Please help, my own dog - onion poisioning ?

RE: Please help, my own dog - onion poisioning ?

janine redman — Thu, 23 Apr 2026 14:45:08 GMT

Have you had a qualified pathologist review the haematology ? Especially platelets . Is there a haemolytic anaemia , any haemorrhage anywhere . It becomes difficult to interpret blood films once transfusion has been given.
and if the concern is immune mediated disease then pred dose is 1-2 mg / kg with dex being 8x stronger.

RE: Please help, my own dog - onion poisioning ?

Stigen — Wed, 22 Apr 2026 19:43:10 GMT

I gave her blood, and she perked up quite a bit

RE: Please help, my own dog - onion poisioning ?

Michael Woodhouse — Wed, 22 Apr 2026 11:41:57 GMT

Get the Temperature down, ideally IV paracetamol, otherwise stuff some down her throat.

RE: Please help, my own dog - onion poisioning ?

Stigen — Wed, 22 Apr 2026 11:41:39 GMT

Could it be DIC?

RE: Please help, my own dog - onion poisioning ?

Stigen — Wed, 22 Apr 2026 11:39:16 GMT

It has dropped a lot since yesterday,hemolysis going strong ,i dont know what it is, and nothing helps, and now she need transfusion

RE: Please help, my own dog - onion poisioning ?

Stigen — Wed, 22 Apr 2026 11:04:41 GMT

Temperature keeps rising. been 39,5 , and now 40,1. Onion toxicity is just a guess, I don`t have a sure diagnosis, but tested for all the common things. I gave some more dexamethasone today, what is high dose? I also gave paracetamol to bring fever down.
She is really weak now, I just feel her getting worse and worse and it breaks my heart.

RE: Please help, my own dog - onion poisioning ?

janine redman — Wed, 22 Apr 2026 07:12:47 GMT

I would repeat the PCV. And platelet count . You should see a bone marrow response by now . My onion toxicity cases have usually ingested a fair amount of onion and I can’t remember them being persistently pyrexic. I would go for high dose steroids if platelets still low and if IMTP a possibility then a single dose of vincristine is useful to increase platelet count quickly

if PCV rising then perhaps paracetamol to bring temp down and mirtazipine to stimulate appetite

RE: Please help, my own dog - onion poisioning ?

Stigen — Wed, 22 Apr 2026 05:18:25 GMT

Thank you, I gave Dex and clamoxyl yesterday, I always gave those in the muscle, would almost feel weird not to!
and had her on fluids. She has`nt been drinking last 12 hours so thinking to keep her in the hospital today at least on a maintenance drip of ringer, and give her some critical care electrolyte mix. Maropitant is probably a good idea, so will give today. And also her Bilirubin is high(probably from hemolysis) so might give some ursofalk too.

RE: Please help, my own dog - onion poisioning ?

Stigen — Wed, 22 Apr 2026 05:12:28 GMT

Thank you! I needed to hear this..I really think she could have gotten some garlic from the floor, or mixed with some meatloaf...and it just makes more sense than anything else. I have considered a Coombs test, so might do it, but there was no sign of agglutination on my saline test, and pretty sure I did it like it is supposed to be. Blood pressure just been taken with a manual handheld machine with an inflatable cuff for the hindleg...but yeah the values seem to extreme to be right.

I have been logically thinking that I just need to give it some time to regenerate as you say, but at the moment I am myself a hysterical owner. Not sleeping, and obscessing over my dog. I was gonna get a big donor dog today and do a blood transfusion, but perhaps will hold off for a few more days.

I did gave dexadreson (0,2mg/kg), but she still has`nt been eating or drinking last day, and temperature still 39,5.

RE: Please help, my own dog - onion poisioning ?

Michael Woodhouse — Wed, 22 Apr 2026 00:04:19 GMT

I would absolutely give steroids and, honestly, probably a shot of amoxicillin. Go easy with the fluids given the anaemia.

See what temp does, but I'd probably give paracetamol as well and if not eating, some maropitant.

Just give drugs under the skin, they work just as well and much kinder.

RE: Please help, my own dog - onion poisioning ?

David Mills — Tue, 21 Apr 2026 20:20:45 GMT

If you're concerned about IMHA (or at least how accurate your auto agglutination skills) then a Coombs test. There are no obvious spherocytes on your slides so I don't think it is. There are Heinz bodies.

Onion toxicities that I've seen generally survive when the bone marrow kicks in after 3-5 days. May need transfusion of anaemia dips too low but at 24 I wouldn't be too concerned. Leukaemia is rarely a cause of acute illness, a bone marrow biopsy would be required but it's not that common on the general population.

Blood pressure measurement depends on how you did it - it is one of the most diverting tests and apart from an animal under ga I am skeptical of it especially oscillometric. Doppler is the only reliable way to measure it. I suspect it is probably normal.

I would hang tight, measure pcv daily (it might go lower) and see if it recovers with time. Dex won't do any harm and may help maintain appetite. I don't see a reason for antibiotics. If it is onion toxicity then do normally recover but it's a waiting game where they'll feel rotten for a few days.