If you’re a coffee lover and have a dog as your pet, it is tempting to share with it your cup of joe. This is after your dog gives you an innocent look as you enjoy your coffee.
The four-legged are at times manipulative. But is it healthy to give your dog coffee? What will happen after your dog has licked some coffee that spilled on your floor?
Are our coffee beans and grounds good for your dog? Here is what you need to know concerning your dog and coffee consumption.
It is sometimes difficult to control pets as they still find their way to what they want. However, coffee is harmful to your dog in any amount.
Let’s begin with, why would your dog drink coffee?
Dogs are curious pets, and they taste everything they come across. This is from foods to poop. You can’t blame your dog for tasting your cup of joe. They were just curious and attracted by the scent of your coffee.
What Happens When Your Dog Tastes Coffee?
First, coffee contains caffeine which is a stimulant. Once you take coffee, the caffeine stimulates your nervous system, and you begin to feel the effects after some time. This is not different when it comes to dogs. When a dog tastes coffee, the caffeine stimulates its nervous system, and it begins to feel the effects of the coffee.
Caffeine is not only found in brewed coffee. Some other caffeine products that your dog should not consume are:
- Tea
- Soda or energy drinks
- Diet pills
- Some pain medications
- Coffee grounds
- Coffee beans
- Ice creams flavored with coffee
- Some chocolates
- Liquors
How Much Coffee is a Threat to a Dog?
For humans, 400mg per day that is equal to 4-5 cups, is the recommended amount that they should take. What about dogs? The amount of coffee or caffeine that your dog should consume depends on the size of your dog and the caffeine concentration of the product your dog had.
Let’s begin with the size. Small dog breeds will be affected by consuming 3 ounces of brewed coffee. When it comes to caffeine concentration, the small dog breeds will be affected by taking only one ounce of coffee beans. Coffee beans are more concentrated with caffeine compared to regular coffee. A small amount of espresso ingested by a dog will have a different reaction compared to regular coffee. Too much caffeine is considered not good for your health. Too much caffeine for a dog can be poisonous and lead to fatal symptoms too.
It will take 30 minutes to one hour for the symptoms of caffeine consumption in a dog to show up.
What Are the Signs and Symptoms of Caffeine Toxicity?
Caffeine toxicity symptoms can last up to 12 hours or even some days, depending on the level of caffeine consumption. Here are some signs and symptoms to look out for:
- Hyperactivity
- Vomiting and diarrhea
- Difficulty in breathing
- Agitation and restlessness
- Irregular heartbeat
- Inability to control muscles
- Panting
- High body temperature
- High blood Pressure
Severe symptoms of caffeine poisoning in a dog include:
- Fever
- Collapse
- Seizures
- Weakness
- Death
You’ve just realized that your dog has taken coffee. What do you do?
Contacting the vet or pet poison helpline is the first thing you need to do immediately you realize that your dog has ingested coffee or any caffeine. Also, ensure you check the following information that is important for the vet to administer treatment to your dog.
- Check how much coffee your dog has consumed.
- Check what type of coffee or caffeine your dog consumed.
- Check how long they consumed the coffee.
- Check out how much your dog is weighing.
- Check out for any signs and symptoms listed.
Contacting the vet with this information can help them give you advice on what you should do. You can also take the dog immediately to the vet after you realize any caffeine intake. Depending on the symptoms, the dog can be kept in the hospital for a few days for observation.
It is necessary to make sure that your dog is examined by the vet in case it consumes coffee. This is to rule out the possibility of pancreatitis in your dog. Pancreatitis is a disease that occurs as a result of excess sugars in your dog. This can be as a result of drinking sugared coffee. The pancreatitis symptoms are similar to caffeine poisoning symptoms, and that’s why an examination of the dog by the vet is necessary.
How Do Veterinarians Treat Caffeine Toxicity?
- Your vet can give the dog anti-convulsants to control the seizures, medications for heart rhythm, and high blood pressure.
- The vet can give the dog activated charcoal that will help the dog flush out the toxins.
- Your vet can induce vomiting, which prevents the dog from absorbing the toxins. Inducing vomiting is done within 2 hours after your dog has ingested coffee or caffeine.
- Your vet can recommend that you monitor the dog and update them if the signs and symptoms worsen.
- If the situation is an emergency and reaching the vet is next to impossible, your vet can recommend that you induce vomiting in your dog. Inducing vomiting in a dog is something that you should not do until a vet guides you on how to do it.
- Your vet can reintegrate the fluids lost by the dog through diarrhea and vomiting to avoid dehydration in the dog.
How Do You Prevent Your Dog from Coffee Consumption?
- Ensure you keep all products that contain caffeine out of the dog’s reach.
- Close up the trash can tightly after throwing away the coffee grounds.
- Don’t give your dog treats with caffeinated products.
- Ensure that your coffee pot and mug are out of reach by the dog after you finish brewing coffee.
- Make sure you contact your vet if you plan on starting new diets for your dog.
Also read: What To Do If a Dog Ate Coffee Grounds?
