Many pet parents wonder if garlic is safe for their pets, and if so, how much is appropriate. They also want to know the health benefits of garlic, and whether all breeds can eat it.
Garlic has been under the radar for a while as a compound found in it causes oxidative damage, leading to Heinz-body anaemia – even death. Use fresh, raw, organic garlic whenever you are supplementing or feeding garlic to your pet. Nothing from a jar.
Health benefits of garlic
How much, how often
- Boosts immune system: Garlic stimulates immune functions in the bloodstream by increasing the activities of killer cells (cells that seek out and destroy invading germs and cancer cells). It is therefore beneficial for dogs with suppressed immune systems, and those fighting cancer.
- Fights bacterial/viral/fungal infections: Garlic is a powerful antimicrobial and an antibiotic. It is effective in fighting various forms of internal or external bacterial, viral, or fungal infection, including parasites (e.g. tapeworms) and protozoan organisms (e.g. giardia). Inclusion of fresh garlic in your pet’s diet can fight infections of the mouth, throat, respiratory tract, stomach, or intestines. Crushed garlic diluted in olive oil can be applied as a topical antiseptic for minor injuries, ear infections, or ear mites.
- Enhances liver functions: Garlic has detoxifying effects too. At least six compounds in garlic can enhance liver functions – helps eliminate toxins from the body, thereby preventing toxic accumulation that may lead to cancerous growths.
- Lowers blood cholesterol and triglyceride levels: Uncooked garlic mixed with food helps lower blood cholesterol and triglyceride levels in dogs, making it useful for certain breeds (e.g. Miniature Schnauzers, Beagles), which are predisposed to hyperlipidemia.
- Acts as a cardiovascular tonic: A compound in garlic is effective in preventing blood clot formation in the cardiovascular system. It can also reduce cholesterol levels and fat build-up in the arteries. Therefore, it is an excellent cardiovascular tonic for older dogs.
- Natural tick/flea repellent: The exact reason and extent of garlic’s effect in tick and flea prevention is unclear; it may be due to the odour released through the skin when compounds in garlic are metabolised.
According to Gregory Tilford, author of the book All You Ever Wanted to Know About Herbs for Pets, dogs can quite safely consume 1/8th teaspoon of garlic powder per pound of food 3 to 4 times a week. Dr Martin Goldstein, author of The Nature of Animal Healing recommends adding garlic to home-made pet food.
— by Dr Nirmala Muwel, Dr Chandrakanta Rawat, Dr Shilpa Choudhary, Dr Lokesha E, Dr Mokshata Gupta, and Dr Sadhana Ojha
Our dog is 10, and coughs all night. His urine has traces of blood. What should I do? Also, can dogs have dengue? -Alka Naik
In a senior pet cough could indicate infections, allergies, heart failure, tumour etc. Long-standing cough can be due to chronic bronchitis or airway collapse. Dogs do not suffer dengue. Blood in urine may or may not be related to illness causing cough. Please visit your vet asap.
— Dr Umesh Kallahalli
We Saved Him or Did He save us?
That soft ball of off-white fur had waddled up to our gate one winter afternoon. The lonesome emaciated mongrel with liquid black eyes was not even a month old. He yelped at our gate and we (my parents, grandmother, elder brother and I) wondered how he had got separated from his family. We fed him milk, which he lapped up hungrily and continued to sit near our gate. Granny, an avid dog lover, said he must have wandered off somehow and that his mother would soon come looking for him.
We were all snug and warm in our quilt at bedtime when dad came in after locking the gate with the pup in his arms. With no mother to keep him warm, he would not survive the night outside, he said. Mom unearthed a shallow fruit basket, layered it so he wouldn’t be cold and made him a cosy bed. We retired for the night. It must have been around 2 in the morning when I woke up to a foreign sound coming from the hall. Groggily, I walked towards the sound and saw that the pup was whining. Thinking he must be hungry again, I warmed some milk and gave it to him.
I berated everyone in the morning for sleeping soundly through the pup’s whining and the fact
that I — a non-dog lover — had been forced to attend to him. Everyone laughed and somehow this became a regular feature. It was amazing how no one heard Batman (I named him since I was his caretaker). The name was apt because of the nocturnal whining. And I tended dutifully to his nightly hunger pangs.
A few days later, I was fast asleep one night after giving him his 2 am feed when I heard him again. Exasperated, I looked at the watch and saw that it was 4 am. Pulling the quilt over my ears, I started drifting back to sleep. However, his yelping only seemed to get stronger. Throwing aside the quilt, I got up from bed and made my way angrily to the hall. My grandmother’s room was ahead of the hall – a narrow corridor leading from it to the hall. All vestige of sleep vanished from my eyes when I saw granny lying on the floor and Batman standing near her and yelping. I shouted for dad. We took her to the hospital and the doctor said that we had brought her in the nick of time. Granny recovered soon and it is Dad’s firm belief that Batman came to us to save her.
—Sucharita Datta, Pune