Wonder if someone could clear up confusion on whether it's OK to give Garlic or not. I give mine 1 garlic tablet in his feed most nights as I read on this board that it would help keep fleas away - now I've just read that it can be poisonous! What to do????????

I give all my cats and dogs garlic everyday and have done for years with no problem - I use the cheap human odourless garlic pearls, I haven't had fleas or worms since I started either.

If it helps friends in the pigeon fancy use it as a wormer for their stock too just being careful not to make a mix too strong in their water. Garlic is considered natures antibiotic/antifungal treatment.

Do you give the pearls whole or am I reading right that it is put in the water?
Thanks Gina

The breeder I bought Lacey from has 9 Goldies. The dogs are all her own show dogs, she always gives them garlic and none of them have ever had fleas. I know she would never give her dogs something that could be detremental to their health and on her advice I give my puppy garlic tablets too. Hopefully we will never have a flea problem either.

I read a recent book (printed in 2000) and it said in there that there is no scientific proof of any advantage to giving Garlic to dogs. In fact the book went on to say that if given in large quantities like onions could cause some damage but didnt go into specifics.

An excess on onion can lower the Heamoglobin level in the blood leading to Anaemia. A little will do no harm but I must confess that if my dogs get a plate to lick, which they do from time to time, then I do scrape any onion that I see off.

Regards, John

Tim, with the exception of acupunture for some forms of pain relief and some types of chiropracty (other types have potential complications including death) there is precious little scientific proof for any of these 'alternative', 'holistic' or 'natural' therapies. No doubt I'll get in trouble for saying that, but sometimes I wonder why we bothered having the Enlightenment :-(.

Sharon, when it comes to herbal stuff I think a lot of them do have an effect but the problem is people aften assume that the effect will always be benign. At a show recently I had to bite my lip when I heard a stall holder actually saying to someone "its herbal so no nasty side effects" well excuse me what about digitalis!

Isabel, or even salicylic acid (asprin) :-). Lots of herbal remedies do work of course, but who today is going to go around boiling up birch bark to get asprin, or stewing foxglove leaves to make digitalis? That might be more 'natural', but its also a lot less safe - not easy to get the dose of simmered foxglove right :D. Anything likely to be effective is also likely to have side-effects - in most cases 'completely safe' is just another way of saying 'completely ineffective'.

Also why is it when someone whats to sell you a bracelet with a magnet attached for £39.99 a magnetic field is a good thing but not when a pylon is straddling your garden :D

LOL @ Isabel

If you will buy one from me at £39.99 thats got to be good! (For me )

LOL Isabel :D :D I've had 'conversations' like the one you mentioned, depending on my mood, it can become rather morbid. For instance:

"______'s completely natural-- herbal, safe, and wonderful"

"Um, that doesn't mean anything"



"Well, foxglove is digitalius -- it'll kill you in a heartbeat ;)
Poppies make opium and heroin ---neither is street legal. Let's not forget the drugged out popularity of 'Landanum' which the Victorians used as copiously as the desperately bored housewives of the 60/70s used Valium.
Oleander -- pretty, smells wonderful, but don't use the branches in a cooking fire, everything about it is deadly. Would you like some poison ivy to brew?"

I can easily go on about how mother nature is truly a b***h...to be respected and not cooed over, but I usually take pity on the poor saleslady and release her from my basilik stare ;)

Gina I just put the pearls in with their food. Sorry I didn't make myself clear my friends in the pigeon fancy are the ones who mix it in with the water.

i give garlic it also helps with bad breath gets rid of that tripey smell and fleas do hate it never had a problem since giving garlic next doors cat had a loads of fleas told her to give garlic and hes fine now

Thanks for the reassurance - I only give him one small ordourless tablet a day in his feed so will carry on.

i read somewhere about garlic causing a problem with operations - something to do with it being more difficult to stem the flow of blood, or making it more difficult to clot.

Does anyone know of this?

LIndsay

Garlic has no anticoagulant (thinning of the blood) properties and therefore will not effect surgery. It has vasodilation ( reduction in high blood pressure) effects on the vascular system and reduces the blood Cholesterol by breaking down stored fats.
Good for humans and dogs - garlic bread all around.

Regards Michael