Is garlic bad for dogs?

Well, if you look at any dog-centered poisonous plant list garlic is there. But don’t fret when it comes to garlic for dogs! You have nothing to fear and everything to gain.

First, here’s why garlic is such a wonderful plant …

Garlic is high in inulin, amino acids, sulphur, zinc, potassium and phosphorus. 

It also contains vitamin A, C, calcium, magnesium, manganese, selenium, germanium and B-complex vitamins.

Garlic’s pungent energy warms the body. Pungent herbs move energy upwards and outwards to the body’s surface, improving circulation. Garlic also has an affinity for the lungs, large intestine, spleen and stomach.

Garlic helps detoxify the body. It supports beneficial bacteria in the digestive tract and eliminates harmful bacteria. I use it in the fall, winter and early spring as a detox and to balance out the digestive system.

As a liver enhancer, garlic breaks down wastes before they enter the bloodstream. It also helps your dog assimilate nutrients and eliminate wastes through the entire digestive tract.

Garlic is high in sulphur and fructans (inulin and oligofructose). Fructans can cause digestive upset in dogs suffering from leaky gut, inflammatory bowel disease and irritable bowel syndrome. When undigested fructans ferment in the small intestine, they cause bloating, gas and constipation. Your dog’s digestive system needs to be healthy before you feed her garlic.

Garlic has other uses in addition to these health benefits:

Garlic As A Flea And Tick Repellent

Garlic may help you in the war on fleas and ticks if you feed it to your dogs during flea and tick season. It takes a couple of weeks for garlic to build up in your dog’s natural coat oil, so start feeding it before the bug season starts.

When using garlic as a flea and tick repellent, feed each day for two weeks, then twice a week for maintenance.

Helps Fight Cancer

Garlic for dogs has shown promise with cancers of the colon, lung, stomach, and rectum. The compounds in garlic increase immunity and enhance natural killer cells. Natural killer cells destroy pathogenic bacteria and cancer cells.

While there are few clinical trials studying the anti-cancer effects of garlic, the National Cancer Institute reports that several population studies show an association between increased garlic intake and reduced risk of several types of cancer.

What are the Benefits of Garlic in your dog's diet?

• Prevents the formation of blood clots (anti-platelet)
• Decreases cholesterol build-up (anti-cholesterolemic)
• Widens blood vessels (vasodilator)
• Helps prevent the formation of tumors (anti-tumor)
• Stimulates the lymphatic system to remove wastes.
• Antibiotic, antifungal and antiparasitic.

Garlic is safe for your dog when you feed it in appropriate amounts. However, there are some cautions for pregnant dogs and some breeds like Akitas and Shiba Inus.

Pregnant Dogs

Always be cautious with any medicine or supplement for pregnant dogs. Consult your holistic veterinarian when feeding garlic to expectant mothers. Garlic also changes the taste of breast milk so avoid feeding it to nursing dogs.

Puppies

Don’t give garlic to puppies under six months. Puppies eight weeks or less don’t produce new red blood cells so never give them garlic. For puppies aged six months to a year, you can be cautious and feed half the regular dose.

Breed Specific Issues

Veterinary herbalist Susan Wynn warns against giving garlic to Akitas and Shiba Inus. These breeds are more sensitive to the hemolytic effects of oxidants such as N-propyl disulphide found in garlic. Consult your holistic vet if you have concerns about your dog’s breed related risks.

Drug Interactions

Garlic can interact with several types of medications. Here’s a short list of ones you need to be careful with:

• Immune suppressants
• Heart medications
• Chemotherapy drugs
• Blood thinners
• Insulin
• Antacids
• High blood pressure drugs.

Don’t use garlic if your dog is on any of these drugs. Since garlic affects blood clotting don’t use it two weeks before any scheduled surgery.