Garlic for Dogs: Home Remedies and Safety Issues

WARNING!

I read this on petinsurance.com this is just a small paragraph I copied.

Since garlic is significantly more concentrated than an onion, an even smaller ingested amount will likely lead to toxicosis; as little as one clove of garlic can lead to toxicity in dogs and cats.

It concerns me that you recommend garlic in dog food. Please correct me if I'm wrong but I've read this on a lot of websites.... All I did was Google "is garlic poisonous to dogs! " and they all say a big NO don't feed it to dogs as it's 10 times more poisonous than onions! The only ones who say it isn't are natural websites like yours.

Please give me some proven research to use, but because I love my animals, I would never give them Garlic.

Thank you for taking the time to read this...

Please be careful using garlic for your pets. My dog suffered bad allergies so I began cooking her food with onions and using garlic for fleas; in those days there were no guidelines. Well, she died of kidney failure; that is when I learned dogs cannot have onions or garlic. She trusted me to take care of her, I didn't know better, now you do.

There is always one pet that stands out over the others in our lives, she was it and I short changed her life.

Now, many years later, we have a dog who is now old so I don't want any harmful chemicals to keep the fleas away. I use garlic but not internally; I purchase a cheap garlic powder from the grocery store and rub her down with it, it works. Some don't like the odor, more importantly neither do the fleas. Best to you all with your loving pets.

DO NOT GIVE YOUR DOG GARLIC. IT IS HARMFUL TO DOGS. IT CAUSES RENAL FAILURE! DO NOT GIVE THEM GARLIC AT ALL, PLEASE!

Hold it right there. Put the garlic down! Garlic has a remarkable amount of uses for humans but DO NOT FEED GARLIC TO DOGS!!!!! Garlic breaks down dog's red blood cells leading to anemia and possibly kidney failrure from leaking hemoglobin!!! Check this fact out on any veterinary website or textbook. Shame on you Earth Clinic for suggesting it without doing your research!!

Until you have your dog dying from anemia - you will not understand - do NOT feed your dogs, especially NOT cats - garlic or onions. People with dogs that have not died from being fed raw garlic or garlic powders are playing a waiting game, they are taking a few years off the life of their dogs, with the toxic affects of garlic on the animals internal organs.

I'm all for natural products for your animals, but not playing BINGO with you animals life. It scares me so many people happy to blindly follow the crowd on these sites.

If only it was that simple - everyone would be doing it! It certainly is cheaper yes, (until you get the vet bills). My preference is not use all the drugs that vets recommend, but garlic is DANGEROUS for dogs, & I would hate anyone to go through what I did with my poor little dog, thank god she survived - $10,000 later.

I used to give my dogs Brewers Yeast tablets with Garlic and 2 of the dogs ended up with anemia. The one dog passed away from it and the other dog was lucky enough to survive through it.

As far as my experience with giving dogs garlic, I would NEVER reccomend that anyone give their dogs garlic. The vet that owns the animal hospital that I took both of my anemic dogs to said that it was unheard of for someone to have 2 dogs become anemic shortly one right after another. Now I realize that giving the dogs so many garlic pills for fleas daily may have contributed to their medical problem. I have always regretted giving my dogs these pills and wish I knew then what I know now. My one dog may still be alive if I did.

Thanks,
Barb

My adult boxer ate two-thirds of a bag of treats made in part with garlic powder that were accidentally left on the counter and ended up in the ER with blood in his lungs and around his heart. He was having trouble breathing and was coughing and spitting up blood. He has runny stools, as well, and is (was - he's getting better) very lethargic. When first in the ER, it was believed his condition was some type of pulmonary edema until they began questioning whether he had gotten into any plant fertilizer, mouse poison, weed killer, garlic, onions. Bingo! Garlic flavored treats with garlic powder. In small doses, ie., one treat a day, two a day I'm sure it's fine, but the several ounces he ate could have killed him. We will from this point forward always check ingredients on all treats we give our dog to ensure garlic/onion and associated powders are not included. It concerns me that online I'm reading that so many people give their dogs garlic and companies sell products that contain garlic. We won't take that chance again.

I have done some searching online to find the pros and cons of Garlic and pets. I have come across a few links that suggest that Garlic can be fatal to pets - see below;

Garlic is part of the onion family (alliaceae) along with leeks and shallots. There is ample research available which indicates onions can be harmful, if not deadly, to our pets. In the last five years, more and more toxicity studies are being conducted on garlic and all seem to indicate that it, too, can pose serious health risks when fed to cats and dogs. A 2003 study on Grape and Raisin Toxicity in Dogs, published in the Australian Veterinary Journal begins, "The list of commonly available human foods toxic to dogs continues to grow. Grapes and raisins can be added to onions, garlic, chocolate, and macadamia nuts as posing dangers when ingested in excessive quantities." [1] Unfortunately, no one knows what constitutes "excessive quantities".

In an article on Onion and Garlic Toxicity in Dogs and Cats, Jennifer Prince, DVM states: "Garlic and onion are used as flavor enhancers in food. Since the toxic amount is unknown, it is recommended not to add it to your pet's food. These ingredients can cause Heinz body anemia, resulting in a breakdown of the red blood cells and anemia." [2]

Although the exact toxic dose is not known, studies unanimously agree that foods containing garlic should not be fed to dogs.

