Garlic

Garlic is grown as a spice crop. Powder comes from the cloves themselves, not a processing leftover. Peeling, drying and milling turn the bulbs into a measured flavor ingredient that stores more easily than fresh garlic.^6,9

1. 01 // Source Garlic bulbs Harvested bulbs supply the cloves used to make dried garlic for the food ingredient market.
2. 02 // Process Peeled and sliced Processors remove the husks, sort the cloves and cut them into thin pieces for drying.
3. 03 // Process Dried and milled The pieces lose moisture in a dryer, then pass through a grinder to become powder.
4. 04 // Output Garlic powder The dry powder is packaged for food makers to weigh into a recipe as a flavor ingredient.

1. 01

   Adds a strong aroma

   Garlic's smell lets a small addition change a food's aroma. Pet food industry commentary describes its use as flavoring, though it does not show that dogs prefer the result.⁹

2. 02

   Appeals to shoppers

   Garlic is a familiar cooking ingredient. An industry nutritionist judged its use in dog food to be partly about how owners perceive the label, rather than a proven gain in palatability.⁹

3. 03

   Uses existing spice supply

   Food makers can source dried garlic through the human food ingredient market. Powder stores and weighs more conveniently than fresh cloves, which matters when garlic serves as a small flavor addition.^6,9

How much The available dog trials tested extracts by body weight, not a kibble percentage, and an ingredient list does not disclose the amount.^1,2,8

1. Vets say

   Garlic can damage a dog's red blood cells

   Evidence

   1. Strong
   2. Some
   3. Thin
   4. None

   A controlled dog trial gave extract equivalent to 5 g of whole garlic per kg of body weight daily for 7 days. Red cell damage markers appeared, although no dog developed hemolytic anemia. It demonstrates a hazard at that dose, not at an unknown kibble dose.¹

2. Brands say

   Small amounts of garlic in kibble are safe

   Outruns the evidence

   Evidence

   1. Strong
   2. Some
   3. Thin
   4. None

   A trial in 9 Beagles found no blood injury after 12 weeks of aged garlic extract. That specially prepared extract differs from ordinary dried garlic, so the result does not set a safe amount for kibble.^1,2,9

3. Brands say

   Garlic boosts immune and antioxidant defenses

   Outruns the evidence

   Evidence

   1. Strong
   2. Some
   3. Thin
   4. None

   In a 9 Beagle trial, aged garlic extract changed the activity of antioxidant response genes. The supplier funded the study. It measured no protection from illness, and ordinary garlic in kibble was not tested.²

4. Brands say

   Garlic makes kibble more appealing to dogs

   Outruns the evidence

   Evidence

   1. Strong
   2. Some
   3. Thin
   4. None

   An industry nutritionist describes garlic as a flavor ingredient but judges its value largely a matter of perception. The article presents no controlled dog preference test of garlic alone, so better acceptance remains unshown.⁹

5. Owners say

   Garlic keeps fleas off dogs

   Outruns the evidence

   Evidence

   1. Strong
   2. Some
   3. Thin
   4. None

   A veterinary evidence review found zero qualifying studies testing garlic against fleas in living dogs. Its traditional use is not evidence of protection, and adding garlic to chase this claim increases exposure to a known red cell hazard.^1,3