My dog has swollen gums and drools. Could it be from eating onions?

Question

Hi there, today I noticed that my 5 yo Maltese X had been drooling at the dog park. It’s very unusual for her to drool so i checked her gums. They appear to be swollen and causing some discomfort for her. Do you think this is a simple case of needing to brush her teeth or is it more serious? She has not drooled since the dog park. She typically has a dry food diet and eats Hills canine adult oral care. It is also important to note that she accidentally ate some cooked onions the other day. Pet's info: Dog | Mixed Breed Small (up to 22lb) | Female | spayed | 5 years and 10 months old

Stacey Anstaett, DVM · Accepted Answer

It looks like Pepper has some gingivitis and periodontal disease. This is something that you should take her to your vet for; brushing her teeth at home is not going to get any of the bacteria and buildup that is under the gum line, and that’s what’s causing the inflammation of the gums, it’s NOT just what you see on the outside. Talk to your vet about a dental cleaning under anesthesia, and X-rays of Pepper’s teeth. She may have some tooth roots that are affected and unhealthy, and would benefit from extraction of the affected tooth/teeth if deemed necessary based on X-ray. Gingivitis and mouth pain can definitely cause drooling. It’s possible she was chewing on a stick or ball or something at the dog park that temporarily worsened the irritation of the gums resulting in the drooling. As for the onions... onions are indeed toxic in dogs and will cause anemia. (Low red blood cell count). Clinical signs associated with anemia are weakness, lethargy, inappetence, and pale gums. Pepper’s gums are clearly not pale. It may be that she did not eat enough onion to affect her, so that would be good. But watch her for the above signs, and take her in right away if you notice a change. It takes about 2-4 days to see the symptoms develop after the onion has been ingested. Onion toxicity can usually be treated successfully but blood transfusions (sometimes multiple transfusions) are often needed. Thanks for asking Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach!

My dog has swollen gums and drools. Could it be from eating onions?

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