Dogs are the most loving and adorable creatures on earth. When it comes to their diet, it becomes very confusing to decide what is good for them. We love to eat garlic. In fact, garlic bread is our top favorite food, but can dogs eat garlic bread?
No, garlic bread isn’t safe for your dog at all. Garlic contains a compound called “thiosulfate” that is toxic to dogs. Too much garlic bread can lead to your dog’s death.
Garlic plays a vital role in human health. You must have the thought if it is as beneficial for canines too. Their “puppy eyes” must have made you fall for them and give a few pieces of your garlic bread.
Did you do the right thing? In this article, we shall discover the answer!
Is Garlic Bread Good For Dogs?
While enjoying your favorite food, your furry friend will start hovering around you.
Garlic bread will catch your dog’s attention. They would want you to feed it regularly.
As a responsible pet owner, keep garlic bread away from your pup at all costs. It is not suitable for them.
Garlic bread has a large amount of garlic, cheese, oil, and butter. All these ingredients, when combined, become harmful to canines. As they have high-fat content and tons of calories, it does nothing good to your pooch’s health.
It is okay to feed a minute amount of garlic bread rarely; otherwise, garlic can cause severe health risks.
1) Is Garlic Toxic For Dogs?
Like chocolates and raisins, garlic also leads to illness in dogs. Garlic is poisonous for dogs, and they shouldn’t eat it. It can pose severe health issues if consumed in varying amounts.
In rare cases, it can become fatal. Otherwise, dogs who consume garlic will get seriously ill. Garlic contains five toxic compounds, which are the same as onion called “thiosulfates.” The thiosulfates are bis-2-propenyl trisulfide and bis-2-propenyl thiosulfonate.
Raw or cooked cloves are poisonous for dogs. Wild garlic is equally toxic. Garlic powder is not behind as it is equally harmful.
In short, any item which has “alliums” is toxic for dogs. Such foods are; onion, leeks, and chives. Not only dogs but cats and horses can get poisoned too.
2) What Amount Of Garlic Is Toxic For Canines?
There is a certain amount of every toxic food to reach the level of toxicity. You should feed every human treat to dogs in moderate amounts.
Sweets like skittles aren’t toxic to dogs. Likewise, chips including cheez-its or Doritos aren’t fatal as well. But, if consumed more, it can cause health problems.
According to studies, 15 to 30 grams per kg of bodyweight is when garlic becomes toxic. When this range exceeds, you will start to notice negative impacts on your pet.
The poisonous substance, when absorbed in the dog’s blood, leads to health issues. An average clove of garlic weighs between 3 to 7 grams. Your dog needs to consume a lot of it to become sick.
However, if your pooch is sensitive to garlic toxicity, it will create a problem for you. If dogs eat the tit-bits of garlic bread, it is okay. But, giving them garlic intentionally in a recipe is a disaster.
Moreover, roasted garlic is much safer than fried ones. Frying the garlic cloves only consists of unhealthy additives like oil and butter. This makes the cloves more harmful.
3) What Is Garlic Poisoning?
Garlic belongs to the family of Allium and is poisonous to dogs. Japanese dogs like Shiba Inu and Spitz are more prone to garlic toxicity. If a dog consumes garlic more than the recommended amount, garlic poisoning occurs.
Likewise, if dogs eat too much garlic bread, the same condition will occur.
The toxic compounds inhibit the dog’s ability to reverse the hemoglobin’s damage. This damage occurs due to thiosulfates. Hemoglobin is a compound that carries RBCs that carry oxygen.
When hemoglobin damages, it cannot carry oxygen to the red blood cells. This condition makes the RBCs very fragile. Too many thiosulfates in garlic tend to dissolve the RBCs. They end up getting broken and burst in a process called “hemolysis.”
This condition results in making your dog anemic. As the body isn’t getting ample oxygen, it will speed up the heart rate and breathing rate.
