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Old August 31st, 2008, 09:39 AM
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HELP! question about onions!

Okay, I'm freaking out. I had bought this Morningstar breakfast starters thing, it has veggie sausage, peppers, potatoes and diced onions.

I don't like buying anything with onions or making anything with onions. I don't even buy onion or garlic powder and try to buy stuff that doesn't have that in it.

I finished eating and put my plate next to the sink, and I still had a bit of stuff left on there.

I think Oksana might have eaten a piece of the onion. :sad:

How much onion is enough to be toxic?
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Old August 31st, 2008, 02:16 PM
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I'm really not sure, but I know a few pieces of onion have been ingested around here much the same way (getting into spagetti sauce, stir frys etc), and no one has gotten sick. Hope whoever ate it is ok!
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Old August 31st, 2008, 02:32 PM
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Thanks for answering. I've been worried all day and I can't really find anything that tells how much is considered bad.

If she did manage to get a piece it was likely a small one. It was Oksana. She's not acting funny or anything so most likely she's fine. I'm going to talk to their vet about it next time I see her though.

I've got to get Maks and Kiska in for their turn at the Junior Wellness exam, so I can mention it to her then.
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Old August 31st, 2008, 02:38 PM
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When I read your question, my first response was going to be "any amount", because that's the understanding I have formulated over the past few years.

However, when I went looking for a reference for you, I could not find any basis for that.

PetEducation.com advises at this link: "the toxic dose is unknown. Cats appear to be more sensitive than dogs."
Signs: Vomiting, diarrhea, anemia, discolored urine, weakness, liver damage, allergic reactions, asthmatic attacks, and in case of skin exposure, contact dermatitis.

The following technical paper speaks of large quantities being toxic. When describing clinical signs however, it states that "clinical sighn may appear within one day if large amounts of material have been ingested; however, it is more common for clinical signs to develop after a lag of several days." To me, there is an inference that smaller quantities may require more time to display their effect. Link: Allium Species Poisoning in Dogs and Cats

I also found references to the use of baby foods containing onion/garlic powder, where the cautionary statement indicated that, if these were used in a cat over a prolonged period, clinical signs would begin to appear.

One, possibly helpful tip: If you suspect a cat has eaten onion/garlic, try to small the cat's breath for any sign of it. (I know that may be too late in this situation)

If that happened here, I would call my Vet and take direction from her (keeping in mind the possibility of a time delay before any symptom may appear).
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Old August 31st, 2008, 03:11 PM
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Thanks for that link, I saved it on my bookmarks. It looks like it has some very good information.

I did call my vet's office and they told me that if it was just a very small piece, and she's not shown any signs of physical distress, she's okay. They told me such a small piece will not harm her, but if I was worried, to just watch her for a few days and if I see anything odd in her take her in.

She's acting normal, for her. I'm hoping she didn't eat anything, but if she did it was a very small piece. This is why I don't even buy onions anymore or garlic. I've learned to just cook without it because I don't want accidents to happen like this.
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Last edited by ancientgirl; August 31st, 2008 at 05:08 PM.
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Old August 31st, 2008, 04:20 PM
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I'm going to hijack this thread and ask: Would you recommend the breakfast starter? Was it good and how did you cook it? I've been wondering if they are worth buying.. I'm a veggie and see what you are talking about in the freezer case all the time but haven't tried it yet.

Anyways, according to my mom a cat is more likely to puke something up that is going to hurt them then anything else. So I think your kitty will be fine! Besides, my cats eat all kinds of stuff they aren't supposed to eat and they are fine. My one cat LOVES chocolate and will steal it right from you! He's eaten all kinds of chocolate deserts and isn't dead so I think my moms right, they would throw it back up before they would let it poison them.
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Old August 31st, 2008, 04:35 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by kathryn View Post
...my cats eat all kinds of stuff they aren't supposed to eat and they are fine. My one cat LOVES chocolate and will steal it right from you! He's eaten all kinds of chocolate deserts and isn't dead so I think my moms right, they would throw it back up before they would let it poison them.
My sense is that there are a great number of Veterinarians who could offer up some case histories which might just change your and your mom's opinions.

I do hope your kitties remain well.
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Old August 31st, 2008, 05:16 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by kathryn View Post
I'm going to hijack this thread and ask: Would you recommend the breakfast starter? Was it good and how did you cook it? I've been wondering if they are worth buying.. I'm a veggie and see what you are talking about in the freezer case all the time but haven't tried it yet.
They are amazing! I would highly recommend them. I could not find any egg substitutes. I'm trying to go vegan, but it's extremely hard and I've not been a vegetarian long enough to figure out all the ways around not eating egg and stuff. It's been easier for me to cut out 95% of my dairy, I'm looking for a good vegan cheese then I can cut dairy out totally. The package stated you can use eggs or Morningstar egg substitute, but I could not find it, even at Whole Foods. I bought free range eggs. You need to add 4 of them.

It was very easy to make. You beat the eggs, then heat the package in a skillet. I made it with coconut oil. It takes about 10-15 minutes to heat up. Then you push it to one side, and add the eggs. When the eggs are almost done you incorporate everything. All of this is done in the same skillet.

It had peppers, onion, potatoes and meatless sausage. I think you would enjoy these.

On the subject of the cats and food, I'm guilty of letting them have a few bites of what I eat. By that I mean, maybe a bean here and there, or a few licks of yogurt or ice-cream, maybe toast. I wouldn't feel comfortable letting them have chocolate. I'm too much of a worry wart. I'd be having a heart attack all day.
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Old September 1st, 2008, 05:44 AM
pet lovr 4 life pet lovr 4 life is offline
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Smile

all of my animals have their favorite ppl food and im not afraid to let them try evrything once...normaly i have found that if it is going to hurt them or make them sick they just wont eat it and if they do it is a very small amount...your cat will be ok i used to have a cat that if you left a raw cut onion on the counter he would steel it and if you tried to take it away you would normaly get groweled at or biten...lol...
some animals just dont folow the rules...
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