Hey Woofa’s,

I was having a conversation the other day (no surprises there) about whether Garlic is safe for our dogs or not!

With all the information out there it’s really unclear as to whether or not our dog’s can have garlic.

At the age of 7 my dad brought our first Staffordshire Bull Terrier home, he was 6 months old and already named Igg Napp.

My dad, together with two other mates, use to show and breed Staffies.

So I pretty much grew up around the Dog Show Ring and the crowd that goes with that.  With this comes having your dog in top condition, internally, externally and behaviourally.

I remember my dad always putting garlic into our dog’s dinner.  Back then there seemed to be no qualms about it.

These days however nearly everything you read says DON’T GIVE YOUR DOG’S GARLIC!  Which confuses me because we always gave it to our dogs and it never bothered them.

So I then thought, right lets get to the bottom of this once and for all.

WHY DO PEOPLE SAY THAT GARLIC IS POISONOUS?

It is said that GARLIC is poisonous because it is a cousin of the ONION –  AND ONION IS A BIG NO NO when it comes to dogs.

So people think the same of garlic.

Basically, both Garlic and Onion have an ingredient called thiosulphate which is toxic to dogs.

HOWEVER, onions have a much higher concentrate of it than garlic does.

I think people shy away from giving their dogs garlic because while it can be good for them you have to be careful on the dosage you give.  This may scare people into not wanting to give it.

CAN I GIVE MY DOG GARLIC?

Yes you can BUT you need to be aware of how much to give them.

I personally wouldn’t give it to pregnant dogs or puppies either.

You also want to make sure you give natural locally grown garlic, if possible.

HOW MUCH GARLIC SHOULD I GIVE MY DOG?

As a general guide as to how much GARLIC to give your dog – roughly 1 small garlic clove for every 20lbs of dog.

Examples-

10 to 15 pounds  – half a clove of garlic;

4.5kg – 6.8kg – half a clove of garlic;

20 to 40 pounds – one clove of garlic;

9.1kg – 18.1kg – one clove of garlic;

45 to 75 pounds – two cloves;

20.4kg to 34kgs – two cloves: and so on.

What I do for Billy (and also did for Henry and Isabel) was make up their dinner for the whole week!  Because they weighed in the 20-25kg range I would put 1 and a half crushed garlic clove in and really mix it through their dinner.

So they would get a small dose of garlic (as per their weight) each week.

No overdosing here.

WHY SHOULD I GIVE MY DOG GARLIC?

Once the dosage is correct for your dog, Garlic has a lot of benefits.

a) fights ear infections;

b) can fight internal infections;

c) lowers blood sugar;

d) boosts immune systems;

e) repels fleas;

f) can be used topically in treating wounds or ear infections.

According to Marin Goldstein, D.V.M in his book ‘The Nature Of Animal Healing’ – he says –

‘Garlic – A natural antibiotic and aid in digestion.  I prefer to add it in its natural form – cloves of the bulb – to the food I cook for my pets, and urge you to do the same.  It’s rich in vitamins (particularly A, B complex and C), proteins, and trace minerals, and is an excellent antibacterial agent and antioxidant.   It may also boost liver function and prevent heart disease, cancer and other degenerative diseases – and basically do everything but make your pet fly.  In it’s liquid form, I’ve used it for resistant parasite problems.  For non-responsive ear infections, I’ve reduced its concentration by half with distilled water: a few drops can be put in the ear and massaged gently, with any excess absorbed by a cotton ball’.

If you’ve read all of the above and you’re still unsure about whether to give your dog garlic or not, speak to a trusted Vet and then speak to a trusted Holistic Vet.

Then go with your gut, if you think it’s worth trying garlic for your dog, make sure you give them the correct dosage.

If you’d rather not, then don’t, it’s completely up to you.

At least this way you can make an informed decision.

WHAT DOES ALL THIS MEAN?

YES you can give your dog garlic, as long as it’s in the right dosage.  However, when in doubt check with a trusted Holistic Vet/Vet.

Hold off on giving garlic to your puppy or pregnant dog.

Garlic does have a lot of benefits.

IN THE COMMENTS BELOW – BILLY WOULD LIKE TO KNOW – ARE YOU THINKING OF/ OR HAVE YOU GIVEN YOUR DOGS GARLIC?

CHEERS