Mary Allen
Caffeine has an invigorating effect on us humans, but some of us can get both palpitations and anxiety in the body, especially if we have drunk a lot. But can coffee be dangerous for dogs too?
In fact, it is good to watch out for forgotten slats if the dog shows interest. It may be dangerous.
The owner of the spaniel could not imagine that the dog would be interested in the slatted latte that was on the living room table. But when she came back from the bathroom, it turned out that the cup was empty and the dog looked at her happily wagging its tail while licking away milk foam around its nose.
Since the owner herself was a little sensitive to caffeine, she became worried, what if the dog would also get a palpitation, what if it was actually dangerous?
Coffee Can Be Dangerous
At the Poison Information Center (tel. 010-456 67 00, where animal questions are answered at 9–19), however, she was reassured. Coffee can be dangerous for dogs, but for a dog as large as hers, about 20 kilos, a splash of latte should be risk-free. The milk in the latte also weakens the effect of the caffeine. The dog could possibly vomit or get diarrhea, but nothing worse than that.
If, on the other hand, the dog had been a puppy, or of a smaller breed, the scenario could have been much more serious. For an otherwise healthy, normal dog, 15 mg of caffeine per kilogram of body weight can be a risk, in fact life-threatening, as it affects the heart. A cup, about 1.5 dl, regular brewed coffee contains about 100 mg of caffeine but can vary depending on how strong the coffee is. Espresso is generally much more concentrated but is rarely drunk in such large volumes as regular brewed coffee.
A potentially dangerous dose (15 ml of caffeine per kilogram of body weight) is APPROXIMATELY:
- Dog 5 kilos: 75 mg (ie 3/4 dl regular brewed coffee)
- Dog 10 kilos: 150 mg (approx. 1.5 dl regular brewed coffee)
- Dog 20 kilos: 300 mg (approx. 3 dl regular brewed coffee)
- Dog 40 kilos: 600 mg (approx. 6 dl regular brewed coffee)
Energy drinks also contain caffeine, about 20-30 mg per deciliter, Coca-Cola about 10 mg/dl. Black and green tea contains approximately 50–100 mg/dl. How was the spaniel? No danger, not even little diarrhea.