Ask Dr Claire

Is raw garlic safe for my 14 month old Labrador?

Onion and garlic are toxic to dogs and cats and ideally they are kept well away from them.

When eaten, onion and garlic cause damage to the red blood cells and depending on the amount that is eaten and the health of the pet, they can become very anaemic and sick. 

Garlic is 5 x more toxic than onions. The toxic dose of garlic is about 5 grams/kg of dog. In most cases no clinical signs are noted until there’s substantial red blood cell injury, which is generally after a lag period of several days.

It’s unlikely that a small supplement of garlic to a large breed dog such as your Golden would be a problem, I do get concerned with supplementation in small breeds. The other question is what benefit is the garlic having?

Just be aware that there is a potential for for damage if too much is administered for too long a period of time.

If you’d like to chat in person, you can get a vet on a live video call or start a chat to discuss in more detail now.

We’re here to help!

Chat soon, 

Dr Claire