Some compounds are also present in garlic. These compounds relax the heart muscles and broaden the blood vessels. As a result, the blood pressure reduces. This condition makes it even harder to pump blood, which increases the heart rate even more.
If you feed your dog food with lots of garlic seasoning, it will cause garlic poisoning. Garlic, when added to bread, becomes a little dangerous.
The yeast dough can upset your dog’s stomach as well. Heating the bread heats the garlic, too, which increases toxicity.
Symptoms of Garlic Toxicity:
The symptoms of garlic toxicity depend on how much your dog ate garlic. Some common symptoms are:
| Abdominal cramps | Blood in urine |
| Vomiting | Lethargy |
| Lack of muscle coordination | Drooling |
| Diarrhea | Jaundice |
| Dehydration | Pale mucous membrane |
4) Can Dogs Have Garlic Supplements?
Everyone is aware of garlic’s toxicity. Despite that, most people use garlic supplements for dog’s good health. They also use it for flea/tick prevention. Yet, this method is very confusing.
According to studies, these health supplements haven’t shown many positive results. Garlic supplements do fine in small doses. But, the lack of evidence and health risks are considering points.
You must not feed garlic supplements to your pup without the vet’s approval. Giving the wrong dose will have a toxic effect instead of positive ones.
It would help if you planned with a veterinarian for the best treatment available.
What To Do If Your Dog Overate Garlic? – 3 Simple Tips
While making dinner, you accidentally dropped a garlic clove. And, your furry friend ate it! What should you do now?
Having it once in a blue moon won’t harm your dog. But, do keep an eye on the symptoms that we mentioned above. Eating garlic bread regularly will surely damage the canine’s health.
An upset tummy or pale gums can take time to become apparent. However, you can follow the following steps if your dog overate garlic or garlic bread:
Step 1: Stop Your Dog From Eating More Garlic:
If you have found out that your dog has eaten garlic more than he should, look for the spills. Keep it out of range of your pet.
Garlic bread seems to tempt canines, too; they would want to eat it then the required amount. However, you should clear away space after you have eaten. This will stop your pup from over-consuming it.
Step 2: Ask A Vet:
If you haven’t noticed any symptoms and still worried about your pet, contact the vet. They will guide you better for the next step.
They might recommend inducing vomiting in the dog. The vet may give activated charcoal to help absorb toxins. It will help to flush out the lethal compounds which were present in the blood.
Step 3: Take Your Dog To The Vet If Necessary:
If the symptoms get worse, your dog may need to get hospitalized. A treatment called “oxygen therapy” is typically required for dogs. It allows the functioning red blood cells to carry more oxygen with less effort.
The vet will also give powerful antioxidants. It will help in fighting the effects of garlic. If a dog has anemia, blood transfusion and IV fluids become necessary.
Healthy Alternatives To Garlic Bread For Dogs
Some foods came into existence for humans to enjoy. Not every favorite treat of yours is healthy for your dog. For example, vanilla yogurt for dogs isn’t the most nutritious.
Likewise, garlic bread also doesn’t provide many health benefits. All the components of it are high in fat and calories. Dogs can eat garlic bread but in a small amount.
Instead, you can choose from the following foods for your pup. They will love the following tasty and healthy treats:
| Apples | Blueberries |
| Cucumbers | Watermelons |
| Carrots | Sweet potatoes |
Fruits and vegetables have tons of nutrients in them. The vital minerals and nutrients are essential for a dog’s good health.
Conclusion:
All in all, garlic bread isn’t toxic to dogs. But, if raw garlic cloves are present, it is harmful. Most brands use garlic flavor in their bread, which is fine too.
There are many healthy alternatives available which your pup will love. Dogs don’t know what is suitable for their health. They want to eat everything which their owner has.
Being a dog owner is all about responsibilities. You don’t have to fall for the puppy face every time. Ensure that you keep a balance between giving treats and regularizing healthy food.
Excess of anything is wrong, and the same goes for garlic bread. Tiny pieces occasionally are fine but ensure that you don’t make it a regular food.