Ingesting onions in quantities as small as 0.5% of a dog's overall body weight can be potentially fatal. This means a 20 pound dog only needs to eat 1.6 ounces of onions to be in serious trouble.
To put this in perspective, here is a list of common dishes and the amount of onion they contain.
Spaghetti Sauce - Approximately 2 oz of onions per cup
Vegetable Soup - Around 1.5 oz of onions per serving
Beef Stew - Roughly 2.5 oz of onions per serving
Onion Dip - About 3 oz of onions per half-cup
Meatloaf - Approximately 1 oz of onions per slice
Curry Dish - Around 2 oz of onions per serving
Onion Rings - Roughly 1 oz of onions per 3 rings
Fried Rice - About 1 oz of onions per cup
Salad with Onions - Approximately 0.5 oz of onions per serving
Grilled Onion Burger - Roughly 2 oz of onions per burger
To figure out if your dog has ingested a toxic amount of onion, use my free calculator below. Simply enter your dog's weight and the approximate amount of onion they consumed.
The calculator above is a great tool to use to determine if your dog may have ingested a toxic amount of raw onions. But, what about other foods containing onions; can dogs have onion rings, for example?
No, your dog should not eat onion rings. Even if the onion is covered in thick batter it still may contain enough N-propyl disulfide to harm your dog.
Now, can one onion ring kill a dog? Probably not, but that answer largely depends on the size of the onion and the size of your dog. In most cases, a single onion ring probably won't harm your dog much.
As long as the amount of onion ingested does not equal to or exceed 0.5% of your dog's total body weight, it should not hurt your dog. However, you should always monitor your dog's behavior for any changes after they consume onion.
Below are common symptoms associated with onion poisoning in dogs.
Lethargy or weakness
Reduced appetite or anorexia
Pale or bluish gums
Increased heart rate
Panting or difficulty breathing
Reddish or darkened urine
Vomiting or diarrhea
Abdominal pain or discomfort
Disorientation or incoordination
Excessive drooling
If your dog at a small piece of onion, follow these steps.
Don't panic: This won't help your dog.
Call your local vet for a consultation
Remove any remaining onions from your dog's reach to prevent further ingestion
Observe your dog closely for any symptoms of onion poisoning
Be ready to provide your vet with information, such as how much onion your dog ate and when
Follow your vet's advice, which may include inducing vomiting or bringing your dog in for treatment
Keep a watchful eye on your dog over the next few days for any delayed symptoms
Consider implementing safety measures to prevent similar incidents in the future, like securing food items out of your dog's reach
Try keeping your onions and onion products like onion powder away from the area your dog eats. Also, if you have young children, store your onion laced products on a high counter or in a cabinet.
Kids love to share food with their dogs and may accidentally poison them as a result.
If you want to keep your dog safe and find out more about toxic foods and substances for your dogs, bookmark my other calculators: Dog Chocolate Toxicity Calculator, Dog Grape Toxicity Calculator, and Dog Xylitol Toxicity Calculator. For context, Xylitol is a potentially fatal substance for dogs that's found in a ridiculous amount of foods we eat everyday!
Posted by: Matt Irving on 12/04/2023