I get so excited when March 20th arrives because although the weather might not show it, I know that Winter is Over. It's definitely Spring here in the Pacific Northwest. We had a couple of 80 degree days (what the heck?) and the rest of the time, we've only reached about 65 degrees, but I'll take it gratefully.
Right now, I'm preparing for flea, tick, and mosquito season.
Because I feed a raw food diet, I believe that my dogs have a built in defense. Healthier dogs attract less fleas according to some veterinarians. But is raw feeding enough? I don't think so.
BENEFITS OF GARLIC FOR DOGS
I also add garlic to my dogs' diet. WAIT - DON'T DELETE ME! Garlic has a ton of benefits. We've been mislead, Folks. Garlic is only toxic to dogs in high amounts; an amount no one would eat, let alone feed their dog.
- Garlic helps to fight cancer by destroying cancer cells.
- Garlic acts as a natural detox.
- Garlic stops the formation of blood clots in the system.
- Garlic reduces cholesterol.
- Garlic is a natural antibiotic, anti-fungal and anti-parasitic.
READ MORE ON THE BENEFITS OF GARLIC
The following are trusted resources that I found when researching the benefits of garlic.
HOW MUCH GARLIC TO FEED TO DOGS
Here are the proper dosage of garlic for dogs per
Dr. Pitcairn:
- 10 to 15 pounds – half a clove.
- 20 to 40 pounds – 1 clove.
- 45 to 70 pounds – 2 cloves.
Need kilograms?
- 4.5 to 6.8 kg – half a clove.
- 9.1 to 18.1 kg – 1 clove
- 20.4 to 31.8 kg – 2 cloves.
I feed less than these amounts and it works for my dogs. We've never had a flea problem with our pups. I add 3-5 coves of garlic to each 8 quart bowl of veggie mix. I add 2-4 cloves of garlic to every jar of fermented vegetables. The garlic I add is being split between four dogs that weigh 57-75 pounds.
Don't feel pressured to feed garlic to your dogs, it's not for everyone. But if you do want to give this a try, I suggest going slowly. I buy only organic garlic (never in the jar) and I crush it and allow it to sit for 20 minutes before adding it to my dogs' veggie mix.
NATURAL FLEA & TICK SPRAY
I also use
Wondercide products because they also repels mosquitoes and I can use it on myself too. Although Wondercide doesn't work for all dogs, it's worked great for my dogs. I spray them once a week as a back up to the garlic during May through September/October.
ESSENTIAL OILS
Learn more about essential oils by checking out
Dr. Melissa Shelton's book. It's a must have for any pet parent who wants to incorporate essential oils safely in their dog's health.
