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. ...

MORE FROM DORIS

Homemade Banana Bread

Banana bread is a classic kind of bread for which there are probably hundreds of recipes. Here is just one of them, and I ...

Discover More

Old Fashioned Banana Cake

There are several cakes out there for you to make; however, those cakes can sometimes get kind of old. Here is a great ...

Discover More

Cleaning Greasy Concrete

Whether it is because of your last barbecue got a little too messy, or your car has sprung a leak greasy concrete can be ...

Discover More
More Pet Tips

Protect Your Pet from Penicillin

Penicillin works for human beings as a form of revolutionary medicine, but believe it or not, penicillin isn't so good ...

Discover More

Don't Give Your Pets Food Poisoning

Food poisoning is no fun to get, and it's the same way for pets. Pets can get food poisoning, and so take things into ...

Discover More

Some Plants Can Kill Your Pets

Just like certain plants can harm us, certain plants can also harm your pets. Become knowledgeable about what your pets ...

Discover More
Comments

If you would like to add an image to your comment (not an avatar, but an image to help in making the point of your comment), include the characters [{fig}] (all 7 characters, in the sequence shown) in your comment text. You’ll be prompted to upload your image when you submit the comment. Maximum image size is 6Mpixels. Images larger than 600px wide or 1000px tall will be reduced. Up to three images may be included in a comment. All images are subject to review. Commenting privileges may be curtailed if inappropriate images are posted.

What is 8 - 5?

There are currently no comments for this tip. (Be the first to leave your comment—just use the simple form above!)