Is garlic bad for dogs?

Question

I read somewhere that onions were harmful to dogs, and garlic strikes me as being quazi-onion-esque. However I also once new a retired veteranry assistant who claimed it was wonderful for their coats and skin. (I have, however seen this same veteranary assistant smoke crack though so I'm not so ssure I trust her opinion.)

Answer 1

garlic, if given in moderate amounts can be used as a natural repelent for fleas and worms. I have used it for almost 20 years and have had great results with it.

Answer 2

I had a black lab, raised with 4 boys that were always feeding him under the table and sharing their treats with him, ate everything, Easter basket candy, Halloween candy, 2 boxes of school candy, never made him sick, I also gave him garlic pills for fleas. He was always active even on the day he died of melanoma at 12yrs of age. Why he had melanoma? I guess dogs have different sensitivities, like humans.

Answer 3

It is part of the onion family, therfore if given in large amounts it can be dangerous. However in many premium dog foods garlic is present, and it is recommended in the BARF raw food diet. So I guess according to the experts who formulate these high quality foods, a little bit is healthy

Answer 4

Garlic is only good when correctly processed and portioned (as in some dog foods, treats, supplements, etc). Giving your dog garlic in its pure form is NOT good, and can cause many problems.

Answer 5

For dogs garlic is less toxic then onion and large amounts of garlic would need to be eaten for it to be harmful to a dog. And yes the vet assistant is right it has been found good in some ways as well. But yes too much garlic is bad for dogs, so be careful. :)

Answer 6

Dogs are carnivores. They sometimes eat other things like grass, but this is usually done because they need to throw up and know eating grass will cause them to throw up. One of my dogs, an Irish Wolfhound, got into my stew one night when I got called from the table. There were no onions or garlic in the stew, but there were peas and carrots. I wish I had seen him eat the stew, because he somehow managed to leave a pile of peas and carrot slices beside the plate. Seems to me that garlic would be bad for a dog, sure would make me avoid the poor animal for a few days while the stink subsided. Doggy breath I am used to, but doggy + garlic? EWWWWWWWW.

Answer 7

There are brewer's yeast and garlic supplements which are formulated for dogs. Garlic won't harm a dog in a small portion. You are right that they are "onion-esque" but they don't have as much of what onions do in them to make them toxic like onions are. Grapes are also bad for dogs.

Answer 8

Its actually good for them...I have 11 dogs snd 2 cats here right now...(rescues) and they all get garlic tabs (from pet store) every day! It keeps the fleas off of them! I have been using Brewers Yeast w/ Garlic pills for years! I have NEVER had a flea problem!

Answer 9

you're right about the onions, they can't digest it and it can be a "toxin" like chemical....but Garlic? Nope...Actually I've used garlic in my dog's food before and it is a natural treatment for dogs to protect them from fleas....fleas hate garlic!!

try tis link.. and there are more for dogs too, just google up for "Human foods for dogs" and you should be able to find many things about what's good and what's not good! Good Luck!

http://www.starbreezes.com/11/foodsafe.html

Proud Golden Retriever owner for over 11yrs!

Answer 10

garlic contains a toxin called thiosulphate it can cause many health problems in animals even death if enough garlic is eaten