Garlic does kill fleas if they ingest it. However, it is more likely that the flea will smell the garlic odor from the skin and chose to dine elsewhere. I have 3 roughly 70 pound dogs who each get a fresh clove of raw garlic everyday. I chop it up because they eat it a little easier. My dogs are extremely healthy and I've never seen a dog that was allergic to the garlic. If that is a concern for you start with just a little and keep an eye out for a change in behavior. Itching probably won't be a good indicator because as you said the dog has fleas and will already be itching. Also, add about 1 tbsp per quart of apple cider vinegar (organic is best) to drinking water. It adds acidity to the skin further discouraging biting insects. I say this because both the garlic and vinegar repel mosquitoes as well. The lemon spray from the last post is a great help.
In theory, you can give your dog garlic but it won't necessarily kill fleas, but just repel them when it is excreted through the skin at a later stage (as an odor). If you were going to feed your dog garlic (or brewers yeast) I would tend to buy it in a tablet form and not use raw cloves of garlic.
To be honest though, a proper diet for your dog would serve it best rather than feeding it garlic. Poor nutrition in your dog makes it a more appealing candidate for fleas, as fleas tend to go for unhealthy dogs.
There is also the possibility that your dog could have an alergic reation to garlic, so personally, I wouldn't want to take that risk with my pet.
[Edit] In regards to home remedies, you could try these although they don't always give you the best results:
- mix cut-up lemons with boiling water and let it sit overnight. Put it into a spray bottle and spray your dog around his ears and neck (be careful of his eyes). Spray along his back to his tail and under the legs and belly.
- mix some tea tree oil with almond oilm, add 10 drops of lavender oil and 5 drops of cedarwood oil. Put a few drops where you'd put around the neck and tail area two times a week. If your dog has collie blood don't use teatree oil as they can be sensitive to it (you can use the almond oil). A teatree oil and water spray is good for non collie dogs.
- Crumbling pennyroyal where he lays can work too. Try sprinkling it on your carpet and vacuum it up a few hours later. You can also plant it around your garden (or the dogs kennel if your dog has one) as fleas don't like it.
Garlic isn't toxic to dogs, its added to several dog foods for flea control. It doesnt kill the fleas it just makes the blood taste bad to them. Grapes and chocolate are toxic however
According to this site www.vetinfo.com, onions and to a lesser extent garlic can be toxic to dogs. They can cause a form of hemolytic anemia (destruction of red blood cells) for reasons that are not well understood currently. But you would probably have to give a dog a large amount of garlic for it to be dangerous. I do remember reading on another pet related web site (can't recall the URL now) that there is some evidence that the effects from onion and garlic can build up over time, however. So giving a dog a small amount now and then is probably not a problem, but giving dogs entire cloves of garlic on a regular basis might be. There are more reliable (and less stinky) ways of getting rid of fleas than feeding garlic, in any case. I'd suggest you ask your vet.
You need to be careful. Garlic is toxic (poisonous) to dogs and cats. First link has a list of some common things that are okay for us but toxic to them. There are certainly questions on here about dogs showing signs of being poisoned after being garlic for fleas. You shouldn't ever give anything to your pet without speaking to your vet first. You can look into and ask them about something called Diatomaceous Earth (second link) to control the fleas in the area, fleas are from the environment and pets just make very conveniant feeding sources. You should also ask them about treating for tapeworms while your at it since your pup seems to be having problems with fleas. Good luck to you. www.vetinfo.com www.lowchensaustralia.com
Give your dog frontline plus. It wont keep fleas or ticks from biting but it will kill them os soon as they dink the blood. It'll stop flea eggs nowfrom hatching. You must fumigate the house to kill the infestation there now but after that frontline will control any future infestations. If you have cats, give it to them too. Once a month on the back of the neck.
I read that garlic, onions and chocolate are something you should NEVER allow your dog to eat, be it pills or on food. It harms your dogs kidneys, liver, or both.
Well. Dogs aren't supposed to eat Garlic, so using it on the outside of the dog might not be a good idea. The following link has some info on home remedies.
To locate more links search > dogs fleas home remedies
My dog doesn't get them much unless we visit friends whose dogs have fleas. I rely on the store bought powder and spray. They have carpet spray for fleas and I always use that on the carpet and furniture she sits on. A combo of these has been effective for me. Since she gets them rarely, she isn't exposed regularly to the chemicals.
Chocolate will not kill a dog or harm a dog.....my dog is 15 years old and has ate chocolate a billion times...still live and kicking so don't believe everything you hear or read
