Coffee is the favorite drink of Italians and the day cannot begin without its energizing aroma and flavor.
But Fido doesn’t need it at all as much as we do: he wakes up and in a wag of his tail is ready, impatient to go out and smell the news of the neighborhood.
Give coffee for dogs it can have negative effects, due to its caffeine content. Here’s what to do if your dog has ingested too much.
Caffeine for dogs, not just coffee
What is bad for the dog is not the actual coffee, but the famous substance from which it takes its name: caffeine. This natural alkaloid, extraordinary for us, is not found only in coffee beans, but is present in some known plant species and consequently in many drinks commonly used, including:
- Cola,
- Soda,
- Black tea
- Green tea.
In addition to beverages, caffeine is also found abundantly in coffee groundsthat a particularly curious or voracious 4-legged may have ingested, or in some diet pillscertainly in concentrations greater than what you find in a cup.
Like chocolate, high doses of caffeine ingested by the dog can also cause severe symptoms that should be avoided and known.
Is coffee bad for dogs? Because?
Yup, giving coffee to dogs is bad and should be avoided. If the dog has ingested a small amount of coffee, this will not be a major problem.
But excessive consumption – and habitual consumption in small doses – is dangerous for Fido due to the exciting effects of caffeinecapable of causing a cardiotoxic and exciting effect in certain quantities.
Just like we humans, who become nervous, restless with the excessive consumption of coffee, feel heartburn and sometimes tachycardia; so in the dog, but in an amplified way: Fido has a lower weight than ours and consequently a lower tolerance to this substance.
The negative effects of caffeine in dogs depend on:
- weight of the dog;
- quantity ingested.
Dangerous amount of coffee for the dog
On average, a cup of coffee contains 70-80 mg of caffeine. To trigger thecardiotoxic effect in dogs, about 25 mg of caffeine are needed per kg of weight: in a 10 kg dog, about 25 mg of caffeine is needed 3.5 cups of coffee to detect the first clinical symptoms. Even with smaller quantities it is good to keep an eye on it, especially if elderly or cardiopathic.
Symptoms of toxicity
If your dog has accidentally ingested a large amount of coffee, he will show symptoms over 30-60 minutes. In fact, the action of caffeine on the nervous system that causes the energizing effect takes place about half an hour after ingestion.
Pay attention to:
- Restlessness, agitation;
- He retched;
- Tachycardia (rapid heartbeat).
Upon the appearance of these symptomscall your vet immediately or go to the nearest clinic: in some cases, caffeine poisoning can even lead to death.
What if the dog has ingested too much coffee?
If you are sure that the dog has ingested large quantities of coffee (or better, caffeine), call your vet right away. Once the presence of intoxication symptoms has been ascertained, it could induce vomiting if the ingestion was recent; or practice some drip to carry out a “washing” of the blood.
Clinical effects can manifest themselves for subsequent ones 6-12 hours after taking, depending on the quantity taken. These could be even more severe in dogs that already suffer from heart disease or high blood pressure.
How Does Coffee Affect Drug Dogs?
Despite the strong and intense smell of coffee, i molecular dogs they are able to smell substances through it as well.
Coffee therefore has no effect on the incredible sense of smell of these animals, which are not only able to perceive very distant odors, but are also able to “separate” them from each other: this is how they classify the different substances, attribute to each of them the source of origin.
Perhaps attracted by sweetened coffee, our friend wanted to experiment a few drops by licking from your cup? In this case there will be no need to worry, but for any doubts do not hesitate to ask your trusted veterinarian for advice!