Don’t Dose Dogs with Garlic

Q. Sometimes you get comments from people recommending garlic against fleas and ticks. You ought to tell people that dogs and cats can’t handle garlic and other vegetables in the onion family. If they eat too much it causes something like a heart attack.
A. Dogs and especially cats may experience a type of anemia if they are given onion. Garlic could also be a problem at doses used in herbal medicine.
Cats are picky enough eaters that they won’t generally consume that much garlic by choice. But pet owners should be careful not to assume that they can use the same herbal treatments for their animals and themselves.