Can dogs drink coffee without getting sick? If your dog sneaks a sip of your spilled coffee or if they end up eating the coffee grounds you threw in the garbage, you might be concerned about this. Is it safe for dogs to consume coffee if humans can?
Caffeine is toxic to dogs because it stays in their systems for so long after consumption. We will go into great detail regarding this.
Can Dogs Drink Coffee?
No! Caffeine is highly toxic to dogs in all forms because it can dangerously raise their heart rate. Depending on your dog’s size, a little coffee probably won’t hurt it, but any more could be fatal.
How Come Coffee Is Bad For Dogs?
A stimulant, caffeine gives coffee its kick. Dogs are much more sensitive to caffeine’s stimulant effects than humans are, even though some people feel that a shot of caffeine can help start their day.
If a dog consumes coffee — either by drinking it, eating coffee beans and grounds, or scarfing down food that contains coffee as an ingredient — then it could cause their heart rate to increase to a dangerous level. Anxiety, restlessness, and hyperactivity may result from this.
Why Do Dogs Consume Coffee?
Dogs are inherently curious animals who will sample any treats they can get. Sometimes they will eat grass, rocks, toilet paper, and, most disgustingly, poop. Since they’ll even drink from the toilet, why wouldn’t they be intrigued by the scent of your morning cup of joe?
As more people spend time at home, dogs have had more opportunities to encounter household pet dangers. A 220 percent increase in calls involving brewed coffee has been reported by the Pet Poison Helpline.
Symptoms of Caffeine Poisoning
Within 30 to 60 minutes after consumption, caffeine toxicity usually manifests itself. It is possible for symptoms to last for a day or more. You’ll need to monitor your dog for any of these symptoms:
- Agitation
- Restlessness
- Vomiting
- Panting
- Elevated heart rate
- Elevated blood pressure
- Abnormal heart rhythms
- Hyperthermia (elevated body temperature)
Collapse, tremors, and seizures are potential symptoms in severe cases. The lethal dose of caffeine varies depending on the size of your dog, but too much caffeine can kill your dog.
How Do I Handle A Coffee-Eating Dog?
It’s important to note how your dog ingested the coffee as well as how much they drank if you find that your dog has managed to drink some coffee or eat some coffee grounds or beans. Your veterinarian can advise and care for you with the assistance of this information.
There is a good chance that your dog will be fine if they only drank a tiny bit of coffee, whether it was unsweetened or had milk added to it. Just be sure to keep an eye out for any unfavorable symptoms and call your veterinarian if you do.
The degree to which coffee will negatively impact your dog will also depend greatly on its size. Coffee consumption is thought to have a negative impact on a dog’s health at a level of nine milligrams of caffeine per pound of the dog’s weight. At around 75 milligrams, seizures might happen.
If you realize that your dog has consumed more than a very tiny amount of coffee, it’s important to seek the advice of your veterinarian straight away or even call a pet poison hotline.
A veterinarian might ask you to bring your dog in so they can induce vomiting, prescribe activated charcoal to help absorb the toxins, or suggest using an intravenous drip depending on the symptoms and amount of coffee consumed.
Has your dog ever unintentionally consumed coffee grounds or beans or drunk some of your coffee? Afterward, did they feel ill? Please share your thoughts in the comments section.
How Veterinarians Treat Caffeine Poisoning
Your vet might advise keeping an eye out for signs of caffeine poisoning in your dog and giving them a call back if things get worse. Additionally, it’s possible that they’ll advise you to bring your dog in for a checkup.
In order to prevent your dog’s body from continuing to absorb the caffeine, a veterinarian may be able to induce vomiting if it occurs within a few hours of when your dog consumed the caffeine. Never force yourself to vomit.
Dogs may occasionally receive activated charcoal to aid in the removal of toxins from their bodies without those toxins entering the bloodstream. Additionally, they might give them fluids to flush the caffeine from their systems or give them medicine to regulate their heart rates, tremors, and seizures.
How to Prevent Your Dog from Drinking Coffee
Larger dogs might not have a problem with a small amount of brewed coffee, but you should never give your dog coffee in any form as a treat.
While it’s fun to give your canine companion all the treats they deserve, offering them a human treat like chocolate can harm or even kill them.
Away from the ground and out of your dogs’ reach, keep all caffeinated items, such as coffee, coffee grounds, coffee beans, chocolate-covered espresso beans, and tea bags. Always store the cup and pot up out of the way after brewing your morning coffee. That entails keeping it away from areas where it could be quickly tipped over and licked off the ground.
Close the trash bag after disposing of the coffee grounds and make sure your dog can’t get to it. Some dogs, like Labrador Retrievers, like to fetch treats out of the trash.
Remind your kids, family, roommates, and visitors that coffee should not be consumed near your dog. If you’re including coffee in Christmas or Hanukkah stockings or other gifts, keep them out of reach of your dog.
Generally speaking, teaching your dog to say “leave it” will help keep them from inadvertently ingesting inappropriate items.
Take Away
Not just coffee contains caffeine; many other products do too. Therefore, the risk can be just as high as if your dog drank your morning cup of coffee if he ate a tea bag, or swallowed some diet pills. Energy drinks, soda, and goods with coffee flavors, like ice cream or candies, are additional products that contain caffeine.