I've responded to questions and tips several times regarding giving garlic to pets for flea control or assorted other reasons, but maybe it will be more helpful if posted as a tip that might reach more folk? Please consider reading up about Heinz-Body anemia before you make the decision to give garlic in any form, or anything in the alliums family for that matter, to a pet. Personally, I wouldn't risk the health of my pet when there are other safe alternatives available. Here are two really good links to begin your homework with:
By Deeli from Richland, WA
I buy garlic pills (the gel-caps) and poke a hole in one gel-cap with a needle and squeeze the oil into my dogs food about 5 days a week.
Can I give my dog garlic power?
By Margo from wilm dem
Garlic and onion can cause hemolytic anemia in animals. I wouldnt take the chance.
I was wondering how much garlic I can use on my dogs that weigh approximately 10-17 lbs? They have fleas.
By Brenda from Ontario, CA
And will you or the dog enjoy the odor of garlic if you decide to try it?
Garlic does not work and any member of the onion family is a no-no for dogs as it can be toxic, along with chocolate and raisins. It doesn't repel them and it certainly doesn't kill them. Feeding the dog a natural good quality diet does make a dog less likely to be tempting to a flea as they do prefer unhealthy dogs for some reason. Fleas and other parasites got for the unhealthy, weak and young, those with immune systems not up to par. SO making your dog as healthy as possible is the best flea remedy.
There are a few natural or herbal ways to keep fleas away but they don't work totally. They work some of the time, for some dogs and cats. You can mix cut-up lemons with boiling water and let it sit overnight. Now you can use it in a spray bottle. Spray your dog around his ears and neck, not in his eyes of course. And spray all along his back to his tail dock area and don't forget his armpits and belly. Anywhere you'd expect to find fleas.
Shake some tea tree oil and almond oil with 10 drops of lavender oil and 5 drops of cedarwood oil. Put a few drops where you'd put Frontline like around the neck and tail dock area couple times a week. If your dog is of collie mix don't use tea tree oil as they ae a bit sensitive to it. Just use the almond oil. You can also make a tea tree oil and water spray for non-collie dogs.
Crumbling pennyroyal or placing some in in his bed is a good idea, too. You can sprinkle pennyroyal on your carpet and then vacuum up a few hours later. Plant it around your yard or kennel as fleas don't like it.
With all due respect to "foxrun41" I'm not convinced this debate is settled: I know several people who use garlic powder to successfully inhibit fleas and all of their dogs are healthy.
Brenda, I would suggest doing more research on this issue yourself, since the consensus is not unanimous, and use your best judgment with your own dogs.
"foxrun41" I'd be happy to review your source that claims garlic and/or onions are entirely toxic to dogs, but I don't know what source you are citing from. You are the only one I've ever heard state this, but that doesn't mean you are incorrect.
Maybe it has more to do with amounts than actual consumption?!?! Or whether it is cooked, raw, powdered, etc. Again, I know several that use powdered garlic to control fleas on dogs with zero health problems in those dogs. I also know that my own dogs have consumed cooked onions (minimal amount) in human leftovers with no ill effects.
Again, no disrespect intended at all to "foxrun41". I'm just suggesting to Brenda that for things not written in concrete, continued research is a responsibility we each have for our own.
I have to add a bit more here. Anything in the Allium family (garlic and onions of any sort) have high concentrations of thiosulphate, a compound that causes damage to red blood cells and leads to 'Heinz factor anemia' where the red blood cells burst. Dogs and cats do not have the enzymes to properly digest thiosulphate. This is a more serious problem with cats than with dogs but serious for both species nonetheless.
Raw garlic or onions should never be given to your pet. Alliums in any form can be harmful to your pet's health and can easily build up toxic levels depending on the pet's size, breed and health (a big no no for a pet with diabetes). This build up can occur over periods of time and can lead to the accidental poisoning of your pet.
Garlic can indeed be toxic and especially when it's combined with chocolate and/or raisins so if you decide in your heart of hearts to use garlic to get rid of a pet's fleas you really need to keep raisins and chocolate out of your pet's diet. (Raisins and chocolate in and of themselves can have serious effects all by themselves as well).
Personally, I would call a few vets in your area and ask their advice and the advice you hear most often, and your heart/soul, will give you the answer. As for myself, I wouldn't risk giving anything in any amount to a pet that could potentially be dangerous. There are other alternatives with some research for your particular situation. You just have to do some leg work.
Do not use pennyroyal around any pets and certainly not around anyone that is pregnant. It was used as a "natural" abortion product. It will cause pregnant dogs or cats to abort, it can also cause pregnant women to abort.
I have used garlic in my dogs food for years, and I have Border Collies now, and Shelties in the past. None were adversely affected by the garlic. I have also used "wettable" sulfur powder in my dogs water to help control fleas.
Do your homework on pennyroyal before considering having any of it around, dried or fresh. You certainly don't want to plant it in your yard, it is in the mint family, and will take your yard over. You don't want your dogs, cats or any other animals walking across it and taking a chance on it harming them.
Garlic is safe for dogs. While the onion has thiosulphate, the garlic of the same family does not contain any thiosulphate.
I don't buy the advice you should ever use home remedies on yourself or pets. I eat garlic regularly, as did my mother and father. My father passed at age 108 and my mother was in good health until Alzheimer's took her at 83.
I'm 68 years and strong as a bull. You can repel fleas on cats by rubbing garlic and vinegar water into their fur a couple of times a week with no adverse effects. I had two cats which I used this remedy on and one lived to 21 years and the other to 11. It would have lived longer if it had been born with two kidneys instead of one.
Most vets and doctors are honest but they are still in business to make money. They will often have you coming back for mostly un-necessary treatments and test. Unless you or your animal have some apparently serious illness or injury, let time heal it.
How much and how often do I give raw garlic to my 60-70 pound dog?
By Jan N
If you put garlic in dog food will it keep fleas off your dog?
By Mike H.
At what age can I give a puppy garlic for flea protection?
By Eliot
Is it safe to rub garlic on the back of my dog's neck (where he can't lick it) to repel fleas?
I bought some garlic gel-caps, 1000mg. I was wondering how much to give a 7lb dog?
By Brandice
Is it true that you can use garlic as a flea treatment for dogs? I was told that you give the dog a little bit of garlic every day and it gets into the bloodstream which helps keep the fleas away.
By kac from Bennington, VT
No garlic; no onions. Sorry, but you can buy reasonably priced flea treatment through this link.
cheapfrontlineplus.com/
Best check with your vet or a vet school and do more research on this one. I've also read that it is dangerous (anonymous source) but, my sister has been adding garlic powder to her dogs' food with great results in eliminating fleas. And they live in a very warm, humid climate where fleas thrive. All three of her dogs (three different breeds) are healthy and without fleas.
Sometimes, home remedies are shunned by those with a vested interest in promoting other products. NOT SAYING that this is the case in this situation, just that it's important to research these things carefully and thoroughly. Just because someone wrote something on the web doesn't necessarily mean it's true. Verify the authority of the source before making your decision to try or not.
If I boil up some garlic cloves in water and spray the residue on my dog, do you think it would get rid of fleas?
By Tracey B
I bought a bottle of garlic in gel cap form (500 mg) for fleas on my dog, but I am hesitant about giving my 12 lb. Dachshund her first dose. Anyone else using the garlic gel-caps for fleas and how many mgs. do you use?
By Luann DeLuca from NY
You can see for yourself by doing a Google search on people foods for dogs about what is alright and what isn't to give a dog, sorry, but onions and garlic are harmful and can cause health issues. Please avoid using garlic for flea treatment.
