Use of Garlic!

Has any one on here heard the use of garlic to keep fleas away and other pest? I have been using garlic on my dogs two small Chi's for the past two years. I use it to keep their anal glands clean and working properly. It is meant to keep infections away and so forth. Any ways I brought my dog into the vets one day and he came home with a flea. That is all that we found on him. Any ways he didn't have any more nor did we have any problems with break outs. And I have never had any problems with the two dogs that I have. We live in an area that has been said to have a break out problem with fleas. So I am pretty certain it is the garlic that is doing the work for me. I just wanted to share this, and see if any one else has heard of this before. Now if I can just figure out how to get my kittens to eat it. LOL



Francine

I wouldn't risk garlic with cats or dogs, but especially cats.
Too closely related to onion, which is a terrible no-no.

I, too have heard that garlic can rid felines of fleas BUT that is just an old wives tale. Garlic happens to be really bad for felines.

I wouldn't. From felinefuture.com :

The use of garlic and other members of the Lily family such as onions, shallots, and chives in the cat's diet is not advised. Ingestion of these plants in a raw, cooked, or dried form can lead to damage of the red blood cells, which are rejected by the body from the bloodstream, and a continued use of garlic or onions can eventually result in hemolytic anemia. If the anemia is not controlled by discontinuing the use of the plants, it can potentially lead to death. Less significant but important is that raw garlic and onions irritate the mouth, esophagus, and stomach and can cause or exacerbate ulcers.

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Garlic is good for horses and, I believe, dogs, and keeps flies and parasites away, but can harm cats.

out of curiosity, why is garlic used in some of the higher-end catfoods? How much of it is used, and has anyone using a catfood with garlic as an ingredient seen averse reactions in their cats/kittens?

Originally Posted by CommonOddity042

out of curiosity, why is garlic used in some of the higher-end catfoods? How much of it is used, and has anyone using a catfood with garlic as an ingredient seen averse reactions in their cats/kittens?

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That's the 64 dollar question, isn't it ? I e-mailed Wellness, I believe it was, about just this issue and never received a reply. From my digging it appears the garlic is added more for taste than anything. Also PRESUMABLY the amounts of processed garlic in the high-end foods is held by some to be in such minute amounts (and the ingredient which causes the damage is much less in garlic than onion anyway) that it causes no danger. Presumably. I would still be wary, although so many of the higher end foods contain garlic that cutting them out for this ingredient severely reduces your choices.

Originally Posted by CommonOddity042

out of curiosity, why is garlic used in some of the higher-end catfoods? How much of it is used, and has anyone using a catfood with garlic as an ingredient seen averse reactions in their cats/kittens?

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Innova used to use garlic in their food a little over a year ago they removed it from their foods. I did not see an adverse reacton in Dori when she did eat the old formula. I learned the danger of garlic after she was eating it. I was going to switch brands of food but was informed by Natura when I emailed them that they were all ready in the process of removing it.

The small amount of garlic used in cat foods is safe. It takes a fair amount of garlic to be toxic. Probably a whole lot more than a cat will eat voluntarily. I don't remember how much, I read it once somewhere and remember thinking, "I can't possibly imagine a cat actually eating that much."

Originally Posted by coaster

The small amount of garlic used in cat foods is safe. It takes a fair amount of garlic to be toxic. Probably a whole lot more than a cat will eat voluntarily. I don't remember how much, I read it once somewhere and remember thinking, "I can't possibly imagine a cat actually eating that much."

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alot maybe to be lethal but far less to be harmful....

As for dogs It is okay for a small amount good selenium but I wouldnt want as much as some high end foods have...