Garlic for Dogs: Poison or Potential Pest Control?
One of the side effects of the pandemic we haven’t talked much about has been the uptick in… ticks! All bugs, really. We had not only an early spring and long, warm summer but also a whole lot less of us meandering around killing them. The worst of all the pests for a dog owner? F-ing FLEAS.
There are a lot of things that make fleas the extra horrible kind of infestation—as if any infestation were any less than horrible---but fleas can be 7 rings of hell bad!
Hard to see
Hard to kill
painful/itchy to pets
embarrassing
time-consuming
long-lasting
One tip is to include a small amount of garlic stirred into your dog's food. For his size, one small toe will be enough(see exact dosing chart here). It is a common misconception that dog's cannot have garlic- it is actually very beneficial to them when prepared correctly and fed in the right, small, appropriate amount (Unlike how I eat garlic, which one would think I have a vampire phobia I eat so much!). Garlic is good for more than deterring fleas; it's health benefits are numerous. But the way you prepare your garlic is important!
Garlic contains Allicin, or, technically, it contains an enzyme that produces it. Allicin is the garlic bulbs natural defense mechanism against pests, and is produced through a chemical reaction when garlic is crushed. This reaction occurs about 10-15 minutes after crushing/chopping fresh garlic; and once produced, can quickly dissipate with heat (at 140 degrees and above). The molecular structure of Allicin has a half life of only 16-28 hours.
Why does this exact molecule configuration matter? Without it, garlic is like Cher without sequined leotards- kind of pointless, smelly and sad. Allicin is the superstar known for its antioxidant properties, detoxifying and blood cleansing effects, may prevent Alzheimer’s and other neurological degenerations, has vesicular, cardiovascular and respiratory benefits and has even shown to prevent the common cold. So check out the information in the link provided, consult your holistic veterinarian and consider adding garlic in both you and your pet's food!
