Did you know that onions can be toxic to both cats and dogs? This is because they can develop Heinz body anemia, a condition in which their healthy red blood cells (RBCs) are destroyed, resulting in life-threatening anemia. The red blood cells develop an abnormality called a ‘Heinz body,’ a small, bubble-like projection which protrudes from a red blood cell ( which can be seen under a microscope). This “bubble” is a vulnerable spot on the red blood cell, which decreases it’s lifespan, causing an RBC to rupture prematurely. If this occurs to numerous red blood cells at once, a form of hemolyctic anemia can result.

The toxicity is dose dependent, so the bigger the animal, the more onions it would need to consume in order to cause a lethal case of Heinz body anemia. Moreover, onions remain toxic regardless of whether they are raw, cooked or dehydrated, and the symptoms of the condition usually take several days to appear after the onions have been ingested (the condition peaks approximately five days after consumption). Daily exposure can have a cumulative effect due to the ongoing formation of Heinz bodies.The toxicity is dose dependent, so the bigger the animal, the more onion need be consumed to cause a toxicity.

Cats are even more susceptible to the condition, due to their small size and sensitivity to carbohydrates. Recently, Gerber began to add onion powder to all its meat baby foods. Since baby food is often used in sick cats that are not eating (to stimulate their appetites), there was concern that the onion powder would cause a Heinz body anemia in these cats. Within a week or two of the change, there were numerous reports of Heinz body anemia in cats receiving these baby foods to supplement their diets.

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