Can Dogs Eat Garlic Bread? (All You Need to Know)

Many people enjoy garlic bread due to its excellent and flavorful taste and aroma. Thus, it’s a perfect snack to side with pasta. Moreover, people even snack on it alone. While it’s enjoyable for us, it can be tempting to give some to our dogs, but should we do so?

So, you may ask: can dogs eat garlic bread? Dogs cannot and should not eat garlic bread. While the bread itself won’t harm dogs, the garlic can cause severe health issues. Moreover, garlic bread is a high-calorie food and a source of unnecessary calories and fat. Thus, it’s not a good idea to give your pet some.

In this article, we’ll tackle everything you need to know about garlic bread and its effect on our dogs. This way, you’ll be aware of possible risks, so you’ll be more cautious in dealing with such a situation.

Without further ado, let’s get into it!

Will garlic bread hurt my dog?

Yes, garlic bread will hurt your dog if you give it some. Garlic is one of the toxic human food for dogs. Thus, while this natural spice can make food delicious, it can cause severe symptoms in our dogs.

Of course, a little bit of garlic probably won’t hurt your dog. However, garlic bread doesn’t have any nutritional benefit either.

For instance, garlic bread may have butter and other seasonings in it. All the possible garlic bread components are either toxic or unhealthy for dogs.

Thus, aside from the harm it brings, it doesn’t offer any benefit either. For this reason, it would be best to avoid feeding garlic bread to your dog.

A couple of bites shouldn’t hurt your dog. So, if you simply want to give them a taste, it would be best to provide them with the bread’s unflavored side. This way, they won’t have a taste of the garlic.

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How much garlic bread can kill a dog?

Although garlic can be harmful to dogs, it’s not likely that a dog would get killed by eating garlic bread.

According to Pet Poison, garlic in small amounts shouldn’t cause any severe dog issues. It applies especially to those dogs with a large build.

If your pet eats garlic, it can damage the blood, causing anemia.

Studies have found that it would take about 15-30 grams of garlic per kilogram of body weight to produce harmful changes in a dog’s blood.

Thus, if you looked at it, a 20-pound dog would need about 50 cloves to be harmful.

Still, it would vary in circumstances. Some dogs can be sensitive that even a small amount of garlic can induce vomiting.

As always, remember that dogs can’t take garlic, and they would suffer from complications.

How long after eating garlic bread will a dog get sick?

If your dog eats garlic, the symptoms may appear within one day after eating the spice. Such symptoms are only immediate, meaning it can be a quick sign of poisoning.

Among the initial symptoms are vomiting, diarrhea, or an upset stomach. Moreover, your pet may also develop abdominal pain and discolored urine.

If your pet would suffer from anemia due to garlic, the symptoms may start appearing after several days to a week after ingestion.

Thus, if your pet eats a lot of garlic, it can damage the red blood cells, leading to anemia. Among its symptoms are gastrointestinal upset, nausea, drooling, abdominal pain, vomiting, and diarrhea.

Garlic bread usually has only small amounts of garlic. Thus, it’s not likely that garlic bread can lead to severe complications.

Still, it would be best to ensure your pet is safe from such food.

garlic bread

Why is garlic bad for dogs?

According to Merck Veterinary Manual, garlic contains thiosulfate. Such a component can cause oxidative damage to the red blood cells. As a result, it can lead to anemia if eaten in large amounts.

Thus, while garlic is safe and even healthy for us, it can be toxic for our dogs. For this reason, it would be best not to allow your dog to share in your garlic treats.

This way, you can prevent such incidents and the little complications.

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What to do if your dog ate garlic bread?

If your dog ate garlic bread, chances are it will suffer from slight complications brought by the food. Still, it is also possible that a dog would be alright even after eating such.

To ensure your pet’s safety, you can follow these steps if your dog ate garlic bread.

Observe your dog.

You need to observe your dog and look for any signs of pain or reaction after eating garlic. Although it’s not likely to happen, it would still be best to prepare for the worst.

If your pet seems alright and doesn’t show any signs of severe symptoms, you may proceed with the next one.

Clean the area and remove the remnants.

The last thing you’ll want is for your pet to eat more garlic bread. Thus, you should not let your pet access such food anymore. 

If you gave it to your pet, make sure not to do it again. However, if your pet sneaked into your kitchen or plate, secure the food and keep it out of your pet’s reach.

Understand what happened.

Garlic can cause severe complications in large amounts. Thus, it would be best to understand how much garlic bread your pet ate.

These few questions may help you understand certain things on your part.

  • How much garlic bread did your pet eat?
  • How much garlic does that bread have?
  • How long has it been since it happened?

Getting such information would make you understand how worse the incident is. Moreover, it will help you report what happened if you visit the vet and ask about what happened.

Take your pet to your vet.

Garlic bread may not pose that much of a threat in small amounts. However, if your pet eats a lot and starts showing some symptoms, a visit to the vet would be necessary.

An immediate call to your vet upon learning about the situation would give you an expert’s advice on what to do. As long as you give every piece of information you can gather, it will help diagnose your pet’s condition.

Moreover, your vet will give you some directions on what to do and what to observe with your dog.

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Summary

While garlic bread may not cause problems in small amounts, the garlic can still pose a threat to your dog. For this reason, it would be best not to let your dog eat such food.

If you feel guilty about not sharing it with your pet, you can give it the parts without garlic. Moreover, limit the sharing only to a couple of bites. Still, it would be best to find other healthier options as a treat for your dog.

Resources

Image credits – Canva

[1] Merck Veterinary Manual on garlic as toxic for dogs

[2] Pet Poison Helpline on garlic as toxic food for dogs

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