Garlic

[Stefani]

I'm still doing my research, then I have to consult my vet.  Does anyone recomend a good garlic suppliment for dogs to help with fleas?  My girls have been scratching like crazy for many weeks.  They just had another dose of their frontline plus on a week ago, and have not had a bath since.  They normally only get it every other month, but, they are acting very uncomfortable, so I put it on this month.  It is both of them, so, I think that the scratching is probably not allergies (also, we've never had any issue before).   We treated our house with boric acid (recomended by our vet).  The potty area of the backyard had a layer of seven on it, until it rained.  With all of this, they are still scratching. 

So, does anyone use a garlic suppliment that is made for dogs and has it worked?  Is it true that it makes dogs stink?  Have you experianced any negitive issues with their erm, poopoo

I know garlic in very high dosages can cause issue (its in the same family as onions), but, I have heard of this being used to help with fleas.  Anyone?

[SistaHelen]

I can't speak for Sonya, but I believe garlic is what she uses.

[ronco3765]

I put raw garlic in their food (I feed raw). I've never had an issue with fleas. Also no issue with smelly dogs or their doo doo. My dogs are scratching a bit now but it's due to shedding.

[Ilghaus]

I have given my dogs chopped raw garlic for years. I buy it from Wal-Mart or the grocery store in the produce section. In 30 years of giving garlic -- not every day -- I have never had a problem with any of my dogs. I have never known anyone whose dog has had a problem with garlic even though I have heard that some dogs do. I would never give any of my dogs onions though they are in the same family.

Dr. Clemmons a vet from the Vet. School of UF has garlic on his list as one of his supplements for dogs with DM because of its benefit as a natural anti-inflammatory.

I like to give garlic to my dogs in the summer months to help keep house flies, yellow flies, and other nasty biting bugs away from my guys. I have never noticed any smell to the dogs because of the garlic.

[blkpanther0001]

I use garlic on my dog all the time during the summer months, Yes it does keep the flees away and also the misquetos and other flying, creepy crawly bugs.

What I do is put a dash on their food once a day. I use granulated or powdered garlic, I have also used chopped garlic from the jar and fresh garlic that I chopped and crushed, I can also bake it that makes it a little soft easier to crush then chop.

I have never had a flee, or misqueto problem, and we are notorious for our large bugs here.

 :bunny: :bunny: :bunny: :bunny: :bunny: :bunny: :bunny: :bunny: :bunny: :bunny:

[Stefani]

so, sounds like garlic works, but, no one has a suppliment name, or brand?

[SistaHelen]

so, sounds like garlic works, but, no one has a suppliment name, or brand?

You can get generic powdered garlic at your local health food store, and sometimes at the supermarket in the baking aisle (spices).  Look for jars of diced or chopped garlic in the produce aisle.

You can get any kind of garlic here (except fresh):

http://www.garlicgalaxy.com/products.html?src=overture

or here http://www.thespicehouse.com/spices/garlic

[Ilghaus]

Stefani, no special brand.  I believe the best is just the type your local grocery store carries. Like was already posted, it is chopped and comes in a glass jar. Or you can go to a Wal-mart that carries groceries and get it cheaper there. The garlic that is in thses jars was just fresh garlic that was chopped and put into jars.

You can chop your own fresh garlic but I rather not as no matter how I try or how careful I am, I always end up with "garlic" fingers. I love garlic on some of my food but not on my fingers. 

[blkpanther0001]

I get the large jars of granulate or powdered garlic in the spice isle at sams club or costco. You can also get the large jars of chopped garlic their also. I keep a supply of the granulated and powdered in my cupboard for our use, and the chopped in the fridge. So it all depends upon how I am feeling that day as to what I put in their food, weather or not I just want to open the top and sprinkle some on or go to the fridge take out the jar, open it up and spoon a tad (mabey 1/8-1/4 teaspoon for a 50lb dog and 1/4-1/2 for my 125lb dog), then have to put the lid back on and put it back in the fridge. basically how lazy I am feeling that day or how much of a hurry I am in.

[Ilghaus]

I've been told recently by a friend who is very into home cooking for dogs that it is better not to add fresh or that chopped and from a jar, into the food while cooking but to wait and add it to the food later. She said that cooking destroys some of the nutritional value of the garlic.

When I have the time I plan on looking this up to see if it is enough of a difference for me to worry about.

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I just found this
From Garlic Central website

Quote:
Preparing Garlic
Remember that a single bulb of garlic usually contains between ten and twenty individual cloves of garlic. Individual cloves are covered with a fine pinkish/purple skin. The head of cloves is then covered with white papery outer skin. Don't confuse cloves and bulbs! Neither the inner nor outer skins should be eaten.
To prepare garlic, first strip off some of the papery covering from the bulb. Now ease out as many cloves as required. Garlic cloves come in a wide variety of sizes, so the numbers given in a recipe should be treated as a rough guide only. Once you get used to cooking with garlic you will probably find yourself using more than the recipe states.

In general with garlic, the finer the chop the stronger the taste. Crushed garlic has the strongest taste of all and if used raw is only for the real aficionado. When cooked whole garlic has a much milder, rather sweet taste. There is a famous recipe "chicken with forty cloves of garlic". It should go without saying that these are whole garlic cloves not crushed!

Garlic also mellows the longer it is cooked. Garlic added at the end of cooking will give a stronger taste than garlic prepared the same way but added earlier.

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So besides nutritional reasons, it sounds like cooking the garlic may take away some of the reason why some give it -- to help repel bugs.


**** I would also like to add that for those that give garlic to your dogs, it would be a good idea to make sure that your vet is aware of this. Garlic is a herb and as such can interfere with different types of medicines. If your vet has this in your dog's folder he will then be able to advise you if you need to stop using garlic while your dog is on certain medications. Also, it would be good for the vet to have this knowledge in case your dog is one of those dogs that do have a reaction to garlic.