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drink-coffee

Can Dogs Drink Coffee?

Dog owners usually want to share their favorite foods and beverages with their dogs. We add mushrooms to our dog’s bowls. But, you should never allow your dog to eat or drink anything if you are not sure that it is safe.

In this text we will talk about coffee and how this beverage affects a dog’s health.

More About Coffee

Coffee is a drink prepared from ground and brewed coffee beans. Actually, these beans are the seeds of berries from the Coffea plant, which is native to Africa. The most important chemical in coffee is caffeine which is known as a stimulant. Coffee can be beneficial for people if it is consumed moderately. High amounts of coffee can lead to many health issues.

Is Coffee Safe for Dogs?

Unfortunately, we have bad news for you. Coffee is not safe for your dog, because it contains caffeine that is toxic to dogs. Caffeine affects heart and nervous system in dogs and it is known that dogs have lower tolerance for caffeine than people.

If your dog drinks only a small amount of coffee, he can be poisoned. Larger amounts can be fatal for your dog. Aside from drinking coffee straight out of the cup, espresso beans dipped in chocolate are also very dangerous for your dog.

Which Amount of Coffee is Dangerous?

It is recommendable never to give your dog even a sip of your coffee, because it can be dangerous and cause many side effects. Small doses of coffee are not good, while larger doses can be fatal. The studies have shown that caffeine is lethal to dogs at the concentration of 150 milligrams per one kilogram of dog’s body weight. It is known that one cup of coffee contains only around 100 mg of caffeine and this amount is not enough to kill your dog.

But, if your dog gets into coffee ground or beans he may ingest a large amount of caffeine very quickly. It is especially dangerous for your dog to ingest beans that are covered with chocolate.

Symptoms of Coffee Toxicity

First symptoms of caffeine poisoning in dogs are diarrhea and other gastrointestinal problems, vomiting, tremors and elevated heart rate. Methylxanthines, which is found in coffee, usually affects your dog’s heart, speeds it up and causes a cardiotoxicity in your dog. Larger amounts of coffee can also lead to difficulty in breathing and seizures.

Also, the symptoms of caffeine poisoning can be raised body temperature, frequent urination, bursts of energy, panting and immoderate thirst. Coffee also affects central nervous system in a dog. Large quantities of coffee can even lead to dog’s death. Below you will see what you should do if you notice any of these symptoms in your dog.

What To Do If Your Dog Drank Coffee?

First signs of caffeine poisoning appear within two hours after drinking coffee. If your dog has already drunk coffee, you don’t need to panic immediately. It is important to keep a close eye on your dog and to notice potential symptoms of poisoning. If there are no symptoms, your dog will be fine. The dog drank only a small amount of coffee, which is not enough to kill him. But, if your dog drank a lot of coffee and if you notice symptoms of caffeine poisoning, you should take your dog to the veterinarian right away.

It is important to make your dog vomit, in order to prevent more caffeine from entering the blood. The vet will probably keep your dog in his office for several hours, in order to avoid possible complications.

Also, the vet will prescribe some anti-seizure pills for your dog and medications for reducing blood pressure.

Final Thoughts

Although you enjoy sharing your food with the dog, avoid giving him any coffee. As you have seen, coffee is not good for you dog, even in small doses, while large doses of coffee can kill your dog. It’s not like most tortillas and many others that are okay in moderation. In order to avoid it, don’t let your dog be alone in a room where you have put a cup of coffee.

Have in mind that you are the only responsible for your dog’s health. Dog’s digestive system is different from ours and certain foods which are good for us can be very harmful to our dogs, and even kill them. Aside from dogs, caffeine is also toxic to cats.