Dog Owner Warns About the Dangers of Onion Powder After Pet Almost Dies from Eating Seasoning
Getty; Sharron Champagne
A New Hampshire family is sharing the story of their dog's near-death experience to help other pet owners.
According to a release from the Pet Poison Helpline, Sharron Champagne's dog nearly died after getting into a "Costco-sized container of onion powder" accidentally left out in the Champagne family's home in Hooksett, New Hampshire.
The Champagnes have two dogs, Tsuk and Scotty. Tsuk has the reputation of being the bit more rebellious of the two. Unsurprisingly, Tsuk was the one who decided to break into the onion powder container left in the dogs' reach.
"Tsuk is notorious for stealing things off the counter," Champagne told Pet Poison Helpline. "She's extremely focused on food and is always hungry."
"Apparently, Tsuk pulled the onion powder container off the counter and ripped it open. The container was about three-quarters full, and what she didn't eat, she left on her mat," the pet owner added.
According to the ASPCA, onions and garlic contain N-propyl disulfide, which is toxic to dogs and cats. When ingested, N-propyl disulfide can lead to the breakdown of red blood cells and anemia in pets.
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The Champagnes did not know the dangers of onions and garlic posed to pets when Tsuk consumed a good portion of onion powder.
"At first, we weren't too concerned since she gets into so many things, and we didn't know that ingesting onions is so dangerous to pets. After a few days, she became lethargic, stopped eating, started drinking more water than usual, and her urine was dark in color. She also started vomiting. That is when we realized something was seriously wrong," Champagne said about what happened after Tsuk's onion powder incident.
The Champagne family called Pet Poison Helpline for assistance and were advised to take Tsuk to a veterinary hospital after discussing the dog's symptoms.
"The amount of onion powder potentially ingested by Tsuk posed a risk for red blood cell damage, anemia, and GI irritation," Dr. Renee Schmid, a senior veterinary toxicologist at Pet Poison Helpline, said in a statement. "Main clinical signs are often seen within three to five days after ingestion, so the timing of her clinical signs was consistent with onion exposure."
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Tsuk's family whisked the dog to the VCA Capital Area Veterinary Emergency and Specialty. The animal hospital and Pet Poison Helpline worked together to develop a treatment plan for the dog. Tsuk received a life-saving blood transfusion after a blood test revealed her red blood cell count was dangerously low.
"After three days in emergency care and thousands of dollars in veterinary bills to save her life, Tsuk is now doing great. We are so happy we made the decision to treat her," Champagne said of how Tsuk is doing today.
Champagne added that she plans on downsizing her onion powder and garlic powder containers and has kept the seasonings away from her pets since Tsuk's recovery.
