Concerns for follow up needed

[JillML]

@Dr. Jeff, @Dr. Christina
This is regarding my dog Jude, 10 y.o. German Shepherd. Last night while cooking I was transferring some cooked vegetables to a container and dropped some on the floor. It was a small amount - a small spoonful or less - Jude grabbed it off the floor before I had a chance to get to it. It did contain onions and I’m concerned about adverse effects that might have for him. Some veterinary articles online say that any amount onion is toxic to dogs and to always go to the vet and other sources say that if it’s a minimal amount for a large dog, just monitor for any potential symptoms. Jude is a 78 lb German Shepherd.

Since it’s a weekend his regular vet isn’t open. It doesn’t seem like a situation for an emergency vet. Thankfully it was a minimal amount and he's a large dog, so I've just been monitoring him for adverse signs for now. His BEAM is completely normal at this time.

I’m wondering if monitoring for symptoms in the next couple of days is the best course of action for now or is a vet visit always warranted in these types of situations?

Are labs warranted to monitor for any blood cell abnormalities in situation like this regardless of the presence of any adverse symptoms are are symptoms always the guideline to go by?

Is there any kind of homeopathic or other intervention that would be helpful in warding off any potential adverse effects?

Thank you,
Jill

 

[Dr. Christina]

Not to worry at all.
this is an over reported situationl

My normal guidelines fro feeding fresh food is to not ADD onions/onion peelings to your vegetable mix but if there are some onions in your soup (not onion soup, of course) or refried rice, etc - do not worry. Dogs digestive tracts, especially when you are feeding a wide variety of food, can safely process any fresh foods. The more you build health following our guidelines, the more resistant they are to any "toxins".

Of course there always can be animals who are super sensitive to anything, but for now - no need to worry.
Dr. Christina

 

[Dr. Jeff]

Hey Jill!

dropped some on the floor. It was a small amount - a small spoonful or less - Jude grabbed it off the floor before I had a chance to get to it. It did contain onions and I’m concerned about adverse effects that might have for him.

How great that Jude's appetite is so good!! That's a really, really good sign that his susceptibility to onion (or any) toxicity is low.

Every medication, food and even water is potentially toxic. If susceptibility is high enough. That's the reason why here at HA! we focus on building resilience and reducing susceptibility, as seen by a high BEAM.

Whether onions, garlic, a drug or a bug triggers symptoms is a result of two factors. Dose and susceptibility.

The higher the dose and greater the susceptibility, the greater the chance of getting sick.

It sounds like Jude got a low dose of onions and has low susceptibility (how's his BEAM?).

A CBC might show some transient anemia if you chose to do a few sequential blood draws.

 

[JillML]

Not to worry at all.
this is an over reported situationl

My normal guidelines fro feeding fresh food is to not ADD onions/onion peelings to your vegetable mix but if there are some onions in your soup (not onion soup, of course) or refried rice, etc - do not worry. Dogs digestive tracts, especially when you are feeding a wide variety of food, can safely process any fresh foods. The more you build health following our guidelines, the more resistant they are to any "toxins".

Of course there always can be animals who are super sensitive to anything, but for now - no need to worry.
Dr. Christina

Thank you for your quick response. That's good to know. I didn't realize that with building health there is less resistance to "toxins." I'm steadily working towards moving him to a fully fresh food diet. In the past he hasn't tolerated the change, so taking it more slowly this time. Appreciate your feedback!

 

[JillML]

Hey Jill!

How great that Jude's appetite is so good!! That's a really, really good sign that his susceptibility to onion (or any) toxicity is low.

Every medication, food and even water is potentially toxic. If susceptibility is high enough. That's the reason why here at HA! we focus on building resilience and reducing susceptibility, as seen by a high BEAM.

Whether onions, garlic, a drug or a bug triggers symptoms is a result of two factors. Dose and susceptibility.

The higher the dose and greater the susceptibility, the greater the chance of getting sick.

It sounds like Jude got a low dose of onions and has low susceptibility (how's his BEAM?).

A CBC might show some transient anemia if you chose to do a few sequential blood draws.

Thank you for your response Dr. Jeff. Thankfully his BEAM is at his normal ranges - all normal/ good. You mentioned - "A CBC might show some transient anemia if you chose to do a few sequential blood draws" - so it could be that anemia occurs, but if resilience is there, a dog can easily recover. Am I understanding that correctly?

 

[Dr. Jeff]

Am I understanding that correctly?

Yes!