Can Coffee Grinds Be Bad for Dogs if They Eat Them?

You might adore your morning cup of coffee while your pooch rests by your feet, but that's as close as you want those two entities to get. Coffee grounds -- along with coffee in general -- are toxic to dogs. Coffee contains caffeine, which is a major hazard to canines.

  1. Caffeine is Toxic to Dogs

    • Methylxanthines are one of the components in coffee, and therefore are one of the components, specifically, in coffee grounds. These compounds are extracted out of cacao seeds. If a dog takes in too many methylxanthine alkaloids, it could lead to poisoning and an array of negative and perilous health effects. Like coffee, chocolate also has methylxanthines. Methylxanthines are capable of interfering with both the heart muscle and the nervous system in dogs.

    Symptoms

    • If your pooch was able to get his paws on coffee grounds for whatever reason, toxicity is a major possibility. Some telling signs of caffeine poisoning in canines are high blood pressure, fast heart rate, antsy and fidgety behavior, fast breathing, feebleness, diarrhea, panting, shivering, throwing up, irritability and seizures. If you notice any of these signs in your pet, get veterinary attention for him without a second of delay. Seek veterinary help if you have any reason to think that your pet might have consumed coffee grounds, even without the presence of symptoms. If your dog takes in sufficient caffeine, it could bring upon life-threatening consequences, so take the issue seriously. Indications of poisoning generally show up in a span of two hours post-consumption.

    Sources of Caffeine

    • Coffee grounds and actual coffee aren't the only hazards to dogs. Caffeine appears in many different forms, all of which are a serious no-no to canines. Keep your cuties away from items that note caffeine as an ingredient, whether soda, tea or coffee beans. If you keep any of these things in your home, as many people do, make sure that they're always totally out of the reach of your curious pet. Don't leave these things out on your kitchen counter while no one is around, for example.

    Dangerous Amounts in Dogs

    • Keep coffee grounds in any and all amounts away from dogs, no matter how seemingly small. The smallest amount of caffeine that is known to be deadly to canines is between 140 and 150 milligrams for roughly every 2.2 pounds of the dog's total weight.

    Veterinary Management

    • Veterinary management is crucial for cases of caffeine poisoning. Some common management options for caffeine toxicity in dogs are removal of hazardous substances via activated charcoal, sedatives, intravenous fluid therapy and use of medicines to encourage throwing up. It always depends on a dog's individual case.