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CANINE/FELINE HEALTH ALERT: HOLD THE ONIONS, PLEASE!
Raw, dehydrated, cooked, or powdered--onions in any form can be
dangerous to your dog or cat, say veterinarians at the ASPCA Animal
Poison Control Center (APCC). Should your pet partake of a toxic
dose, thiosulphate in the onions can cause hemolytic anemia, in which
the red blood cells are spliced and unable to supply enough oxygen.
The minimum toxic dose will vary, depending on the animal's size and
sensitivity and the amount and type of onion ingested, but initial
signs of poisoning include vomiting, nausea and diarrhea, progressing
to lethargy, weakness and difficulty breathing. Says the APCC's Dr.
Jill A. Richardson, "Often the pet owner realizes there is a problem
when the damaged red blood cells are eliminated in the pet's urine,
which becomes a bright red color."

Poisoning can occur with repeated ingestion of small amounts of onion
or with a single ingestion, as was the case with two collie mixes
from Philadelphia. The dogs ate some fried onions out of the trash
can on a Friday. "By Sunday, the dogs' urine was red--from the free
hemoglobin released from ruptured red blood cells," reports
Richardson. "At that time the owner brought them into an emergency
clinic, thinking the dogs had urinary tract infections."

Upon examination and discussion, exposure to onions was confirmed.
The clinic's veterinary staff contacted the APCC for treatment
solutions. Says Richardson, "Our recommendations included
administering fluids to protect the kidneys, a blood transfusion and
aggressive nursing care." The dogs responded well and were released
later in the week.

What should you do if you think your animal companion has
accidentally eaten onions? Contact your veterinarian or the APCC's
animal emergency hotline at (888) 4-ANI-HELP for decontamination
help.

Posted on SHARE Yahoo group - Nov. 17, 2002