The comments below reflect the personal experiences and opinions of readers and do not represent medical advice or the views of this website. The information shared has not been evaluated by the FDA and is not intended to diagnose, treat, or prevent any disease or health condition. Always consult a qualified healthcare professional for medical concerns.
Posted by Susan (Seymour, Tennessee, US) on 03/24/2009
My 1 yo Carolina Dog / American Dingo (Cooter) has been scratching almost since I got him at 7 1/2 weeks. I didn't notice the scratching until after I used a rx flea med on him. I have tried everything for the itching! he was diagnosed with demoditic mites and was treated and follow up was negative for them. but he's still scratching, and biting himself. I would love to quit the rx flea/worm meds and start him on garlic, BUT I almost lost my last dog to heartworms ( which are really bad here in east TN). Is the garlic also a preventivive for heartworms?( I know they r caused by mosquitos which are really bad here too) I have already switched him to a commercial grain-free dry food, tea tree oil & sulfa shampoos, leave in conditioner, ointments, a round each of antibiotics & steroids, human allergy med -which only made him sleepy- not necessarily in that order! And still he scratches & bites himself all over! he weighs about 35 lbs, how much garlic & how often, raw/fresh or dried? Any other ideas????Help!He's driving himself & my family crazy!
Posted by Betsy (Colorado Springs, CO) on 02/13/2009
I have a question. I have a 50 lb Shepard mutt and a 25 lb Corgi. How much fresh garlic should I be giving them to keep them worm-free? Do I do it every day or a few days each month? What is the recommendation here?
Posted by Sid Davis (Springfield, Missouri, USA) on 02/14/2009
I have read on some of the veterinary sites on the internet that things like garlic and onions can actually kill a dog. The explanation is that dogs cannot deal with some of the chemicals in these and these chemicals will combine with the dogs red blood cells preventing them from carrying oxygen. I think they have the same problem with the oxalic acid in chocolate.
You might want to research this carefully before you give your dog garlic.
How much garlic powder do you use in dogs food? Is an eight of a teaspoon of garlic powder enough, too little? I have a female beagle, Lilie. She was an inside only dog, for a while until beginning of this summer actually. And I now know why I have kept her an inside dog. fleas! And I would like to stick with home remedies for many reasons. I just may, make her inside dog again.
The wonderful Theresa from Minneapolis, MN has been helping pet owners and their beloved pets around the world on Earth Clinic since 2013.
About Theresa
Theresa from Minneapolis was born and raised in the inner city, always wishing she had been raised on a farm.
Her love for creatures great and small began at an early age, starting with caterpillars - which continues to this day, along with an interest in all insects and 'creepy crawlies'.
Theresa's interest in pet health started with a bird keeping hobby at age 14, where she learned from another hobbyist that the simple addition of Apple Cider Vinegar (ACV) in a bird's drinking water kept fungal infections away; she was able to share this with her avian vet who in turn prescribed it to her own clients; Theresa was surprised to learn that she could teach her vet a thing or two. This important lesson - that each of us can be a teacher - was a turning point for Theresa, and fueled her quest for the knowledge held in lore, and remedies passed by word of mouth. That quest for knowledge continues to this day, as new and old remedies alike are explored. She may not have experience with a particular issue, but she will research it to the best of her ability and share what she finds freely, in the hopes that you can heal or improve your pet's health.
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If this were my dog I would give her good flea bath, follow it up with a vinegar rinse and then keep her inside. I am sure she is much happier inside than outside.
Posted by Raven (Bangkok, Thailand) on 11/18/2008 ★★★★★
Recent research sets the LD50 (lethal dose at which 50% of subjects die) of garlic in dogs at approximately 5 grams per Kg.
So the dog who got sick from eating a whole bulb of garlic may have gotten a dangerous amount if the bulb was 50 grams like the ones I buy and the dog was 10 kg or so (22 lbs). Smart per owners will keep all medicines, natural or not, in a safe storage.
That being said, much valid research seems to indicate nothing but good effects from a clove of garlic a day for dogs (use Google Scholar to search for and see all the papers on the web). For tiny dogs a tiny piece is likely all that is needed.
My Thai Dog puppy loves garlic, but as he only weighs 12 Kg at 5 months old, one clove a day is all he gets. The vet says he looks great and tests show no intestinal worms.
