# Garlic..probably not a good idea



## aprilb (Jul 9, 2010)

I got a recipe from my vet yesterday for a homemade grain-free diet. She told me not to use garlic. It is very closely related to onions and can damage a dog's hemoglobin resulting in acute anemia just like onions do. I noticed that several of the pre-mixes contain garlic, and so do some of the premium canned foods. I'm wondering if this is what made Rose sick because I could smell the garlic when I opened the bag of Grandma Lucy's we once tried. My vet told me to use low sodium broth to flavor their food. Please note that the ASPCA lists garlic under the toxic food list. 

Holistic Dog - What foods are bad for your dog?


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## CrystalAndZoe (Jul 11, 2006)

Small amounts of garlic have been proven to be beneficial to dogs as it is to humans. Mine were on GL's Artisan for over a year and never developed or showed even a hint of a symptom of Hemolytic Anemia. Annual complete blood panels have been perfect. There are quite a few commercial dog foods and commercial dog treats that have a small amount of garlic in their list of ingredients. The food they are on now also has a small amount of garlic in it and they have been on it for almost a year. So that's over 2 years now with no problems. Even the link you provided talks about it being the quantity that is the problem. With so many things, a little may be actually good, but too much of even a good thing may not be so good.

Is Garlic Good or Bad for Dogs?: Veterinarians Explain Garlic?s Benefits and Dangers | Suite101.com

Toxins (Poisons) That Effect Dogs - VetInfo

But everyone needs to do what they feel best for their baby. I have 2 vets that are traditional vets but lean more towards the holistic in food and how they treat certain conditions and both are fine with small amounts of garlic in food and treats.


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## almitra (Apr 24, 2009)

Finding dog treats/foods without garlic isn't difficult, so you may want to check out a few more options on the market (though home cooking would certainly give you 100% control over ingredients). If Rose's system in sensitive to garlic, then you are a very careful mommy to avoid it in her diet.


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## aprilb (Jul 9, 2010)

Crystal&Zoe said:


> Small amounts of garlic have been proven to be beneficial to dogs as it is to humans. Mine were on GL's Artisan for over a year and never developed or showed even a hint of a symptom of Hemolytic Anemia. Annual complete blood panels have been perfect. There are quite a few commercial dog foods and commercial dog treats that have a small amount of garlic in their list of ingredients. The food they are on now also has a small amount of garlic in it and they have been on it for almost a year. So that's over 2 years now with no problems. Even the link you provided talks about it being the quantity that is the problem. With so many things, a little may be actually good, but too much of even a good thing may not be so good.
> 
> Is Garlic Good or Bad for Dogs?: Veterinarians Explain Garlic?s Benefits and Dangers | Suite101.com
> 
> ...


 

It's true that garlic amounts do tend to be smaller than onion in most cases. But if this is the first thing one smells upon opening a product, would you feed it to a 4 pound fluff? Tiny amounts of garlic are probably okay for some. Personally, I don't want to take the risk.


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## aprilb (Jul 9, 2010)

almitra said:


> Finding dog treats/foods without garlic isn't difficult, so you may want to check out a few more options on the market (though home cooking would certainly give you 100% control over ingredients). If Rose's system in sensitive to garlic, then you are a very careful mommy to avoid it in her diet.


Thanks Sandra! None of the foods I feed contain garlic. I am just trying to inform. All of us need to be label readers of what is going into those tiny little tummies. Sometimes I think pet food companies will do anything to appeal to us pet parents. Most want to make the cheapest product they can and sell, sell, sell it, so they can make lots of money. Now with all the "natural" choices, competition is fierce. I have even seen sugar listed as an ingredient. This was on a "premium" food.


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## CrystalAndZoe (Jul 11, 2006)

aprilb said:


> It's true that garlic amounts do tend to be smaller than onion in most cases. But if this is the first thing one smells upon opening a product, would you feed it to a 4 pound fluff? Tiny amounts of garlic are probably okay for some. Personally, I don't want to take the risk.


I was feeding it to Callie and she's just right at 4 lbs. I know quite a few others whose baby is that small and feeding them GL's Artisan and they are doing great on it. Now for Callie, there was too much fiber in it and it turned her into a pooping machine so that is why we switched to what we are on now.

