Can Dogs Eat Garlic? Absolutely Not
Garlic, along with other members of the Allium family (onions, leeks, shallots, chives), are toxic to dogs. They contain thiosulfate, a compound that dogs can’t digest. This damages red blood cells, leading to several health problems.
Dangers of Garlic for Dogs
- Hemolytic Anemia: Thiosulfate causes red blood cells (which carry oxygen) to become fragile and rupture, reducing oxygen supply to the body.
- Digestive Issues: Garlic can cause vomiting, diarrhea, abdominal pain, and loss of appetite.
- Respiratory Problems: Reduced oxygen levels from anemia can lead to breathing difficulties.
- Lethargy & Weakness: Anemia causes low energy levels, making your dog inactive and even depressed.
What Happens if My Dog Eats Garlic?
- Small Amounts: Likely no immediate harm, but monitor for any discomfort.
- Large Amounts: Seek urgent veterinary care, especially if your dog is small or has health conditions.
Treatment and Recovery
- Don’t Induce Vomiting at Home: Consult your vet immediately. They’ll know the best course of action.
- Vet Treatment: May include inducing vomiting (if recent ingestion), activated charcoal, and supportive care for anemia.
- Recovery Time: Depends on severity. Could take a few days to several weeks for full recovery.
Important Notes
- Toxicity Varies: A dog’s size, breed, and health impact sensitivity to garlic.
- All Forms of Garlic are Toxic: Raw, cooked, dried, powdered – avoid all of them.
- Garlic Bread is Also a No-No: It can still cause anemia and contains unhealthy ingredients for dogs.
Key Takeaways
- Garlic offers zero nutritional benefits for dogs, only serious health risks.
- Even small amounts of garlic can be harmful over time.
- If your dog accidentally eats garlic, contact your veterinarian immediately. Do not try to treat it at home.
- Prioritize a healthy dog diet with vet-approved treats.
What Are The Harmful Effects of Garlic On Dogs?
Garlic is not a safe food for dogs. It creates toxicity in dogs due to a compound called thiosulphate. If dogs ingest this, it can lead to many harmful effects.
Garlic Poisoning
You should be careful while giving certain foods to your pups. Many foods are toxic to them. Garlic poisoning is the condition that occurs when dogs eat garlic. It is the condition in which a dog’s red blood cells are damaged, causing hemolytic anemia.
Garlic is an Allium family member, which is toxic to dogs. Dogs can’t digest thiosulfate, an organosulfur compound in garlic. This is the reason for the oxidative damage of the red blood cells.
Hemolytic Anemia
Thiosulfate causes oxidative reactions, which block the antioxidant properties of red blood cells. This changes the shape of the red blood cells, forming Heinz bodies. This makes the red blood cells unhealthy and fragile, eventually rupturing.
The rupture of red blood cells blocks oxygen transport and reduces the oxygen level in the blood.
Due to this, tissues of the dog’s body face oxygen deficiency. This condition is called hemolytic anemia. This makes your dog weak and tired as they face energy deficiency.
Digestive Issues
If your dog has ingested garlic, it is essential to look for the symptoms of digestive issues. Some digestive issues include stomach upset, vomiting, abdominal pain, diarrhea, and loss of appetite. Generally, it may take a little time for your dog to show these symptoms.
Respiratory Problems
Ingesting garlic leads to breathing issues in your dogs. The shortage of oxygen due to hemolytic anemia is the reason for this shortage. The symptoms are heavy breathing or difficulty in breathing and elevated heart rate.
Lethargy
Dogs may become too weak due to anemia. He may lose interest in daily activities and become intolerant to exercise. There are high chances of collapsing if the situation worsens.
Jaundice
Dogs may be prone to jaundice if they eat a lot of garlic. Due to this, pale and yellow mucous membranes and gums and dark colored. This can affect their health adversely.
Depression
This is seen in extremely active dogs. When they are affected with anemia, there is decreased energy. This makes them less active and sleepy all the time. This eventually leads to depression.
Can Dogs Eat Garlic?
No, dogs can’t eat garlic. Garlic belongs to the Allium family of species. Onions, shallots, leeks, chives, and rakkyo, or the Chinese onion, are the other Allium family members. It is not wise to give your dogs these species as they are highly toxic to them.
The Allium family members, including garlic, contain organic compounds called disulfides and thiosulphates. Due to this, we shouldn’t allow our fur friends to ingest these species. Thiosulphates cause damage to the dog’s red blood cells and interrupt oxygen transport to the issues.
The whole body faces oxygen deficiency, which affects the dogs’ energy-related activities. Hemolytic anemia, Heinz body anemia, and methemoglobinemia are the conditions caused by the destruction of the dog’s red blood cells. Due to this, dogs become weak and lethargic.
How Many Garlics Can Dogs Eat?
It is not advised to offer your dogs garlic or any food containing it. The amount of garlic a dog can consume depends on your dog’s weight and health condition. Approximately 15 to 30 grams of garlic per kilogram of a dog’s body weight can produce harmful effects on them.
An average-sized clove of garlic has a weight of about 3 and 7 grams. For dogs to get garlic poisoning, they should eat a lot. But that doesn’t mean they can eat it.
