What If My Dog Ate a Coffee Bean? (Solved & Explained!)

While coffee is toxic to dogs, a single coffee bean will not result in caffeine poisoning. However, the size and health of your dog will impact the gravity of the situation, so a call to the vet is always a good option!

In the following sections, I will explain the effects of coffee ingestion on dogs and what to do if the situation arises.

Is coffee harmful to dogs?

While humans often thrive off of a daily cup or two of coffee, coming in contact with coffee could be incredibly toxic to our furry counterparts.

Types of coffee

If your pup accidentally licks a few drops of liquid coffee, don’t panic. Usually, a small amount of liquid coffee won’t pose a great risk to your dog. If you notice your dog drinking coffee, quickly remove the source to make sure that the amount does not become dangerous for them.

If your dog gets hold of coffee beans, the results may be more serious. While a single coffee bean will not result in great toxicity to most dogs, you will want to monitor them and possibly place a call to your vet.

Coffee beans have a higher concentration of caffeine, so they will affect your furry friend more than a few drops of liquid coffee.

Why is coffee harmful to dogs?

Coffee contains caffeine, which is toxic to dogs. Specifically, caffeine falls into a class of stimulant known as methylxanthine, which affects the nervous system. This type of stimulation can negatively impact your furry friend.

Unfortunately, if your dog swallows enough coffee beans, the results could be fatal. Caffeine poisoning, whether the result of coffee or another substance like chocolate, has the ability to kill animals.

How much coffee can my dog safely eat?

No amount of coffee will benefit your dog, but there are some factors that may help determine how seriously you should respond to your pup’s coffee intake.

Size

Typically speaking, 70mg of coffee per pound of dog can be fatal. If a small dog ingests a few teaspoons of coffee, that amount will be much more dangerous than if a large dog did the same thing.

Overall health

Older dogs or dogs with underlying health conditions will be more sensitive to coffee. If your dog fits into either of these categories, you will want to let your vet know immediately because their reactions could be worse than the reaction of young, healthy dogs.

What should I do if my dog ate a coffee bean?

While a single coffee bean should not seriously affect your pet, a call to the vet is always a good option when dealing with possible toxic substances. Take careful notes of what your dog possibly ingested and how much of it they consumed.

Tell your vet exactly what happened and they can walk you through the next steps. It is always better to get advice from a professional than trying to fix things yourself!

If you know for a fact that your dog only ate a single coffee bean, closely monitor their behavior to see if they show any symptoms of caffeine poisoning before calling your vet.

What are the symptoms of caffeine poisoning?

Caffeine poisoning usually presents in dogs about thirty minutes after coming into contact with coffee, although the timing could differ based on how much caffeine was ingested.

Symptoms of caffeine poisoning include:

1. Seizures

Dog seizures resemble human seizures in that they involve muscle twitching, jerky movements, and foaming at the mouth.

2. Nervousness and agitation

Changes in behavior may indicate caffeine poisoning. If your dog seems more nervous and agitated than usual, you should call your vet.

3. Hypothermia

Hypothermia affects dogs by lowering their body temperature to unsafe levels. Look for a low body temperature, a slow heart rate, and slow breathing.

4. Panting and shaking

Combined with a rapid heartbeat, behavior such as panting and shaking excessively may indicate caffeine poisoning.

5. Hyperactivity

Since caffeine is a stimulant, your dog may become extremely energetic and hyperactive.

6. Vomiting and diarrhea

If your dog begins experiencing vomiting and diarrhea, they may be feeling the effects of caffeine poisoning.

What will the vet do if my dog swallows a coffee bean?

Depending on the amount of coffee ingested and the symptoms shown, your vet may induce vomiting or give your pup activated charcoal, which will help absorb caffeine and stop it from traveling into the bloodstream.

They may also give your dog an IV and take blood samples, although this depends on the situation.

Remember to leave all treatment to the veterinarian- attempting to treat possible caffeine poisoning on your own may be incredibly detrimental to your dog.

How can I prevent my dog from eating coffee beans?

Location

The easiest way to prevent your dog from eating coffee beans is to make sure all coffee products are stored in a location that is out of reach. If you are throwing coffee beans or grounds away, make sure that your dog isn’t able to get into the trash!

Pay attention

If you accidentally spill coffee beans, make sure to pick them up and throw them away (again, out of your dog’s reach) before your pup gets into them.

In addition, as with any behavior, keeping any eye on your dog could keep them out of trouble. A dog who has been quiet for a suspiciously long time may not be up to anything good! If your dog were to eat something toxic, your quick response could make a huge difference.

What other foods might cause caffeine poisoning in your dog?

Coffee isn’t the only substance that could cause a toxic reaction in your pup. You may already know that chocolate can be poisonous for dogs, but the list continues on after that.

Watch out for signs that your pup has gotten into diet pills, soda, energy drinks, or protein bars. Make sure you keep anything with chocolate- including yogurt and ice cream- far away from your furry pals.