There aren’t many of us who don’t use garlic regularly, and the benefits of this pungent vegetable to humans are well-known. From adding great flavor through to repelling flies and boosting our immune systems, it seems there aren’t many things that garlic cannot do! But can dogs eat garlic too, or is garlic toxic to dogs?
Can dogs eat garlic?
No, garlic is not safe for dogs to eat.
Although garlic packs many health benefits for humans, it is toxic to dogs and can cause some unpleasant and debilitating symptoms.
The reason that dogs cannot eat garlic is that it contains a substance called thiosulfate. The same is true of all members of the allium family, including onions, shallots, and leeks.
In dogs, thiosulfate causes damage to red blood cells, leading to a condition called hemolytic anemia.
This means that the dog does not have enough red blood cells to transport oxygen and other essential substances around the body, leading to a range of different symptoms.
What are the signs of toxicity?
The symptoms of garlic toxicity tend to occur slowly. Full-blown hemolytic anemia may not develop for up to a week… But some symptoms may be seen within a couple of days:
These can include:
- Vomiting and diarrhea
- Reduced appetite and abdominal pain
- Lethargy, depression, and weakness
- Pale or jaundiced mucous membranes
- Dehydration
- Rapid breathing
- Dark-colored urine, as a result of the breakdown of red blood cells
What to do if my dog ate garlic?
Most dogs can eat a small amount of garlic without any problems. So, if your dog ate some food that was flavored with garlic, don’t panic! Keep a close eye on your pooch and contact your veterinary clinic if you have any concerns.
Research has shown that dogs will develop harmful changes in the blood after consuming 15 to 30 grams of garlic per kilogram of body weight.
So, a 5-kilogram dog may be severely ill after eating 75 grams of garlic – this is around the weight of a large whole bulb of garlic. This is quite a lot of garlic… And normally the pungent flavor of raw garlic would prevent your dog from eating this much!
However, dogs find the flavor of cooked garlic much more palatable. So if your dinner includes whole roast cloves or bulbs of garlic, make sure that your dog does not have access to them.
Some dogs are also much more sensitive to garlic toxicity than others and will show symptoms even if they just ate a small amount. To be on the safe side, steer clear of feeding any foods that contain garlic to your dog, including garlic supplements and garlic bread.
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