturbs the cellular balance of the dog’s body by damaging the hemoglobin cells. The fragmented hemoglobin molecules accumulate over the surface of the red blood cells, thus damaging them.

As a natural reaction, the dog’s body tries to entirely annihilate the damaged red blood cells, thus resulting in a decrease in their count. The adverse situation is termed Heinz body anemia. Considering all the problems that onions can create inside the body of a dog, it is advised that pet owners exercise extreme discretion while feeding their dogs. A minor lapse may lead to much bigger quandaries as even a small amount of onion intake takes a toll on the dog’s health.