The internet has certainly made it easy for pet parents to gather useful information about how to care for their dogs. Right from informative video tutorials to vet-endorsed pet health advice online, the sheer amount of information out there is staggering.

Much like fake news, there are a lot of myths about dog care. What starts off as a harmless misinformation in a lonely blog post, often spreads like wildfire as it gets rewritten by blog writers in different pet care blogs. Before you know it, even veteran pet parents fall prey to these myths and end up causing harm to their pet.

The only way to avoid these myths from impacting your pet’s life is to fact check everything. In fact, we urge you to fact check everything we are about to put out there as myths. Also, when checking the authenticity of any information make sure to find reliable online sources or simply ask a qualified vet. To help you become a more responsible pet parent, the following are 5 dangerous myths about caring for a dog that you need to stop believing.

Not All-Natural Herbal Remedies are Safe for Your Dog

We have trained our eyes and ears to seek out “natural” and “herbal” treatments. It’s a popular belief that natural is always good. Marketers take advantage of this dangerous misinformation and try and label every pet product with “all-natural” logos. A lot of topical natural remedies can be dangerous if the dog accidentally ingests them. Case in point, pet products that contain tea tree oil. Ingesting a topical product containing tea tree oil can lead to a long list of health issues in dogs including seizures, collapse, and severe weakness. Even inhaling tea tree oil can lead to Pneumonia. Long story short, just because it’s “natural” doesn’t mean it’s safe for your dog.

Feeding Dogs Garlic Is Good for Them

Garlic is good for dogs just like potassium cyanide is good for humans. Yup, garlic is poisonous to dogs. It’s a toxin that destroys red blood cells when it enters the canine body. The condition is called hemolytic anaemia. Therefore, you can skip any “dog-friendly” recipe that advocates the use of garlic.

Dry and Warm Dog Nose Equals a Sick Dog

If only diagnosing pets would have been this easy. There is no telling when this myth started (definitely in the pre-internet era) and why people still believe it. Dogs can have dry and warm noses for all sorts of reasons and it’s definitely not an indicator of sickness. Pay attention to other symptoms and if you suspect a problem take your dog to a vet for a proper diagnosis.

Much Like Wild Dogs, Pets Don’t Need Their Teeth Brushed

What you need to realize that your little pookie bear is not a wild animal. Wild animals hunt, have raw meat, and they gnaw on bones and carcass. Wild dogs also don’t have processed pet food that sticks to their teeth. Brushing your dog’s teeth at regular interval is absolutely essential. Dental diseases can lead to more serious health issues such as kidney failure. Yup, look it up.

Licking Their Wounds Allows Dogs to Heal their Injuries

It’s much like saying that scratching makes rashes go away. It’s not true and you should stop believing it. There are enzymes in the saliva that can facilitate healing. However, the doggie tongue can also contain harmful bacteria and other microbes, which can aggravate the problem. The problem is so serious that it has given rise to an entire line of pet products, protective dog cones and anti-lick sprays.