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Can Dogs Drink Coffee? Or Is Coffee Safe For Dogs?

Can Dogs Drink Coffee? Or Is Coffee Safe For Dogs?
Can Dogs Drink Coffee? Or Is Coffee Safe For Dogs?

Can Dogs Drink Coffee? Or Is Coffee Safe For Dogs?


Dog owners usually want to share their favorite foods and drinks with their dogs. However, you should never allow your dog to eat or drink anything unless you are sure it is safe.
In this text, we will talk about coffee and how this drink affects the health of a dog.


More about coffee



Coffee is a drink made from ground and brewed coffee beans. In fact, these beans are the seeds of berries of 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 to people if consumed moderately. High amounts of coffee can lead to many health problems.


Is coffee safe for dogs?



Unfortunately, we have bad news for you. Coffee is not safe for your dog because it contains caffeine, which is toxic to dogs. Caffeine affects the heart and nervous system in dogs and it is known that dogs have a lower tolerance for caffeine than humans.
If your dog drinks only a small amount of coffee, it can be poisoned. Larger amounts can be deadly to your dog. In addition to drinking coffee right out of the cup, espresso beans dipped in chocolate are also very dangerous for your dog.

Can Dogs Drink Coffee? Or Is Coffee Safe For Dogs?
Can Dogs Drink Coffee? Or Is Coffee Safe For Dogs?

Why is coffee bad for dogs?


Coffee is a stimulant. That's why Starbucks is full in the wee hours of the morning.

Unfortunately for your dog, coffee can cause dysfunction of the major organs and cause the following:


  • HEART: 


When caffeine enters the bloodstream, it will dangerously increase your dog's heart rate. Not only does her heart begin to beat faster, it also beats in an irregular pattern.

Jeffrey Goldberger, MD, of Northwestern University, conducted a study demonstrating that only 25 mg / kg of caffeine in dogs significantly increased the likelihood of ventricular fibrillation.

V-fib is a very dangerous cardiac arrhythmia that can lead to cardiac arrest.

Coffee prepares your dog for a heart attack.


  • Kidney: 


One of the symptoms listed above is high blood pressure. A side effect of blood pressure fluctuations is an unnecessary burden on the kidneys.

The kidneys are also closely associated with the bladder, where the caffeine from the coffee is absorbed into the bloodstream.

The caffeine in the coffee is a diuretic - in plain language it makes your dog pee. A little bit.

If your dog pees too much, it will cause dehydration. In extreme cases, a high dose of coffee can cause your dog's kidneys to be shut down, causing kidney disease or kidney failure.


  • BEHAVIOR, CENTRAL NERVOUS SYSTEM (CNS): 


If your dog becomes restless and buzzing around like a ping pong ball, the CNS is definitely affected.

In addition, muscle tremors, stimulation, seizures and coma can be a sure sign of CNS disorders.

Your dog's body will do anything to get rid of the toxicity. This means the onset of vomiting and diarrhea.


Most worrying is that the CNS controls your dog's lungs. If the toxicity levels are high enough, the airway may be paralyzed (because it is a muscle) and cause your dog to stop breathing.

Read More Can Dogs Drink Coconut Water? Key Nutrients + Benefits!


Which amount of coffee is dangerous?




Can Dogs Drink Coffee? Or Is Coffee Safe For Dogs?
Can Dogs Drink Coffee? Or Is Coffee Safe For Dogs?

It is recommended that you never give your dog a sip of coffee, as this 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 in a concentration of 150 milligrams per kilogram of dog weight is lethal to dogs. It is known that a cup of coffee contains only about 100 mg of caffeine and this amount is not enough to kill your dog.

However, if your dog gets into coffee grounds or beans, he can quickly consume a large amount of caffeine. It is especially dangerous for your dog to eat chocolate coated beans.


Symptoms of coffee toxicity



The first symptoms of caffeine poisoning in dogs are diarrhea and other gastrointestinal problems, vomiting, tremors, and increased heart rate. Methylxanthines, which are found in coffee, usually affect your dog's heart, accelerate it, and cause cardiotoxicity in your dog. Larger amounts of coffee can also lead to breathing difficulties and seizures.

The symptoms of caffeine poisoning can also be an increase in body temperature, frequent urination, energy surges, wheezing and excessive thirst. Coffee also affects a dog's central nervous system. Large amounts of coffee can even lead to the death of the dog. Below is what you should do if you notice any of these symptoms in your dog.

Can Dogs Drink Coffee? Or Is Coffee Safe For Dogs?
Can Dogs Drink Coffee? Or Is Coffee Safe For Dogs?


What to do if your dog drank coffee?



The first signs of caffeine poisoning appear within two hours of drinking coffee. If your dog has already had coffee, you do not need to panic immediately. It is important to keep an eye on your dog and notice possible symptoms of intoxication. If there are no symptoms, your dog is fine. The dog drank only a small amount of coffee, which is not enough to kill him. However, if your dog has drunk a lot of coffee and you notice symptoms of caffeine poisoning, you should immediately take your dog to the vet.

It is important to make your dog vomit to prevent more caffeine from entering the bloodstream. The veterinarian will probably keep your dog in his office for several hours to avoid possible complications.
In addition, the veterinarian prescribes your dog some anti-seizure pills and medicines to lower blood pressure.

Deadly dosages


Why should Spot stay away from coffee? It's the caffeine. In particular, it is a component of caffeine called methylxanthine.

This is the complex ingredient that poses a danger and the same as chocolate. We all know that the saying goes that we should never give our dog chocolate because it is bad for them. For the same reason is coffee.