Posted by Tanya (Apopka, Florida) on 10/17/2008 ★★★★★
I had been having trouble with ticks on my cocker spaniel. We started giving her one garlic pill everyday and we have not had any more tick issues. The only way she will take it is if I hide the pill in a small piece of banana. If the banana is too firm, she will break it and spit out the pill. So be sure it is a ripened banana.
Posted by Corinna (Copperas Cove, Texas) on 10/15/2008
I have 9 dogs. 6 of them weight over 50lbs and the other 3 are 2 min. Yorkies and one min. Dachshund. I've been having a flea problem for a year now. I spent fortunes on all kinds of flea prevention and tried almost EVERYTHING there is. It got better but the fleas are still there. 2 days ago I started giving them garlic pills. 1 for each of the large dogs and 1/2 for the small ones. I also have 5 cats and give them 1/2 each. But it is a fight and hassle to make them eat the pills. After reading this blog, it seems to me that fresh garlic is better than the pills, but I can't just throw in their food 'cause they won't eat it. Does anyone know a dog-treat I could make and put the garlic in there so they will eat it? My cats already had tapeworms because of the fleas. I got rid of those but since the fleas are still there it will only be a matter of time until they get the worms again. I would really appreciate any suggestion on how I can give my cats and dogs the garlic.
Avoid the cat food; dogs love it but it is very bad for them (and vice versa). I boil some offal, it is very healthy for dogs, I add no seasoning, grind it up fine in the food grinder and add it to the base as a meat treat. However, you may be surprised to find that many dogs, including my 13 love the taste of garlic! Good luck!
Posted by Larry (Okla City, Okla ) on 10/12/2008 ★★★★★
I have been feeding my dogs garlic for years. I just put it on top of the food in the diced form or cook it with meat. I always cook meat for them even though raw is supposedly better. I have also always used tumeric too to prevent inflammation, adding herbs last to the cooking process. I am still really fighting parasites. I think I have more of a problem than my dog. I bathe my dog pretty frequently but plan to bathe him more. I will also try cloves and cayenne. My chiropractor told me to drink cider vinegar water daily. I also was curious about the chewing tobacco deal. Thanks for this site. It is very informative.
I have given garlic to all my dogs and they never have fleas or worms, and live long healthy lives. One Golden Retriever in particular was a real pig and would raid the shopping bags while you were getting the rest in. At one time he consumed 2 loaves of bread in a couple of gulps, another time a pound of sugar! Not to mention a lot of unspeakable stuff he would find in the fields. He had no ill efects and he lived to 17. Dogs usually have pretty strong stomachs! I do feel vets and feed manufacturers have a vested interest in bad mouthing anything natural. Our stable cats never have jabs or wormers and live to ripe old ages. They scrap and get a scratch or an absyss, but this disappears in a day or two on it's own, without sixty quids worth of antibiotics!
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.
Posted by Cynthia (Pineville, LA) on 09/28/2008 ★★★★★
hey my dad has been sprinkling garlic powder on his dogs food for about 16 yrs now. He used just enough to cover the top of food shake it into dry food or mix into canned.
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 =)
Posted by RhyDonna (Denison, Texas) on 09/02/2008 ★★★★★
About the garlic being harmful, I fed my dog garlic for 20 years. She lived to be 21 yrs old. I also give it to the dogs I have now. Anything, anything is lethal in large amounts, you can even o.d. on water if you drink to much. Onions are considered lethal because of the chemical in it that makes humans sleepy, thats why onions can kill a dog, but not garlic. Like I said, my dog lived to be 21yrs old. She never had any problems.
Just an update. I give my dog (probably weighs at least 90 lbs) one 1500 mg garlic oil capsule 2 x's a day in her food. Her ears don't seem to bother her as much, but not completly cleared up (she won't let anyone touch them to clean them.) The one thing that I HAVE noticed, is that when she burps in my face!!, it no longer gags me with the sewer gas smell. Now it kind of smells like mild salami. LOL
I must add that she likes to eat things....rocks, socks, paper towels, a whole straight popsicle stick, a thumbtack, coins...you get the picture....so I'm sure she had bacteria growing in her that I beleive the garlic has taken care of.
