GARLIC AND ITS TOXICITY TO PETS
A small amount of garlic can be toxic to pets, but
why?
•
Allium sativum. Allium
sativum, commonly known as garlic, is a species in the onion family Alliaceae.
•
Its close relatives include the onion,
shallot.
The active ingredients
of garlic oil are; allicin, allin, dially disulfide, thiosulphate, methyl alkyl
disulfide and diallyl trisulphide.
Disulfide and
thiosulphate is toxic to cats and dogs if ingested.
The ingestion of garlic
cause conditions like hemolytic anemia and methemoglobinemia.
Wild and domesticated
Allium species have been used for culinary and ethnomedicinal purposes since
the beginning of recorded history. About 95 species of native or cultivated
leeks, chives, garlic, shallots, scallions, and onions are present in North America,
and more than 80 ornamental Allium species are available. Allium species
and the products derived from them can be toxic to dogs and cats; however,
relatively few Allium species are of important toxicological interest. While mass
consumption of garlic puts pets at high risk, your pet can also become poisoned
after chronic ingestion of small amounts of garlic over a period of time.
How
much garlic is toxic to pets:
Garlic is approximately
5 times more concentrated than onion, so consumption of onion as little as 5 g/kg
in cats and 15-30, g/kg in dogs is harmful clinically for red blood cells
damage.
Since
garlic is more concentrated than an onion, and even smaller ingested amount
could lead to toxicosis—as little as one clove of garlic can lead to toxicity
in cats and small dogs.
Note
that a pet weight, breed, and prior health history can vary the toxicity level
of ingested garlic.
Symptoms of garlic toxicity:
Symptoms
of this condition can include:
Vomiting
and diarrhea
Lethargy
Breathlessness
Pale
gums
Increase
heart rate
Anemia
Some pets
may show abdominal discomfort, abdominal pain, and discolored urine.
Differential diagnosis:
Differential diagnoses include
another common toxicosis: brassicaceous vegetables, propylene glycol, acetaminophen,
benzocaine, vitamin K3, dl-methionine, naphthalene, zinc, and copper. Common
feline disorders associated with Heinz body formation include diabetes
mellitus, particularly if ketoacidosis is present; hepatic lipidosis;
hyperthyroidism; and lymphoma and other neoplasms.
Diagnosis:
By
physical examination
Lab tests
Medical
history
An abdominal radiograph
(x-ray), ultrasound and CT scan may also be used to check a dog’s liver and
spleen.
Treatment:
No specific antidote is
available for Allium species toxicosis. Treatment involves gastrointestinal
decontamination and removing the Allium species source, treating the anemia,
and providing general supportive care. Inducing emesis can be valuable in
asymptomatic dogs and cats provided no complicating factors are present and
ingestion was within the last one or two hours.
Antioxidants, such as
sodium ascorbate, vitamin E, and N-acetyl cysteine have minimal overt
protective effects in onion powder toxicosis in cats. Diets low in potential
oxidants are recommended; semi-moist foods that contain propylene glycol should
be avoided, particularly in cats.
Prognosis
of toxicity:
A patient’s prognosis
depends on the species of the plant involved, the severity of the anemia, and the
institution of supportive care. In companion animals, avoiding exposure is the
best preventive strategy. Feeding pets onions or other Allium species or their
derivatives should be stopped.
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