Is Garlic A Good Flea Deterrent ?

[Guest Heitzenn]

Hi Ya !!

 

Just wandering your thoughts of garlic as a flea deterrent. I've done some searches on the Internet and some sites say its safe to put in garlic daily and other websites say it can cause anemia is some dogs. We typically use Frontline in April, May, June and July and then switch to Advantage for August, September, October and November. Depending if its a bad flea year Frontline and Advantage don't always do the trick we always seem to have a few flees hanging around. I was hoping garlic would be a natural additive to there diet, I would just hate to give them another chemical additive to there food.

I was thinking about adding either dried garlic granules or maybe a clove of garlic to one of there feedings maybe the morning feeding. I'm just not sure if this is safe since I've read that onion, chive and leeks can be unsafe.

 

Nancy

Edited April 7, 2008 by Heitzenn

[Ragsysmum]

Well although I keep reading that there is no proof that garlic is an effective treatment against fleas, I have used this for nearly 30 years with many dogs of various breeds and ages living in various parts of the UK, and I have never had a flea problem or needed any of the regular flea products. Maybe I have just been lucky but we do have fleas here in the UK too! I give one garlic capsule per day from the health food store and have never seen any evidence of this being a problem for any of my dogs.

[Guest longdogs]

Absolutely useless unless you plan to rub your dog down with a handful.

[Guest luckydog]

Just because we douse our dogs in fleacide doesn't mean that all fleas in the area give up the ghost and die. The fleas have to bite the dog in order to get poisoned, and fleas are only on the dog in order to feed. The rest of the time they are in your house, yard, neighborhood, etc., and constantly reproducing. This is why we have to keep up with the Frontline/Advantage.

 

[Guest greytexplorer]

Nancy,

No knowldedge about garlic. But as far as flea treatments, I would think it depends upon where you live.

I was astonished that some dog owners don't Frontline all year round like I have to do!

In the Deep South, we usually only get one cold day/week in the "winter", and that is certainly not enough coldtime to kill fleas and ticks.

 

We've already hit 80 degrees. Time to bring out your swimming costumes!

[Guest Heitzenn]

We've already hit 80 degrees. Time to bring out your swimming costumes!

 

I am so Jealous. Its been cold and windy here for the past 2 or 3 days . I'm just dying for spring to hit us.

 

 

edited for spelling

Edited April 7, 2008 by Heitzenn

[Guest tcornwel]

I had heard that garlic was good at repelling mosquitos. On a camping trip, I brought lots of fresh garlic to add to our campfire meals. While I was chopping the garlic, that mosquitos were landing and biting my hands. So I haven't done a test with fleas but for mosquitos I would say it doesn't work.

 

[Xan]

You might look into adding brewer's and/or nutritional yeast, as well. They LOVE nutritional yeast (so do I!)

[Guest greytfulhounds]

You might look into adding brewer's and/or nutritional yeast, as well. They LOVE nutritional yeast (so do I!)

 

 

Can you explain more about the nutritional yeast? I have never heard of it or what its health properites are. Thanks!!

 

As for the garlic, I just started to add air dried garlic to my dogs food in hopes that I will not have to use Frontline on my hounds. I use a joint supplement for the hounds from Springtime All Natural Supplements and I just ordered & received their garlic. I have been using it for about a week and the hounds seem to love it as they lick their bowls clean. Here is a link to the garlic I am using Springtime Garlic

[greyhoundlov]

Hmmmmmmmm - I thought garlic was not good for dogs...

[Guest bradencic]

I will say this, I use garlic as well as extra virgin olive oil in every bowl of food. The garlic does keep fleas, ticks, and mosquitos at bay. I live in northeastern PA so we have lots of woods and I have a pond on my property so fleas and ticks are all over the place and the pond makes for lots of mosquitos. I have never had a problem, the olive oil makes the coat on the dogs very soft and shiney and my dogs are very healthy. My vet told me a few years back to do those two things at every feeding and my greys will love me for it.

[Guest LokisMom]

I've read that garlic can cause Anemia. I know it is bad for cats and am thinking it is also bad for dogs but cannot remember where I read it.

[Guest MomoftheFuzzy]

Absolutely useless unless you plan to rub your dog down with a handful.

 

Hmmmm... not a bad idea. When Speck crosses the doorway into my parents' house, it's virtually the same thing. Lots of garlic everywhere and in my Dad's cooking.

 

Interesting theory, OP, but it just seems like pure luck, on your part. I've never heard of this working but what do I know? (Not much! )

 

[Guest Sassy]

Garlic has long ben an ol' time flea "remedy". I know a lot of folks who give to their dogs for various reasons and the dogs seem to be quite healthy. However, the ASPCA Poison Control center does list it as toxic to dogs. Below is a what they say about giving garlic to dogs. I suppose it's up to the each guradian to decide whether or not to use it.

 

From the ASPCA Poison Control Center:

"I understand that garlic is poisonous for dogs, but why is it often an ingredient in dog treats?

—Michelle S.

 

Good question, Michelle. Garlic does have toxic potential to pets, and is generally more potent than onion, also a member of the Allium species, in causing changes in red blood cells in dogs and cats. This is true in raw, cooked or powdered forms. In theory, "deodorized" garlic is allegedly less toxic, since the disulfides, responsible for both the odor and the toxicity, are usually largely removed.

 

Even at low levels of exposure to garlic, some change in red blood cells is likely; it is typically only when a significant number of red blood cells are altered that their oxygen-carrying capacity is noticeably compromised and clinical signs develop. Generally, it takes either a fairly large single ingestion or chronic exposure. These effects are also somewhat more likely to be seen in cats, as their red blood cells have shorter life spans and they're more likely to have bone marrow issues. However, the possibility exists that some dogs may also be genetically more susceptible to problems from garlic ingestions.

 

The lowest observed effect level in dogs in the scientific literature that we are aware of is 2.5 mg/kg of encapsulated garlic powder; slow heart rates and increased urination were seen. For comparison, a 20-pound dog consuming 1000 mg of garlic powder is exposed to a dose of 110 mg/kg.

 

The bottom line, Michelle, is that we do not definitively know at what dose any given dog may experience problems. An occasional low dose, such as those found in most commercial pet foods or treats, would not likely cause problems. A conservative approach might be to avoid exposure to more concentrated garlic-based products."