Natural Flea and Tick Prevention

Our approach to fleas and ticks avoids harsh, synthetic chemicals wherever possible. Fed in carefully controlled amounts, fresh garlic acts as a natural repellent. It builds up protective sulphur compounds in the coat, making your dog far less appealing to parasites.

Always use fresh, organic garlic. Chop or crush it ten to fifteen minutes before feeding to release the most benefit.

Recommended daily dosage by weight

Measured against your dog’s weight in kilograms, the daily amount is small:

Never exceed these amounts. Too much garlic can be toxic to dogs, so accuracy matters.

Feeding schedule

Build protection first, then settle into a light maintenance routine:

Important cautions

Garlic is safe at appropriate amounts, but a few situations call for care. When in doubt, speak to a holistic vet before you start.

Pregnant and nursing dogs

Be cautious with any supplement during pregnancy and consult your holistic vet first. Garlic also changes the taste of milk, so avoid it while a dog is nursing.

Puppies

Do not give garlic to puppies under six months. Puppies of eight weeks or less do not produce new red blood cells, so they should never have it. Between six months and a year, use half the regular dose.

Breed sensitivities

Veterinary herbalist Susan Wynn advises against garlic for Akitas and Shiba Inus. These breeds are more sensitive to the oxidants in garlic, such as N-propyl disulphide. If you have a breed-related concern, check with your holistic vet.

Drug interactions

Garlic can interact with several medications. Avoid it altogether if your dog takes any of the following:

Because garlic affects blood clotting, stop feeding it for two weeks before any scheduled surgery.

When to start in the UK

The protective sulphur build-up takes time, so begin four to six weeks before flea and tick season starts.

Why garlic helps

Garlic is rich in useful nutrients:

Its warming nature improves circulation and supports the lungs, large intestine, spleen and stomach. It also helps detoxify the body by feeding beneficial gut bacteria, supports digestion through the colder months, and aids liver function so wastes are broken down before they reach the bloodstream.

One caution: garlic is high in sulphur and fructans, which can upset dogs with leaky gut, inflammatory bowel disease or irritable bowel syndrome. Make sure your dog’s digestion is in good order before you introduce it.

Looking after the coat’s natural oils

A dog’s own oils keep the skin healthy and naturally resistant to parasites. A few simple habits protect them:

Choosing the right garlic

For the best results, use fresh, home-grown garlic rather than pre-packaged, ready-to-use products, which lose potency and often contain preservatives.

The confusion about garlic and dogs

Ask whether dogs can eat garlic and the usual answer is no. That reputation comes largely from how the research was done. Most studies measure garlic extracts, excessive doses and unnatural delivery methods rather than fresh garlic, which is harder to standardise. Whole-plant medicine simply does not fit the evidence-based model neatly.

One study did most to give garlic its bad name. A 2000 study by K W Lee and colleagues fed five grams of garlic per kilo per day. That is an enormous amount: roughly four whole heads, around sixty cloves, for a large 75lb dog, or six to eight cloves for a small 10lb dog, before any adverse effect appeared. Nobody should ever feed that much.

A 2018 study tested far smaller amounts over a longer period, twelve weeks rather than seven days. At 90mg per kilo per day it found no adverse effects, and noted a benefit: garlic upregulated canine Nrf2 and its related antioxidant enzymes, part of an anti-inflammatory signalling pathway.

Thiosulphate in garlic

Garlic contains thiosulphate, the compound behind Heinz body haemolytic anaemia. This anaemia causes oxidative damage to red blood cells and shortens their life. Since those cells carry oxygen to the tissues, a serious drop can lead to illness and, in extreme cases, death. Signs include diarrhoea, loss of appetite, lethargy, pale gums, rapid breathing and dark urine.

The way to avoid it is straightforward: feed the right kind of garlic, which by now you know means fresh, at the correct dose. Proper amounts of raw garlic do not carry high levels of thiosulphate, and bone marrow replaces red blood cells continually. A dog would need an excessive dose over a long period, or one extremely large dose, to come to harm.

Sighthound care, done properly

The Sighthound Guy offers expert boarding and residential recall training for greyhounds, whippets and lurchers across London, with collection and drop-off around Hampstead, North Finchley and Highgate, and walks on Hampstead Heath. Sighthounds only, in a climate-controlled home with a 350ft secure private garden, raw food included and daily WhatsApp photo and video updates throughout.

Want advice on natural care for your hound, or thinking about boarding? Get in touch to arrange a meet and greet, or read more about our boarding and training.