Garlic for worms - good or bad?

[ryanspeer]

My wife and I picked up our beautiful Lab Retriever puppy Saturday before last and we've been doing a lot of reading on dog care in books at the library, etc., and read a short list of foods NOT to feed to dogs. I can't remember the whole list, but I do remember reading no GRAPES, CHOCOLATE, or GARLIC. Lil' Molly got tapeworm from eating a flea (or two or three) last week and so we took her to the vet for a shot (which, for the record, seems to be working well). During a Father's Day picnic yesterday, we mentioned this and were told by a couple of different family members that you CAN feed your dog garlic and that it's excellent for controlling worms. This seems to contradict what we read. Both dogs that received garlic did just fine with it (grandparent's German Shepherd lived a long healthy life and my brother's Boxer is doing just fine as well).

What IS the truth to this - is it ACTUALLY bad for the dog or (not trying to be a conspiracy theorist, but . . .) is this just a claim made in order to sell more pet meds?

I'm genuinly confused. If I can just feed Molly garlic to help control worms, then I'm all for it. I love garlic with a passion and have no problem sharing it with her. If, however, it actually IS supposed to be toxic to dogs, then I don't want to compromise her health - even though it never seemed to be a problem for the other dogs mentioned above that family members of mine have owned.

[alimel]

I heard garlic kills fleas also I stopped putting garlic in their food when I read it was actually bad for them. I would not take a chance.

[BratBoxers]

Too much garlic is bad! Small amounts of garlic is beneficial. Never hear it used for worms before tho, Fleas yes.

[GSDNewbie]

powdered garlic in small amounts is not bad, however garlic is like onions toxic to your dog.

[fairlight]

I can't resist...and I am soooo sorry.....but it that was a fact for humans I would have been DEAD a LONG time ago!

[Moo]

When they say a lot of garlic is toxic, they mean like, a whole bulb or two or three.

Garlic in the form of powder REPELS not kills fleas.

As I recall, HEARTworms are caused by fleas, so garlic would help with heartworms. Intestinal worms, however, are from ingestion, and garlic would have no effect on them.

[BratBoxers]

Originally Posted by Moo

When they say a lot of garlic is toxic, they mean like, a whole bulb or two or three.

Garlic in the form of powder REPELS not kills fleas.

As I recall, HEARTworms are caused by fleas, so garlic would help with heartworms. Intestinal worms, however, are from ingestion, and garlic would have no effect on them.

NO, heartworms are not caused by fleas!! Mosquitoes bite a dog with it then the it bites another dog with it without the mosquitoes they can not be activated.

[ryanspeer]

According to our Vetrinarian, tapeworms are caused by ingesting fleas. No clue about heartworms though.

[Moo]

Originally Posted by BratBoxers

NO, heartworms are not caused by fleas!! Mosquitoes bite a dog with it then the it bites another dog with it without the mosquitoes they can not be activated.

MOSQUITOS, that was it! My bad. Garlic repels insects in general, that includes flies, mosquitos, fleas, ticks, and roaches. True for humans as well. My post still applies.

[Moo]

Originally Posted by ryanspeer

According to our Vetrinarian, tapeworms are caused by ingesting fleas. No clue about heartworms though.

It's true that ingesting fleas can cause tapeworms, but so can ingesting vermin rats, mice, birds, or rabbits, or poop from another animal with worms.