Emergency: How to Treat Dog Poisoning from Onions

When damaged and denatured hemoglobin precipitates onto the surface of red blood cells, it forms Heinz bodies. This process not only triggers intravascular and extravascular hemolysis but also poses a significant threat to the health of the animal.

Signs and Symptoms: The animal may appear listless, with normal mucous membranes. There might be a mild jaundice in the skin, along with slightly rapid breathing. Vomiting may occur occasionally. A routine blood test reveals a mild decrease in red blood cell count, and microscopic examination of the blood smear shows the presence of Heinz bodies on some red blood cells.

Treatment: The treatment involves antioxidant damage repair, liver protection, and lowering of transaminases, along with symptomatic antiemetics and nutritional support. It is crucial to monitor the red blood cell count closely and administer blood transfusions if necessary. Specific treatments include:

Intravenous infusion of reduced glutathione, 0.1 g per day, for a duration of 10 days.

Subcutaneous injection of Sadenosylmethionine, 2 mg/kg body weight per dose, once daily for 7 days, to repair liver cells and lower transaminases.

Subcutaneous injection of Metoclopramide, 0.5 mg/kg body weight, to alleviate nausea.

Nutritional support therapy includes intravenous infusion of 5% glucose solution 70 mL, ATP 0.2 mg/kg body weight, CoA 50 IU per dose, and Lactated Ringer's solution 50 mL. Additionally, subcutaneous injections of 2 mL of sheep placental transfer factor and 1 mL of Butaphosphan complex injection are administered to provide nutritional support throughout the treatment period.

When red blood cell counts plummet, animals may suffer from hypoxia, acidosis, and shock, which can be lifethreatening. Blood smear analysis indicates that Heinz bodies play a positive role in protecting red blood cells from oxidative damage. Onion poisoning can lead to a rapid decrease in red blood cell counts and a sharp increase in white blood cell counts. An elevated number of neutrophils in clinical settings is often associated with inflammation and infection, but it can also be seen in acute poisoning, acute hemolysis, and acute blood loss.