Garlic for Dogs: Home Remedies and Safety Issues

I know there's plenty of people out there worried about their dogs, that's a good thing. I've given my dogs garlic for about a year so far with no problems. We have 5 dogs from a Border Terrier that's under 10lbs. All the way to a German Shepherd (who has a very sensitive stomach and can only eat certain dog food) who weighs over 80lbs, thankfully we have not had any problems giving them garlic. Watch the amounts, that's the key. I give them garlic twice a week, then off a week. They haven't had a flea or tick during the year I've been doing this, and we live in the woods. Here's an exerpt I found with dosing info. Again, like people, all animals are different so watch what you give an how much.

Dr. Martin Goldstein (author of The Nature of Animal Healing) recommends adding garlic to home-made pet food and he himself feeds garlic to his own cats and dogs on a regular basis. Dr. Pitcairn (author of The Complete Guide to Natural Health for Dogs and Cats) recommends the following amount of fresh garlic for dogs, according to their size: * 10 to 15 pounds - half a clove * 20 to 40 pounds - 1 clove * 45 to 70 pounds - 2 cloves * 75 to 90 pounds - 2 and a half cloves * 100 pounds and over - 3 cloves Dr. Messonnier (author of The Natural Vet's Guide to Preventing and Treating Cancer in Dogs) recommends one clove of fresh garlic per 10 to 30 pounds of weight a day to boost the immune system and cancer prevention. As with most herbs, at least one to two days off per week or a periodic week off from garlic is a good idea.

Is it ok to give small amount of garlic still to help with fleas and ticks if your dog is pregnant?? I've been seraching a little but have not found a clear answer. thanks to any who could help with this question.

Large quantities of Garlic can be harmful to you pet, but in MODERATION they should be fine. Owners should responsible enough to keep their pet's treats or anything that could be poisonous out of reach. It's just like any other thing in this world- EG; calcium is good for us, but too much can lead to calcium deposits on our bones. Too much of anything can be harmful. Garlic can be beneficial to a dog.

How come so many people believe garlic is bad for dogs? -Outside of the fact that they are related to the onion which is harmful to pets. Anywhere else online you say that you give your dog garlic and give you death threats. What's with all the misinformed people?

Many false posts on the internet about the supposed deadly side effects of garlic for dogs. It seems quite obvious to me that the companies that sell the flea medication formulas started the rumors. As always, the internet feeds false information like an insipid virus when it is copied from one web site to another without any real research done on the subject. Hopefully websites like this one prove that garlic in moderation is safe for dogs AND a great healing tool. I have used garlic for many years on my canines and none of them have ever experienced any (and I mean ANY) side effects.

I agree about the companies that sell the flea meds spreading the rumors .If anyone that reads this would do me (and future pets and their owners) a favor and spread this news like a disease! Due to being unemployed at the moment and the fleas in Texas already out of control even after 3 good winter freezes I resorted to an "over the counter spot on" flea treatment for my 2 dogs. I won't mention brand partly because you can't on this site but mainly because THEY ARE ALL BAD! 1 day after applying this treatment to both my 8 lb chihuahua and my 100 lb Akita the Akita started acting lethargic.Within 3 hrs of me noticing her acting a little funny I could not get her to stand, eat, drink and she seemed to be drifting out of consciousness. I knew I needed to get her to the vet but I couldn't lift her and I live alone. It was 5:00 a.m. and I couldn't find anyone awake. Called the local fire station they refused to help. Finally an hour later my boyfriend woke up and I rousted my neighbor.They had to carry my baby out on a blanket.When we arrived at the emergency vet they immediately put her on oxygen and fluids. When I told them her symptoms they asked if I had applied any over the counter flea meds to her. I hadn't even thought of that being the problem. I was horrified! Within minutes I was told there was little hope that she would live. I was hysterical but pulled myself together enough to go lie with her on the floor of the E.R. and hug her and apologize to her for forcing her to sit still as I applied the stuff that would kill her. I held her as they put her to sleep. I hugged her until her heart stopped beating. I weep as I'm writing this as it happened just a week ago.She was a 3 yr old beautiful, sweet, smart, strong and loyal 100 lb Akita .I nursed her through Parvo at 8 weeks old. She was a fighter and this poison in a tube being sold everywhere snuffed out her life too soon. Tell everyone you know this stuff is HORRIBLE! I am so lucky it didn't kill my other dog. When I returned from the vet I washed him like 4 times much to his dismay. Needless to say I am on the hunt for flea treatments that work without risking your dogs health.I am terrified to use anything now. Thanks in advance for taking time to read this. Allison

I have 2 one year old Shih-Tzus. They both have the Shih-Tzu skin problems. I used to like giving garlic to the dogs but was told it was bad for them. Now I am totally confused. How do you give the dogs garlic without them spitting it out?? I mixed garlic powder in their rice while I cook it. I have seen garlic pills. Can they have those?? They are in the vitamin isle at the store. How do you decide how much they can have. Both of my boys are around 11 pounds. My poor bebies are going nuts with them on them. We have used bathes, Bio-Spot (which was useless) Baking soda bathes and now we are seeing them run and hide even if we go to the bathroom for our own use. If garlic is safe then I want to use that. They are our babies and we hate seeing them so agitated. What amount is good? Why not powder?? Isn't that just dried garlic?? The capsules?? How much is good for them? Thanks.

