When Willow was just a purple dorg from Animal Rescue (which is to say, when she was young), she was much more likely to be fed “whatever was at hand” and which she would gladly sample. We found out that she liked carrots, and offered those to her as treats, and which she accepted the same way. I found out by accident (dropping some chopped onion on the floor) that she liked onion, too. So I’d give her occasional slices of raw onion.
Not long after finding out about this, I took her for an initial checkup with my new veterinarian (since we needed our own vet). During the intake exam, the vet’s assistant asked about her diet, at which time I mentioned the carrots and onions along with her normal dried food. He burst out laughing, “And she’s still alive?”
That’s when I found out about the supposedly toxic effects of onions on dogs. So I stopped giving them to her, of course. But I still think that the dangers are somewhat overblown.
Of course, this is the same dorg that got into rat poison in someone else’s garage two weeks ago, then later in the day threw it up on their rug, and walked away with no ill effects. There’s no telling what won’t kill her.