Updated
Small mammal food safety
Can Small Mammals Eat Onion?
Unsafe
No. Onion is unsafe for small mammals. If raw onion, cooked onion, onion skin, scraps, or onion-containing food was eaten or chewed, remove access and call an exotic-pet veterinarian or poison hotline.
OnionCall before guessing
If any small mammal ate or chewed onion or onion-containing food, call an exotic-pet veterinarian or poison hotline with the species, weight, form, amount, time, and symptoms.
Guinea pigs
Call if exposed
Do not feed onion to guinea pigs. If onion or onion-containing food was eaten or chewed, remove access and call with the species, weight, onion form, amount, time, and symptoms.
Syrian and dwarf hamsters
Call if exposed
Do not feed onion to Syrian and dwarf hamsters. If onion or onion-containing food was eaten or chewed, remove access and call with the species, weight, onion form, amount, time, and symptoms.
Rats
Call if exposed
Do not feed onion to rats. If onion or onion-containing food was eaten or chewed, remove access and call with the species, weight, onion form, amount, time, and symptoms.
Mice
Call if exposed
Do not feed onion to mice. If onion or onion-containing food was eaten or chewed, remove access and call with the species, weight, onion form, amount, time, and symptoms.
Gerbils
Call if exposed
Do not feed onion to gerbils. If onion or onion-containing food was eaten or chewed, remove access and call with the species, weight, onion form, amount, time, and symptoms.
Chinchillas
Call if exposed
Do not feed onion to chinchillas. If onion or onion-containing food was eaten or chewed, remove access and call with the species, weight, onion form, amount, time, and symptoms.
Ferrets
Call if exposed
Do not feed onion to ferrets. If onion or onion-containing food was eaten or chewed, remove access and call with the species, weight, onion form, amount, time, and symptoms.
Treat onion as allium exposure
Onion is in the allium family with garlic, chives, leeks, and scallions. This is not a portion question for small mammals.
Mixed foods count
Onion often hides in sauces, soups, pizza, stuffing, dips, and leftovers. Save the ingredient details if exposure happened.
If exposure happened
- Remove raw onion, cooked onion, skins, scraps, wrappers, sauces, dips, and any contaminated food or bedding.
- Keep the animal contained and calm while you call an exotic-pet veterinarian or poison hotline.
- Save the package, recipe, or ingredient list, especially for mixed foods such as sauce, soup, pizza, or leftovers.
Avoid
- Raw onion, cooked onion, onion skin, onion powder, onion salt, soups, dips, sauces, stuffing, pizza, pasta sauce, and seasoned leftovers.
- Waiting to see what happens after a tiny animal chewed onion.
- Assuming a small cooked piece is safe because it was hidden in human food.
Helpful food-safety supplies
Optional tools for measuring, storing, serving, and cleaning up small portions safely.
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