As dog owners, it’s common for us to give them some human food as treats. And most of the time, this is fine. In fact, there are tons of human foods that would be great treats for dogs.
However, this doesn’t go for all foods. This is because there are tons of common ingredients in our kitchens that are actually harmful to our pets. And one of these ingredients is garlic.
There’s a high chance that most of us have garlic in our kitchen. It’s a very versatile ingredient that it’s in a ton of recipes. Garlic is so common that it’s pretty hard to find a kitchen that doesn’t have garlic at all.
And while garlic adds spice and flavor to our food, it’s something you should keep away from your pet. If your dog eats too much of it, it could get sick. Even worse, they could develop hemolytic anemia, which is something you want to avoid at all costs.
In this article, we’ll discuss why garlic is dangerous for dogs, what happens when they eat too much and how much garlic can kill a dog.
Garlic and the Allium Family: Why They Are Dangerous to Dogs
The thing about garlic is that it isn’t the only member of its family that’s dangerous to dogs. In fact, the entire allium family, which includes onions, garlic, chives, and scallions, are all dangerous to dogs.
Every part of these plants is dangerous to dogs. Of course, it’s usually just the bulbs in our kitchens. However, if you plant garlic and onions in your garden, keep in mind that these plants’ leaves, stems, and roots can all be dangerous to dogs, especially in large amounts.
The reason the allium family is toxic for dogs is that these plants contain disulfides and thiosulfates. These compounds are completely safe and fine for humans. However, they can be fairly toxic to dogs.
This is because these compounds attack the dog’s red blood cells, which are responsible for carrying oxygen to different areas of the body. This can cause a wide range of problems and can be very serious for some pets.
In fact, there are reports that some dogs like the Shiba Inu and Akita are even more susceptible to garlic poisoning. If you have any dogs, it’s best to keep them away from garlic, but this is especially true with the Shiba Inu and the Akita.
What Happens When a Dog Eats Too Much Garlic?
If your dog eats a single clove of garlic and you stop them, they should be fine. The only time you should be concerned is if your dog has a lot of garlic. And if this happens, many things can happen to your pet.
The thing about garlic poisoning in dogs is that it can take a while for symptoms to manifest. For some pets, you can see the symptoms right after they eat the garlic. However, other dogs may take a couple of days before exhibiting symptoms.
The most common symptom of garlic poisoning in dogs is diarrhea and vomiting. This is a sign that their body ingested something toxic and is trying to rid it from their system. And since garlic can harm a dog’s red blood cells, the symptoms of garlic poisoning are very similar to anemia.
This includes breathlessness, nausea, an elevated heart rate, and rapid breathing, among others. If you see your dog showing any of these symptoms and you keep garlic in your home, this could be a sign that they ate something that they shouldn’t have.
Can Dogs Have Garlic in Small Doses?
Some people claim that if you feed your dog small doses of garlic, you can reap a bunch of benefits like flea prevention. And while there could be some truth to this, and you won’t have to worry if your dog has a very little amount of garlic, it’s still not worth the risk.
As mentioned earlier, some dogs are more sensitive to garlic poisoning than others. So, to accidentally cause health problems in your dog, we highly recommend keeping garlic away from them, even in small doses.
What to Do If Your Dog Ingests Garlic
If you catch your dog eating garlic, the first thing you have to do is stop them. The less they eat, the better. From there, it’s best to observe your dog for a couple of days and check if they’re showing any signs of garlic poisoning.
If they do, make sure to call the vet right away so your dog can receive the necessary treatment.
With that said, after addressing the situation, we recommend hiding the garlic and other foods that are toxic to dogs away from them at all costs. That way, you avoid accidentally poisoning your dog and causing health problems.