Every dog is different. You can have a particular food or ingredient that the majority of dogs do great with but you have those few that are sensitive to it and don't do so well with it. So you have to feed what works best for your particular baby. 

For me, I'd much rather give a food with a small amount of garlic and avoid monthly toxic flea meds. But if one of mine could not handle the garlic, I would stop feeding foods with it and figure something else out for flea prevention.

I get concerned when there are generalized statements that could hurt a company's reputation or even prevent someone from doing something that could potentially help their fluff when the majority of vets, holistic vets and those with years of experience with whatever the particular product or ingredient is say one thing and a few others say something different. No product will ever work 100% well for 100% of the group it's intended for. 

And I always say to trust your mommy instinct. I know you are absolutely correct you when you say it was not working well for your baby. Those of us on this forum are super in tune with our babies where the general public isn't as much.


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## vjw (Dec 20, 2006)

Since we don't know what levels of garlic is toxic, I don't think it's a good idea to feed it to our dogs.

Here's what a veterinary nutritionist says about garlic (and onions):


PetDiets



For those who do not like to click on links, I've copied and pasted the Q & A from petdiets.com:



QuestionIs it OK to give my pet a garlic pill once a week?AnswerWe do not recommend feeding garlic or onions to dogs or cats because there is a potentially serious downside. Onions and garlic contain an alkaloid disulfide compound that is toxic to red blood cell membranes and irreversibly denatures hemoglobin. This compound is toxic to several species including dogs and cats. A Heinz body hemolytic anemia has been documented in dogs consuming relatively small amounts of raw, cooked and even dehydrated onions. Cat red blood cells develop Heinz bodies also after consuming onions. There have been reports of anemia, dermatitis and asthmatic attacks after the long term feeding of garlic and garlic extracts to dogs. The possibility of developing a Heinz body hemolytic anemia appears to be variable between pets, and it is not possible to predict which animals may or may not have such a reaction to onion or garlic. Please see information on feeding garlic and onions to pets in our Nutrition Library for more details and references.


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## almitra (Apr 24, 2009)

Thanks for the link, VJW.


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## LJSquishy (Feb 27, 2008)

I think there is a benefit to a small amount of garlic, but it depends where on the ingredient list it is located. Just like rosemary, which some SMers believe caused seizures in their dogs, some may be more sensitive to it.

I have Grandma Lucy's Artisan on order and it contains garlic. It is one of the last ingredients, right ahead of rosemary and then followed by the added vitamins. I have heard both sides of the garlic issue and if it doesn't work for my dogs I won't feed it. Some have done fine with garlic in their diet for years so I believe there is an amount that can be tolerated and beneficial.


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## vjw (Dec 20, 2006)

Crystal&Zoe said:


> I was feeding it to Callie and she's just right at 4 lbs. I know quite a few others whose baby is that small and feeding them GL's Artisan and they are doing great on it. Now for Callie, there was too much fiber in it and it turned her into a pooping machine so that is why we switched to what we are on now.
> 
> Every dog is different. You can have a particular food or ingredient that the majority of dogs do great with but you have those few that are sensitive to it and don't do so well with it. So you have to feed what works best for your particular baby.
> 
> ...


UC Davis, the number two ranked veterinary school in the U.S. has an article about fleas and flea allergy dermatitis on their Dermatology site. The following statement is in that article (under the "Control of Juvenile Fleas) section:

*Electronic flea collars, brewer's yeast, garlic, vitamin B tablets, and extracts of eucalyptus or pennyroyal, are not flea repellent, and provide no protection for your pet.*


Here's a link to the article:

William R. Pritchard Veterinary Medical Teaching Hospital


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## romeo&juliet (Jun 23, 2011)

vjw said:


> UC Davis, the number two ranked veterinary school in the U.S. has an article about fleas and flea allergy dermatitis on their Dermatology site. The following statement is in that article (under the "Control of Juvenile Fleas) section:
> 
> *Electronic flea collars, brewer's yeast, garlic, vitamin B tablets, and extracts of eucalyptus or pennyroyal, are not flea repellent, and provide no protection for your pet.*
> 
> ...


 

awesome link thank you very much :thumbsup:


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