Full report available here -
http://www.petsbynature.com/Garlic.htm

I hate to disagree with anyone about a flea remedy that works for them, but I feel I must say something about the people who support garlic as a cure. I found out the hard way that garlic can severly injure and even kill dogs. Our dog, Chewie, got a hold of a garlic builb and managed to eat most of it before my husband caught him. We didn't think anything of it, he gets into things all the time, but not even an hour later he started vomiting and shaking. He couldn't hold anything down, not even water. It was too late to take him to the vet at that point, so we had to wait untl morning. When we did him to the vet, the vet was just as confused as we were until we told him about the garlic. Then he said, "Oh, that's it."

He explained that certain plants, like garlic and onion, are actually lethal in certain doses. We were lucky because Chewie vomited so soon after eating it. If he hadn't he could gone into renal failure and died.

I don't want to sound like a spoiler for all those who support giving garlic as a flea remedy, but I just don't want someone to loose their pet by giving their dog too much.

I read the suggestions about garlic for worms, and i used it on my dog and found no cure and no side effects. But, I was reading an old National Geographic magazine (Oct. 2007) and I came across a list of harmful food for dogs and one of them is garlic. It reads "Garlic breaks down a dog's red blood cells, leading to anemia and possible kidney failure from leaking hemoglobin". And for those of you who are curious.. the list reads on:
1.alcohal-depresses brain function and cause coma.
2.coffee- caffeine in a cup of coffee is a methylxanthine compound that can increase a dog's heart rate and trigger seizures.
3. macadamia nuts- just a couple can cause tremors, and even temporary paralysis in dog's hind legs
4.onions- damages is hemoglubin culmulative, so small tastes over time can be worse than wolfing down the whole bulb.
5. grapes (and that includes raisins)- can cause renal failure.
.. this probably isnt everthing so I hope you read up first before giving your pet something new.

Hello, i almost lost my 10 year old Lab last week, all because he had been consuming garlic in his food. I was buying a very expensive dog food that I thought was providing the optimal nutrition and goodness for him. I didn't know that Garlic could cause hemolytic anemia and other deadly problems. I quickly learned, not from my vet, but because i am an RN with a developed intuition and my gutt had and was telling me that his condition had something to do with his food. I removed all forms of garlic form his diet and boom he has made a 180 recovery, thank god. I would encourage everyone to read what is in the bag of food that you are feeding your family/best friend.If you don't know if it is good for your dog do some reaserch on the ingredent.

Just a little warning about using garlic as a flea remedy: in large amounts garlic and onion can cause anemia in dogs by interfering with normal hemoglobin production. I've heard that garlic can work on fleas, but found that it only upset my puppy's stomach and gave her garlic scented farts (nasty!). Later on I read (National Geographic, among other sources) that it can interfere with hemoglobin production and should be avoided - though onions are worse for this.

I was giving my Belgian Sheepdog less than the the manufacturer's recommended dosage of garlic. I wanted an alternative for the control of parasitic insects. The garlic caused my dog to get an ulcer which ruptured his stomache - He died. There may not be scientific data to say garlic is not safe - but it wans't safe for my dog. I still search for the right balance between natural and pharmaseutical. Everthing and anything we give can have a concequence. I have to live with the fact that by trying to help my dog I killed him.

In this month's(October 2007) issue of National Geographic on Pet threats, Garlic is listed as a no-no. According to NG, "garlic breaks down a dogs red blood cells, leading to anemia and possible kidney failure from leaking hemoglobin"

This is in reply to a recent post about feeding dogs and cats garlic. Garlic and onions, both members of the allium family, are toxic to dogs and cats -- even if the garlic and onions are cooked. As yet it is not known what level is toxic. Please google to find the warnings and there are many.

Here's an excerpt from just one recent article about this:

http://www.edmondsun.com/features/local_story_205114633.html

"Some pets can develop a liking to the flavor or the aroma and become intoxicated.

"They contain an organosulfur compound that causes the toxicosis and is readily absorbed through the GI tract in pets. Cooking does not reduce the potential toxic effects unfortunately.

"The toxic mechanism of the onion involves oxidation or breakdown of the red blood cells. This, of course, results in a decrease in the oxygen carrying capacity of the red blood cells. Ultimately there is an impaired delivery of oxygen to the tissues due to a severe anemia, or lack of red blood cells....

"Signs usually appear within a 24-hour period of consumption, but may occur out several days. Pets seem depressed, have shortness of breath, a rapid heart beat, seem weak and show intolerance to exercise and to cold. They may go off their food, have abdominal pain, diarrhea and their breath may smell of garlic....

"Whether or not your pet survives will depend upon how quickly supportive care and correction of the physiologic problems occurs. Stopping the source of exposure of course is a must, and getting a good and quick diagnosis is essential.

An excerpt from another link: http://www.petsbynature.com/Garlic.htm "In the last five years, more and more toxicity studies are being conducted on garlic and all seem to indicate that it, too, can pose serious health risks when fed to cats and dogs.