After reading all the comments I got confused weather to feed my fod garlic or not. So I decide to call my VET and he told me that I can feed him 2-3 cloves in his food daily. Its not at all harmful to dogs.

The same japanese scientists who learned that "garlic" damages canine blood cells also claim it is positive for cardiac and immune health.

What damages cells is not thiosulphate but a disulfide that is part of thiosulphate.

The missing enzyme in dogs is g6pd and it neutralizes the disulfide.

Guess what - about 1 in 12 humans have the same problem (me for one). Garlic does the same to us as it does to dogs. In my case it causes me to feel crappy if I eat too much. G6pd deficiency is one of the most common deficiencies among humans.

Dogs have no g6pd so disulfide damages the blood cells and they are eliminated by the spleen. The bone marrow replaces these cells. If you feed the dog too much disulfide and it injures more blood cells than the bone marrow can replace, anemia results.

This disulfide by-product of thiosulphate is an "oxidant" and "anti-oxidants" will neutralize them just like g6pd does. Stuff like vitamin E are anti-oxidants so if you include them in the dog diet they should prevent harm from disulfide.

Just so you know I only use the word "vet" because it is easier to say than "unlicensed taxidermist" - which in my opinion is what most vets are.

Further I am not a scientist - I learned this stuff just researching on the net.

You should do the same.

So I think the best thing is to make sure the dog gets anti-oxidants (either in food or a supplement) and start out with VERY SMALL doses of garlic. Increase it little by little and see if the dog tolerates it okay. If the dog shows any signs of trouble with a small dose STOP.

It takes a few days for disulfide to damage blood cells, so unless the dog has some kind of other problem it shouldn't harm them right away - like stories I've heard of a dog eating some garlic and getting sick an hour later.

Like I said I have a g6pd deficiency - I don't like raw or cooked onion because they POISON me - but my mother MADE me eat onion when I was a kid. If your dog doesn't like garlic BE CAREFUL. Onion tasted vile to me when I was kid so if garlic repels your dog be careful.

One of my dogs had a hemorrhage and his tongue turned white before he died - you can tell if a dog is anemic by checking the color of the tongue.

Don't take my (or anyone else's) word for it - do your own research.

Did you even read the article? Onions and garlic are related but have an considerable difference in thiosulphate. Did you feed your dog onions or garlic? I supose there could be different veriteties of garlic that could have different levels of thiosulphates, depending on the level oh sulphates in the dirt and disposition from onions. Just a small dose will go a long way with dogs, so don't go feeding them a bulb of garlic a day. Unless they "yo quedo taco bell".

There is a logic fallacy in extending onion's toxicity to all onion family members. A further example of this would be saying that potatoes and tomatos are toxic because they are in the same botanical family as deadly nightshade. Potatoes and tomatos indeed carry some of the toxin, especially in their non-edible plant parts. The tubers and fruits that we eat don't carry enough of the toxin to be poisonous. I believe moderation as has been already suggested is key.

It should be said, that garlic and onion is poisonous to dogs, and in some breeds, can build up in their system and cause SEVERE form of anaemia - it sounds rather macabre, but the red blood cells begin to BURST! A breeder that I know said that a local vet asked them to bring one of their strong dogs in to "donate blood" for a dog who desperately needed a blood transfusion for long-term intake of garlic. The dog was suffering from severe anaemia. I'm surprised that some brands of dog food contain garlic also. It may ward off fleas, but I certainly would not risk it with my dogs. A safer and natural flea remedy is Eucalyptus oil or Tea Tree Oil added to their shampoo.

I use Garlic gel caps for my Australian Shepard, and my Father used it for his dogs when I was growing up. Also my Father used Sevin Powder for Vegetables, that is also safe for Dogs. It looks like Baby Powder =)

Carlos, thank you for writing your entry. I have heard about the benefits of garlic but have also heard that it is bad for them. I was not sure which one to believe. Now that I read your entry I have made up my mind. I WILL NOT FEED GARLIC to my dogs. If there is even a slight unknown chance that it could harm my dogs, I will not do it. Thank you

Actually that is not true. Studies do not unanimously agree that garlic should not be fed to dogs. Look deeper into the studies that claim garlic is harmful. They gave the dogs MASSIVE amounts of garlic in those studies. It is fully possible to OD on any substance, no matter how "safe" it is. The toxin in onions that causes Heinz Body anemia is present in far smaller amounts in garlic. Many many people use garlic for their dogs with no ill effects and many health benefits. There are at least two comments on this very page of dogs owners that have given garlic for many years and had dogs with very long and healthy lives.

That's just the thing, though! ANYTHING in a large dose can be lethal. That same flea medication that you use instead of garlic could easily kill a dog, even if used topically. Yes, garlic could be lethal if ingested in a large dose. So can water, for crying out loud!

Personally, I've done quite a bit of research on garlic because none of the flea treatments I've tried have worked. I switched my dog to a RAW diet in November, and have slowly been inching towards a more natural all-around life for her. Garlic is just another step in the process. The fleas have been ridiculous, and I'm anxious to see if garlic can bring yet another benefit to the natural diet.