Indeed. Luckily for these smart readers of this "article" most already know garlic is toxic to both cats and dogs. It does not need to be given long term to cause severe anemia, and can cause death. There is no 'toxic dose' which makes this 'supplement' even scarier- because what one day may be able to handle long term can kill another, even larger dog in a few days. Would you give arsenic in small amounts over time because someone said it may kill some bad things internally? No- because you're smart enough to know it's also killing something good. Don't think it's any different with garlic.
Christine, LVT NY State

send green star

Two comments: First, regarding Callie, (cat with severe weight loss)we unfortunately had to put her to sleep because it turned out she had complications from dental disease. We just took our 5 year old (Midnight) in today and she's starting to show signs of gingivitis but it's still treatable at this point, so you can bet we are going to keep on top of her dental and overall health; our other two are only about a year old so they don't have to worry just yet.

The other thing was that the vet agreed it's a bad idea to give cats and dogs garlic for much the same reason you don't give them chocolate.

send green star

As a former pre-vet student, I learned that garlic and onions are toxic to cats. Maybe it is safe in small doses but I would never chance it due the anemia that the smallest amounts over a short period of time can induce. Garlic is wonderful if you have a stray that yowls nearby your window. A little sprinkle kept strays that were in the mood :) away from my window. Also ginger and onion powder work as well. As for fleas, mild organic detergents work well. Beware though because the fleas pop and blood from the fleas may scare you at first. I don't know about prevention of fleas but if your pet is sensitive to flea ridding procedures or has a tough case of fleas that doesn't seem to dissipate after treatments, this has worked for me.

send green star

The only thing my vet told me about garlic is that if you rub the garlic on the back of your animals neck it wards off ticks.

Wondering how much of that is true?

send green star

I have three dogs and here's what I know to be true.

Both garlic and onion can be toxic to dogs, cats, and other animals. Cats appear to be more sensitive than dogs. In dogs and cats, onions and garlic can cause a breakdown of the red blood cells, resulting in Heinz body anemia. The bulbs, bulbets, flowers, and stems of the garlic and onion can all be toxic. There are some human baby foods that have onion in them, and it is not recommended to feed them to pets. The very small amounts of garlic that are present in some commercial pet foods have not been shown to cause any problems.

Garlic is a natural blood thinner for people so I assume it has a profound effect on little animals, hence the anemia.

send green star

I have been studying dog- and cat nutrition for quite some time now, I have many books on the subject and have followed lectures by vets and raw feeders. I have been taught that a little amount of garlic given to dogs and/or cats, for a short amount of time, can kill worms and other parasites, but that specially cats can become anemic from regular doses of garlic. I do sometimes give them garlic, but that is just to prevent them to get worms and flees (never have them!), but I only give them garlic for two or three days about once every 3 months.
My dog gets garlic more frequently (for about 4 days once a month).
About essential oils (like tea-tree oil): I have heard that cats cannot "digest" and get rid of the residues of essential oils; they store them in their bodies. That is why essential oils are essentially bad for cats!

send green star

Lost my last sentence! Re: Daisy the Biter--I am cautious around her! When she is turning into Daisy the Villain, her pupils dilate and look huge--kind of scary! :( Anyway, gives me a chance to step back before I'm nipped!

send green star

Our vet told us to NEVER give garlic or onion to our cats and that both are bad for felines. To Jill M. above: I have to guess that your vet is testing your cat, looking for the cause of weight loss. We had two cats lose weight because they were hyperthyroid; tapazole 1-2X a day took care of that, and one of them did undergo the I-131 (isotope injected under skin of cat) treatment to achieve an instant cure for her hyperthyroidism. Re: tooth loss--Dental disease can lead to heart problems and other problems. I have never brushed my cats' teeth, but I wish I had gotten into the habit of doing so. We have one wonderful kitty who is over 17 yo; she's just a joy to have around and my husband dotes on her (will be really tough on him when we eventually lose Chloe); we have two who are over 16 yo; one who is 15 yo; and a very hyper, crabby "biter" who is around 7 yo. However, we recently discovered that Daisy the Biter is soothed when we give her a strand of uncooked spaghetti (usually linguine because it doesn't break as easily). We just slide the strand along Daisy's face and she becomes calm almost immediately. I have but to open a cabinet, reach for the pasta box, and give it a shake; Daisy runs to the edge or her "island"--she chooses to spend most of her time on our kitchen island so that Garfield (16+ yo, on tapazole, NEUTERED, and considers Daisy to be HIS [Chloe is "wife," but he still wants Daisy, too]) won't catch her. Likes stroking, but still nips! So I'

send green star

I was reading an issue of "Cat Fancy" and it said that new studies show that garlic can give your cats cancer...Is this true?

send green star

I agree. I also read that is can possibly shut down the liver and kidneys. I'd rather not take a chance with my "children".

send green star