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Potential Risks of Giving Garlic and Onion to Pets

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Michael Wahn

Garlic and onion are very common ingredients that make our daily menu complete. At times, we couldn’t help but feed some of our flavorful food to the pets, thinking they should enjoy it as well. If we aren’t careful enough, we might be causing unexpected harm to them. Garlic and onion belong to the same family, Liliaceae, and they generally possess the same chemical characteristics.

Some of these chemical compounds are dangerous for a lot of animals. For example, their sulfur components are transformed into oxidizing agents, which lead to hemolysis of red blood cell rupture. As we know, red blood cells carry the oxygen that the body tissue needs. Thus, if they are damaged, the tissues will be oxygen-deprived and less healthy. This in turn gives rise to harmful carbon monoxide.

Another important thing to realize is that some specific components of garlic and onions also act as irritants, which are also damaging to sensitive tissues in our pet’s body. Lastly, some specific compounds in the garlic and onion cause the formation of ulcers in the gastrointestinal tract, which ultimately causes bleeding. Taking note of these, the next time we feed our pets with our flavorful food, we must make sure that garlic and onion aren’t in the ingredients.  

 A sudden change in your pet's appetite and/or eating habits should prompt a visit to your nearest vet care center Fayetteville, NC.

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Michael Wahn
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