When you take a look at your kitchen there are a lot of different food options in there. But while they’re safe foods for people to eat, a dog’s digestive system is a bit different. Just because we can eat it doesn’t mean your dog can, and garlic is the perfect example of this.

Reviewed & Fact-Checked By

Dr. Maxbetter Vizelberg

Veterinarian, DVM

Reviewed & Fact-Checked By

Dr. Maxbetter Vizelberg

Veterinarian, DVM

The information is current and up-to-date in accordance with the latest veterinarian research.

Garlic is not safe for dogs. In fact, if you feed your dog too much garlic, it can kill them. Because of this, it’s best to avoid garlic entirely for your dog, but there’s still a bit more you need to know. Keep reading and we’ll break down everything you need to know about garlic and dogs.

The 8 Most Important Garlic Safety Tips for Dogs

1. Garlic Causes Hemolytic Anemia in Dogs

Garlic is not safe for dogs. Garlic is part of the allium food family, and these foods contain a substance called thiosulfate. Humans can break down and digest thiosulfate without any problems, but dogs cannot.

In dogs, thiosulfate damages their red blood cells and can cause hemolytic anemia. This is the medical term for when they don’t have enough red blood cells. In short, garlic actively destroys the red blood cells in a dog, creating further problems.

2. Signs of Garlic Toxicity

If your dog happens to eat some garlic, there are a few different signs they might start to exhibit.

Some of the common signs of garlic toxicity in your dog include:

Anemia

Pale gums

Digestive distress

Diarrhea

Vomiting

Increase heart rate

Lack of coordination

Hypersalivation

Increased respiratory rate

3. How Much Garlic Is Too Much for Dogs?

While you should actively avoid giving your dog garlic because they can’t actively break it down and it’s toxic for them, the truth is that they need to eat a lot of garlic to experience significant problems.

Anemia

Pale gums

Digestive distress

Diarrhea

Vomiting

Increase heart rate

Lack of coordination

Hypersalivation

Increased respiratory rate

  • Anemia
  • Pale gums
  • Digestive distress
  • Diarrhea
  • Vomiting
  • Increase heart rate
  • Lack of coordination
  • Hypersalivation
  • Increased respiratory rate

According to the American Kennel Club, it takes between 15–30 grams of garlic per kilogram of the dog’s body weight to create severe problems. That means a 50-pound dog would need to eat about 50 cloves of garlic to experience the worst possible symptoms.

However, some dogs are simply more sensitive to garlic than others, so it’s always best to avoid consistently feeding your dog garlic.

4. When to Take Your Dog to the Vet

If your dog eats more than one whole clove of garlic, you should consider taking them to the vet right away. With large quantities of garlic, you don’t want to wait to get them to the vet after they start exhibiting negative symptoms.

5. Garlic Alternatives

While garlic is high in beneficial nutrients for your dog because it’s toxic for them, it’s generally not a good idea to feed it to them. Instead, you should pick out dog-safe fruits and vegetables to get them the nutrients they need.

6. Dogs Can’t Eat Garlic Bread

One food that dogs simply seem to go nuts for is garlic bread. We get it because it tastes so good, but you really need to keep it away from your pups. Garlic bread often uses garlic powder to flavor it, which is a more concentrated form of garlic. Not only that, but garlic bread is high in fat and butter, both of which are not good for your pup.

7. Why Do Some Dog Foods Contain Garlic?

With garlic creating so many problems for dogs, it can create a few questions when you look at their dog food and see garlic as one of the ingredients! It’s not a common ingredient in dog food, but some diets do contain it.

This is because garlic is high in amino acids, sulfur, zinc, potassium, phosphorus, and vitamins that are of nutritional benefit. Garlic in dog food may aid in digestion and is purported to have properties that prevent fleas, but more research supporting this claim is still needed. Keep in mind that dog food goes through stringent testing for safety before it can be marketed. At the end of the day, as with any possible toxicity, “the dose determines the poison”; just because your dog’s diet contains trace amounts of garlic does not mean that they are necessarily at risk.

8. Garlic and Fleas

While it’s a common myth that feeding your dog garlic will help keep fleas away, there’s currently no evidence to support this theory. If your dog has a flea problem, you should use a flea treatment and prevention medication to help get the problem under control.

These medications are safe and effective, which cannot be said about consistently feeding garlic to your dog.

Conclusion

While it can be tempting to try and add a little flavor to your dog’s diet, garlic is not the way to do this. While your pup might enjoy the taste, it’s a known toxin.  So, if you’re looking for a tasty treat with potential health benefits, try a vegetable or fruit they like, or simply give them a protein without the extra spices.

Sources

AKC Pet Poison Helpline Pet Poison Helpline AKC

Featured Image Credit: Pixabay

  • AKC
  • Pet Poison Helpline
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