Garlic for Dogs?

[Amina516]

Does anyone know if garlic is ok to give to dogs for fleas/ticks?

Im finding some things that say its poisonous (b/c its related to the onion and it makes dogs anemic??). Other people swear by it, and some places sell Dog Garlic supplements.

Does anyone know for sure of it works, or has given it to their own dog?

Ill call the vet tomorrow, but I wanted to know if anyone had experience with this kinda thing.

Cant get rid of these damn fleas!!

[draggar]

I think my wife has been known to put garlic powder in their food but to help with their digestive track.

[MaggieTheCat]

According to the veterinarians that own the pet supply company I used to work for, garlic IS toxic to both dogs and cats. However, it is less toxic than onions, and cats are more susceptible than dogs. Also, some of their dog treats and supplements have small amounts of garlic in them, so I'm thinking small amounts for dogs are fine. Be careful with a small dog, though, since I assume one of the reasons cats are more susceptible to bad reactions is because they're smaller than most dogs and a small amount of a toxic substance can go a long ways.

Edit to add: Here's a snippet from their article on flea & tick prevention for dogs:

"Brewer's yeast, thiamine, garlic, citronella, rosemary, and other herbs have been advocated as effective flea control substances. There have been no clinical trials to prove their effectiveness. This does not mean they may not work in some situations, but their reliability is questionable. As with citrus extracts, these 'natural' products are not without potential harm. Use them carefully."

[Amina516]

Oo ok. thanks both of you. My dog is about 50lbs or so and shes a mutt (but a pretty pretty one.) Ill see what I can find in the pet store as far as treats with garlic in it and call the vet in the morning.

[jedimaster91]

IIRC from my Beagles for Dummies book, raw garlic is a no-no, but for some reason, garlic powder is okay. I'd still check with the vet, though.

[draggar]

My wife has given our dogs garlic powder before for fleas but it didn't really work.

You'd be better off with something like comfortis (pill) or Frontline plus (yes, go with the plus) if you don't like giving them pills.

[Docmayhem]

... to give to dogs for fleas/ticks?
Cant get rid of these damn fleas!!

I used to live on Long Island - the flea and deer tick capital of the US. I had to use a flea comb on my dogs regularly, and had to pull deer ticks off of my dogs and my kids.

Until I started using Frontline (on the dogs - not the kids).

If you don't have a specific reason to avoid it, I'd recommend you try it.

[draggar]

Until I started using Frontline (on the dogs - not the kids).

The kids got Advantix?

[BookstoreEscapee]

I was always paranoid about Pablo accidentally getting potentially toxic stuff...once caught him with a Hershey Kiss that he'd managed to unwrap and was just about to eat.

Then again, he weighed a whole 5 pounds, so...

[Docmayhem]

The kids got Advantix?

Better that than deertix

But seriously, after you've pulled a tick off of a screaming three year old, you'll try almost anything...