Can Dogs Eat Onions?
No — the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center lists onions among the people foods to avoid feeding your pet.
What the ASPCA publishes
Onions appears on the ASPCA’s “People Foods to Avoid Feeding Your Pets” list, which says:
“Onion, garlic and chives are members of the Allium species of vegetables.” “Allium species can cause gastrointestinal irritation and red blood cell damage, which can lead to anemia (low red blood cells). Although cats are more susceptible, dogs are also at risk depending on the amount ingested.”
Common questions
Can dogs eat onions?
No — the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center lists onions among the people foods to avoid feeding your pet.
What does onions do to a dog?
The ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center publishes this, word for word: “Onion, garlic and chives are members of the Allium species of vegetables.” “Allium species can cause gastrointestinal irritation and red blood cell damage, which can lead to anemia (low red blood cells). Although cats are more susceptible, dogs are also at risk depending on the amount ingested.” We reprint their sentence rather than paraphrasing it, because a paraphrase is what gets quoted back with the caution removed.
My dog already ate onions — what now?
Call your veterinarian, or the ASPCA Poison Control at (888) 426-4435. Note how much was eaten and when. This page reports what published sources say about onions; it cannot tell you whether your dog is affected, and no amount is described here as safe.
Other foods on the ASPCA’s avoid list
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If your dog has already eaten onions, call your veterinarian or the ASPCA Poison Control at (888) 426-4435. This page reports what published sources say; it is not a diagnosis, and no amount is described here as safe.
Verified on . Based on ASPCA Poison Control (ASPCA, 24-hour emergency line, accessed 2026-07-28) and Kitten Age & Weight Chart (ASPCA Pro, 2023 (golden-test source, not used to build the calculation)). See the method.