Enter your dog's weight and the amount of onion consumed to find out the toxicity risk level — plus the toxic threshold, serious toxicity threshold, percentage of toxic dose, and a recommendation on what to do next.
Toxicity Risk Level
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Toxic Threshold
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Serious Toxicity Threshold
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Percentage of Toxic Dose
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Recommendation
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Yes, onions are toxic to dogs. They contain compounds called organosulfur compounds that can damage red blood cells, leading to hemolytic anemia. All parts of the onion plant are dangerous, whether raw, cooked, or powdered.
The toxic dose is approximately 5g of onion per kg of dog weight (0.5% of body weight). Serious toxicity occurs at 10g per kg of body weight. Even small amounts can be harmful, especially with repeated consumption.
Onion consumption can cause hemolytic anemia, where red blood cells are destroyed faster than they can be replaced. This leads to weakness, pale gums, rapid breathing, and potentially life-threatening complications.
Symptoms include weakness, lethargy, pale or yellow gums, rapid breathing, vomiting, diarrhea, loss of appetite, and dark-colored urine. Symptoms may not appear for 1-3 days after consumption.
Contact your veterinarian immediately, especially if your dog consumed more than the toxic threshold. Do not wait for symptoms to appear. Early intervention can prevent serious complications through induced vomiting or gastric lavage.
Multiply your dog's weight in kg by 5 to get the toxic threshold in grams. For example, a 20kg dog would reach toxicity at 100g of onion. Compare this to the amount your dog actually consumed.
Yes, all Allium species (onions, garlic, chives, leeks) are toxic to dogs. Garlic is actually 3-5 times more potent than onions, making even smaller amounts dangerous for pets.
Clinical signs of onion toxicity typically develop 1-3 days after ingestion. The delayed onset occurs because it takes time for the red blood cell damage to become severe enough to cause noticeable symptoms.