And fortunately, dogs take caffeine into their bloodstream much faster and more efficiently than we do.

Now for the most important question: What is the deadly dose? According to the US National Library of Medicine, the lethal dose is 140 mg/kg or 140 mg / 2.2 lbs, as 1 kg equals 2.2 lbs.

To get an idea of ​​what 140 mg of coffee looks like, it's a strong cup of your favorite mix. Remember, however, that the calculation is 140 mg/kg weight. So the deadly amount depends on how much your dog weighs.

The smaller your dog is, the less coffee it would take for serious complications. If you have a 5-pound dog, the lethal dose looks like 2 strong cups of coffee. If your dog weighs 10 pounds, it's 4 cups and so on.

Remember, this is the deadly dosage calculation. Serious physiological consequences can and will be seen well before this threshold. In fact, 10 mg / kg or 10 mg / 2.2 lbs is enough to cause minor symptoms.

Can Dogs Drink Coffee? Or Is Coffee Safe For Dogs?
Can Dogs Drink Coffee? Or Is Coffee Safe For Dogs?

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To pay attention to things?



What happens to dogs that drink too much coffee? Because caffeine is a stimulant, the symptoms of poisoning are slightly different than other toxic foods. Dogs who consume too much caffeine may first get vomit and diarrhea when their body tries to eliminate the toxic substance. From there, the symptoms may become trembling, muscle tremors, heavy or labored breathing, accelerated heart rate, fever, high blood pressure, fainting, anxiety, and other behavioral changes. Dogs can become anxious or aggressive. In severe cases, dogs who drink a significant amount of caffeine suffer from seizures. Left untreated, an overdose of caffeine can be fatal.
As with all types of poisoning, your dog's prognosis can be significantly improved if you seek treatment as soon as possible. There is no antidote for caffeine overdose, but your veterinarian is likely to induce vomiting and possibly administer activated charcoal to prevent further absorption. If your dog's symptoms are severe, your vet may prescribe medication to stop seizures or lower your blood pressure. Severe symptoms may also require sedatives and an overnight stay.

Symptoms to look out for
If you have the slightest idea that your dog has got his hands on coffee, these are the symptoms you should look out for. For your information, they start within minutes of consumption and can take up to 12 hours, depending on severity:

  • hyperactivity
  • pacemaker
  • Increased blood pressure
  • Increased urination
  • bloating
  • dilation of the pupil
  • Unstillable thirst
  • muscle tremors
  • fever
  • panting
  • Vomit
  • diarrhea
  • Fatigue
  • seizures
  • coma

If a seizure occurs in your dog, it is an indicator that the dose you consumed was nearly deadly. See your veterinarian as soon as possible.

In fact, I advise you to send an e-mail to the veterinary office when using any combination of the above symptoms!

Can Dogs Drink Coffee? Or Is Coffee Safe For Dogs?
Can Dogs Drink Coffee? Or Is Coffee Safe For Dogs?

Treatment, therapy, cure


For coffee consumption, immediate treatment is essential to survival.

For treatment to be effective at lethal doses, it must be given within 2 hours of ingestion. This is a fight against the clock.

You have to bring your dog to the vet. There they trigger vomiting.

This is so that your dog continues to receive no caffeine through the bladder into the bloodstream.

After you have forced your dog to vomit, your vet will most likely give you charcoal. The charcoal absorbs all caffeine that remains in their system.

Veterinarian confirms: "The advantage of activated carbon is that it works for a variety of toxins and can be useful as a treatment even before the cause of the toxicity is known."

After giving your dog charcoal, your vet will administer intravenous fluids to combat the dehydration caused by vomiting.

Get ready for at least one night. The earlier treatment measures are used, the better the chances for your dog.

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prevention


Prevention is always preferred. Avoid risks. Hide your coffee in front of your dog! Store the shredded beans in a safe place.

If you dispose of the used filters with a lot of dirt, be sure to close the trash can.

Almost all of the observed fatal cases were due to the consumption of beans and coffee grounds - not to coffee.

The quintessence


It is our responsibility to protect our canines from themselves! And above all, death from caffeine.

Part of this commitment is to be prepared for the worst and to expect the best.

I know some of you are following the philosophy, dogs are human too. But take my word, when it comes to caffeine, dogs are hypersensitive.


Coffee may be the morning elixir that we humans need to get our butt moving, but for our canines, coffee is their curse.

Can Dogs Drink Coffee? Or Is Coffee Safe For Dogs?
Can Dogs Drink Coffee? Or Is Coffee Safe For Dogs?


Final thoughts




After all, your dog should never drink coffee, whether black or filled with cream and sugar. Dessert coffees are full of fat and sugar, which can lead to diabetes, pancreatitis and weight gain. Black coffee is toxic because of its high caffeine content. While a few drops of coffee fall off the floor, it can probably not hurt your dog if he drinks a whole cup very well, which can lead to a life-threatening overdose of caffeine. To protect your dog, it is best to give him water for hydration. Your dog does not have to drink anything!


Conclusion



Although you like to eat with the dog, avoid giving it coffee. As you have seen, even in small doses, coffee is not good for your dog, while large doses of coffee can kill your dog. To avoid this, do not leave your dog alone in a room where you have had a cup of coffee.

Remember that you alone are responsible for the health of your dog. The dog's digestive system is different from ours and certain foods that are good for us can be very harmful to our dogs and even kill them. In addition to dogs, caffeine is also toxic to cats.

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