Onions and Garlic are Toxic to Pets
Onions and garlic are toxic to pets!
On a recent episode of Good Eats – a cooking show hosted by Alton Brown on the Food Network – the host feeds his dog Matilda left over onion, garlic and salt pork! Now this is intended in jest but in real life could be disastrous. Onions and garlic can be toxic to dogs and cats and salt pork may cause another set of problems.
Onions and garlic can lead to damage to red blood cells which in turn can lead to severe anemia. This includes raw, cooked and dried versions of these plants. Individual animals appear to vary in how susceptible they are to the toxic effects. When the anemia is severe it can lead to lethargy, weakness, organ failure and death. In severe cases treatment may require blood transfusions and significant hospital time.
Salt pork is problematic due to its fat and salt content. The fat could lead to severe gastritis/enteritis or pancreatitis. Clinical signs would include vomiting, diarrhea, lethargy, and not eating and these diseases range from mild to life threatening. Salt can also cause significant intestinal upset and be even more problematic for an animal with underlying kidney or heart disease.
Moral of the story is do not feed your pets people food because even seemingly harmless vegetables can be toxic. If you pet ingests onions, garlic or salt pork, contact your veterinarian for advice immediately.