However, if your dog accidentally eats garlic or foods containing it, you don’t have to panic. They will be okay. Otherwise, you can take them to the vet. So, don’t feed them intentionally.
How Many Garlics Are Too Much For Your Dogs?
Garlic is more toxic than onions for dogs. Onion toxicity occurs when dogs ingest more than 0.5% of their body weight of onions at once. Approximately, it is five times more poisonous than onions. So, garlic poisoning may occur if your dog ingests even smaller amounts.
Other than a dog’s weight, type of breed, and medical history are the different factors that decide the toxicity level of garlic ingested. If your dog has eaten some, you should immediately take them to your veterinarian.
What Should I Do If My Dog Eats Garlic?
If you suspect your dog has eaten garlic, look for the symptoms they may exhibit like:
- Stomach issues
- Vomiting
- Lethargy
- Breathing issues
- If you observe these symptoms, you can confirm garlic poisoning and take them to the veterinarian. They can suggest treatment and help your dog recover.
- Vets can diagnose and check for the signs of hemolytic anemia. If you are taking your pet right after a few times of garlic ingestion, then vets can make them vomit and take out the garlic. They will prescribe proper medication and help your dog recover from garlic poisoning.
- It may take some time for your dog to show symptoms of aftereffects of garlic poisoning. So, if your dog shows symptoms after one or two days, you should still take them to your veterinarian. Though it may be late, vets can monitor their blood to check for hemolytic anemia and treat them.
- The intensity of the garlic toxicity depends on how much of it was consumed, the severity of the symptoms, and the treatment time. If your dog eats one small piece of garlic clove won’t cause a severe condition in your dog.
- Furthermore, ingesting a bulb of garlic or a plate of food containing garlic seasoning can poison them. Also, you shouldn’t repeatedly offer them small doses over time, as this can worsen the medical condition.
- As the dose of garlic ingestion increases, there are higher chances of garlic poisoning. In addition, some dogs may be more sensitive to garlic. So, it is better to avoid giving them even a small amount.
Can a Dog Recover from Eating Garlic?
Yes, dogs can recover from eating garlic if necessary treatment is provided on time. If an excess amount is ingested, then immediate consultation with the vet is essential.
It may be difficult for your vet to estimate the amount of garlic ingested. So, you can help them with this by providing the amount eaten, the time, and if your dog showed any symptoms. This will help the vet to predict the effects and help in fast recovery.
It is important that you shouldn’t do any treatment by yourself at home. It can make the situation worse than helping the dogs. It is wise to take them to the vet and give the necessary details.
Taking your dog in less than 1-2 hours after garlic ingestion can help induce vomiting by the vet and fast recovery. This can help prevent garlic from being absorbed into the bloodstream.
After induced vomiting, they can be provided with activated charcoal. It can bind to the toxic residuals in a dog’s body and prevent getting absorbed into the blood.
How Long Does it Take a Dog to Recover From Eating Garlic?
It takes around 24 hours after garlic ingestion for the dog to start showing signs of recovery after meeting the vet. Their health slowly progresses over three to four days.
However, if they have only taken a minimal amount of garlic and the symptoms are just vomiting and diarrhea, they will probably be completed well within a few days. But, if your dog is anemic by eating garlic, it could take several weeks to return to normal health.
How Long Does Garlic Poisoning Last in Dogs?
After ingestion, generally, the symptoms start to develop within 24 hours. In some cases, the dogs show symptoms only about 6 to 7 days after ingesting garlic. Garlic poisoning won’t last long if necessary treatment is provided on time.
Is Cooked Garlic Toxic To Dogs?
Yes, cooked garlic cloves and bulbs are toxic to dogs. Not only are they cooked, but all types of garlic also are not safe for them. Garlic powder is more harmful than all these as it is a liquid garlic supplement. So, avoid giving your dogs foods containing these.
Can Dogs Eat Garlic Pickles?
No, garlic pickles are not safe for dogs. Instead, you can offer them pickled cucumbers. Pickles containing garlic, onions, chili, and peppers shouldn’t be provided to dogs. Garlic contains a compound that can destroy the dog’s red blood cells and cause hemolytic anemia.
Can Dogs Eat Dried Garlic?
No, dogs can’t eat dried garlic. Garlic is already toxic for them, and since they are dried, more of the toxins are present in smaller volumes. So, you shouldn’t provide them with dried garlic or foods containing it.
Can Dogs Eat Garlic Bread?
Pet owners always have this question, can dogs eat garlic bread? The answer is no. It is advised not to give your dogs garlic bread.
The ingredients in the garlic bread are not safe for your dogs, which can upset their stomach. Garlic bread can harm them and lead to garlic poisoning if eaten in large amounts.
Garlic bread ingested in large amounts can damage red blood cells and lead to hemolytic anemia.
Furthermore, it contains other ingredients like carbohydrates, butter, oil, and cheese, which are also not safe for your dogs. Other than stomach upset, it can also contribute to obesity.
If you want to share this tasty treat with your furry friend, you can go for frozen garlic bread rather than homemade garlic bread. This also contains garlic powder as a seasoning and is less harmful than garlic cloves.
You can give garlic bread made with garlic powder in small quantities. However, they may only lead to stomach issues if not given in moderation. Instead of providing these, you can feed them fresh and healthy foods.
