Dog Onion and Garlic Toxicity Calculator
Calculate the toxicity risk if your dog ate onions, garlic, leeks, or chives.
Estimates danger level based on your dog's weight and amount ingested.
Why Onions and Garlic Are Toxic to Dogs All members of the Allium family — onions, garlic, leeks, chives, and shallots — contain compounds called organosulfoxides (particularly n-propyl disulfide). When chewed and digested, these break down into oxidizing agents that damage red blood cells, causing a condition called hemolytic anemia.
Toxic Dose Onion: toxicity begins at approximately 0.5% of body weight. A 30 lb (13.6 kg) dog eating just 2.4 oz (68g) of onion could be at risk. Garlic: generally considered more toxic per gram, with toxicity at 0.5% of body weight or roughly 15-30 grams per kilogram. However, garlic has a wider safety margin in very small amounts.
Forms of Allium All forms are toxic: raw, cooked, powdered, dehydrated, and in sauces or soups. Onion powder and garlic powder are MORE concentrated and therefore more dangerous per teaspoon than fresh. Baby food sometimes contains onion powder. Pizza sauce, gravy, and many prepared foods contain alliums.
Symptoms Timeline Symptoms typically appear 1-5 days after ingestion: lethargy, pale or yellowish gums, decreased appetite, rapid breathing, elevated heart rate, dark-colored urine (red or brown), vomiting, diarrhea, weakness. Delayed symptoms make this toxicity particularly dangerous — the dog may seem fine initially.
IMPORTANT: This calculator provides estimates only. If your dog has eaten any amount of onion or garlic, contact your veterinarian or the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center (888-426-4435 in the US) immediately.