What Can Happen If Your Dog Drinks Coffee?

Coffee contains caffeine, which can be toxic to dogs in large amounts. If Rover gets a quick taste of lukewarm coffee from your unattended cup, he'll likely be OK, but if he regularly ingests it in large amounts, he could become very ill. Not only does coffee contain potentially toxic chemicals to canines, but hot coffee might burn his mouth.

  1. Why Toxic?

    • The average cup of coffee contains around 100 mg of caffeine, according to MayoClinic.com. Caffeine is a type of methylxanthine alkaloid substance that comes from the seeds of the plant used to make coffee, known as coffee beans. Methylxanthines like caffeine are toxic to dogs in large amounts. According to "Small Animal Toxicology," a lethal dose of caffeine to a dog is between 110 to 200 mg of caffeine per 2.2 pounds of weight. That means an 11-pound dog would need to drink around six cups of coffee before the amount of caffeine in his system would be considered dangerous.

    What Can Happen?

    • While it's not likely your pup will want to drink cup upon cup of coffee, if he takes a lap or two of the liquid, he could possibly burn his tongue or mouth on the hot beverage. If the coffee isn't too warm, he could also suffer the effects of caffeine ingestion, including vomiting, diarrhea, hyperactivity and panting, according to the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals. A small amount of coffee lapped up by your thirsty pup from an unattended mug can also increase your pup's heart rate, blood pressure and level of thirst, as well as cause frequent urination. Symptoms of caffeine poisoning usually appear one to two hours after your pup ingests coffee.

    What to Do?

    • While a sip of two of a coffee cup probably isn't reason to worry, if your dog drinks a significant amount of even one cup of coffee, contact your vet for assistance. Depending on your dog's symptoms and how much coffee you suspect he lapped up, she will tell you whether you need to come into the office. Your vet can induce vomiting and provide intravenous fluids to help clear the caffeine from his system. She may give your pooch some drugs to help calm down his upset stomach or use activated charcoal to decontaminate his system of the caffeine, according to the Pet Poison Helpline. During his treatment, she can also check his mouth for minor burns.

    Considerations

    • Pups that ingest only a small amount of coffee usually recover quickly, with no lasting ill effects. For safety's sake, keep your pup away from your coffee cup, especially if he shows any curiosity about the drink. Additives like milk, cream and sugar make the bitter substance more palatable to pooches, even those who don't seem interested in plain coffee. Use a covered cup or thermos to contain your coffee, and place it out of reach of your pooch. Of course, the coffee grounds from which coffee is made contain much higher amounts of caffeine than the coffee does, so keep both new and used grounds away from your pup when making your morning pick-me-up.