I have also added 2 1000 mg of fish oil capsules 2 x's a day. No more chewing raw spots on her back near her tail, and she has slimmed down, and her coat is shinier.
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.
I read the topic about garlic and dogs. Needless to say, I had to try it just because I don't believe in all the chemicals that the vets recommend and personally I think they cause alot more harm then good. Leaning towards the natural approach, both my dogs had fleas. I mixed olive oil and garlic powder. I have my lab (the one with the worse case of fleas) a small clove of garlic. The 8 month old pup I didn't give him any. So far my lab has not SCRATCHED ONCE, in the last hour. He was constantly scratching every 3-5 mins. This would go on all day. Finally I bathed them with the oil/garlic powder and then washed them with dish soap. All is well and they are both very happy dogs.
Posted by Karen (Hatfield, Pennyslvania) on 08/10/2008
I have 2 dogs. One 6 yrs. and one 5 months. They have fleas. I wanted to give them garlic but after reading all these different opinions Im totally confused.I just lost 2 dogs. One(14 yrs) to cancer and old age and one(2 Yrs) to kilo thorax. I dont want to lose any more. But I also have 9 cats and cant afford to buy flea control besides I dont trust the chemicals in them.
Posted by Rachel (Underwood, Indiana) on 11/13/2008
Did you actually say "The garlic also makes the blood of your pet taste and smell very foul."? Can you tell us how you know the BLOOD of your pet TASTE foul? LOL!! I am hoping you mean taste foul to the worms.
Posted by Melissa (Wellsburg, WV) on 06/18/2008 ★☆☆☆☆
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.
Thanks for the info! I have been at my wits end about my pomeranians flea problem! Makes it worse that she is allergic to all flea products so we are going aunaturelle! Thanks Cynthia
Posted by Rod (Fort Lauderdale, Florida) on 05/20/2008 ★★★★★
My two dogs, a five year old and an eleven year old always have had Garlic for repelling fleas and thicks, digestion and overall good health. The big pharmaceutical companies don't want people to know this, but do your research on the net. Garlic is great and cheap, but also uncommon sense tell us to be cautious with anything, allergies to just about anything can occur.
Posted by Gabrielle (Elgin, Ontario Canada) on 05/16/2008 ★★★★★
My 86 lb golden lab chow cross is almost 13 yrs old. Since he was a year old I have been making his dog food - boiled chicken, rice & raw chopped veggies (carrots, zuccini, bell pepper) - I sprinkle dried herbs (basil, rosemary, oregano) & garlic powder into chicken boil. Vets always comment on how healthy my dog is for his age and how nice his teeth are. He is slowing down now but to me it is obvious that the garlic has not harmed him in any way. And I always have lovely chicken broth for myself!
Posted by Dee (West Warwick, RI) on 05/04/2008 ★★★★★
I do agree with Cheryl about the things on her list or (National Geographic magazine list). Except for the garlic. For a dog to become anemia by using garlic it would have to have an enormous amount of garlic. In the of Animal Wellness magazine February 2008 issue, is an article on the benefits of feeding garlic http://www.Animalwellnessmagazine.comrnrnAnother good article is http://www.petstyle.com/dog/health_well_article.aspx?id=2030§ion=Feeding amp Nutrition
I have two dogs 8 & 9yrs old; both get a clove of garlic daily. Small clove mix in raw meat for my little dog 25lbs and on or two cloves mixed in raw meat for my big dogs 60lbs, during the tick season, usually May thru July, Aug. When the tick season ends, I don't give it to them. I have had no side affect or problems with fleas & ticks. At first I had concerns about feeding garlic, after doing much research and reading different forums. I feel very confident garlic is safe to give my dogs. Dogs, like people, are different and each one has a different chemistry. What works well for one may not work for another? It's always best to do the research and use good common since, there's pros and cons for everything. You have to feel comfortable with your choices. But for me, garlic is the best tick repel I can use; I feel it's safe and has no harmful side effects.
I've been giving my small and large dogs fresh garlic cloves, twice a week, for the past 30 years, and they all lived long healthy lives. I used to eat a clove daily and I never got a cold or flu. I gave up the daily garlic because it made me stink. Once I gave it up I began to catch virus. I now only take it if I feel as though I may be coming down with something.
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