Don't Feed Cats and Dogs Onions

Written by Doris Donnerman (last updated February 17, 2009)

Onions have a great ability to spice up food and make it taste better. I like onions in soups, enchiladas, meatloaf, and spaghetti sauce, among other foods. It just adds this nice zip to food that other spices don't have. While we, as humans, may enjoy onions in our food, it's not good for cats and dogs. When feeding your cat or dog leftovers from the dinner table, you need to make sure there aren't any onions in the food.

Onions (and garlic too) contain sulfoxides and disulfides, which are harmful to cats and dogs. Sulfoxides and disulfides, while making no real difference for humans, can damage the red bloods cells in animals, and can be instrumental in causing anemia (a deficiency of red blood cells). While neither animal fares well on onions and garlic, it does affect cats more than it affects dogs. You also should be aware that onions and garlic should be avoided in any form: raw, cooked, or powdered.

If you dog or cat just eats one slice, it's not going to keel over fatally sick, but even just a few onion slices a week can begin to seriously damage your pet's health. You should constantly be monitoring what you feed your dog so you can prevent any illness brought on by onions or garlic. The process of sickness may be slow, but if not watched, prevented, or treated it can turn into serious ailments.

We may love onions in our food. They are a part of our diet and usually don't cause us any harm. We can't, however, neglect to realize that onions are bad for our pets. It's easy to prevent and something that is completely worth it for the health of your dog. It is a pity that pets can't enjoy the goodness of an enchilada.

Author Bio

Doris Donnerman

Doris is a jack of all trades, writing on a variety of topics. Her articles have helped enlighten and entertain thousands over the years. ...

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