Tea is one of the drinks humans consume daily, but can a dog get sick from eating a tea bag? Due to this tea consumption habit, the dogs might also get interested in the teabag that is left lying around. The teabags contain caffeine, which has a similar effect on dogs as it does on humans. Caffeine, on the other hand, can take a pet’s life.
Caffeine is primarily present in coffee, tea, energy drinks, tea bags, coffee grounds, soda, and diet pills. Caffeine has a similar effect on dogs as theobromine (a substance present in chocolate).
Are Tea Bags Bad For My Dog?
Dogs are susceptible to caffeine as compared to humans. Tea should not be a part of a dog’s diet as it has uncontrollable side effects on the dog’s health. Dogs consuming tea once might not cause any discomfort or a terrible experience for the dogs. However, a little more tea can be fatal to the dogs.
The teabags are dangerous for dogs due to their high caffeine concentration, which can lead to caffeine poisoning in dogs. The bag itself can be harmful to the dogs as it can block the intestines.
Is It Possible For A Dog To Get Sick From Eating A Tea Bag?
Tea doesn’t always have to become harmful for the dogs. However, it does affect the dogs and, in a particular case, can lead to health issues and even death. The consumption of tea bags can have the following side effects on dogs:
- Restlessness
- Nervousness
- Hyperactivity
- Increase temperature
- Enhanced heartbeat
- Boost blood pressure
- Panting and shaking
- Seizures and collapse
When the tea starts negatively affecting the dogs, one or more signs will appear within an hour or two after the ingestion. Some of these signs are hard to spot. For instance, it is difficult to diagnose a dog with hypertension because it requires some expertise.
Different Types of Tea Bags
There are different types of tea bags in our homes. This kind of tea can cause a small or significant change in the dog. Below is a list of different kinds of tea that are usually present in homes and may or may not affect the dog.
Lipton Tea Bag
Lipton tea is tea that doesn’t come from tea leaves. As a result, it does not have as much caffeine content as others.However, it doesn’t mean that there is no caffeine in it at all. There is 55 mg of caffeine in Lipton tea, according to the Caffeine Informer.
The dog may suffer severe symptoms after consuming Lipton tea. Nevertheless, Lipton tea doesn’t have more severe issues than any other tea product.
Herbal Tea Bag
This type of tea does not have caffeine in it, so there is no need to worry if the dog ingests a herbal tea bag. Herbal tea comes from dried flowers, seeds, leaves, and roots of plants that don’t have caffeine. Though, the tea bag can still block the dog’s gut, so be careful while placing it in the range of the dogs.
Decaf Tea
This type of tea contains less caffeine than regular tea. Therefore, this tea doesn’t cause severe caffeine toxicity if the dog ingests a small amount.
Chamomile Tea Bag
Chamomile tea is another type of herbal tea made from flowers. Thus, the caffeine content is not there in chamomile tea, even though it is essential to worry about the teabag.
Pepermint Tea Bag
Peppermint tea is also an herbal tea that contains no trace of caffeine. It is also necessary to observe the dog for any signs of ingesting the peppermint tea bag.
Green Tea Bag
Green tea contains a higher amount of caffeine than other teas but a lesser quantity of caffeine as compared to black tea. It will have adverse effects on the dog’s health, so consult the vet for a diagnosis and treatment.
Are Tea Bags Safe For Dogs?
Yes, tea bags are safe for big dogs. If a small dog ingests an entire teabag, it can be fatal.
A small dog with a slim body cannot take that much caffeine and exhibit severe signs and symptoms. On the other hand, if a large-sized dog intakes a tea bag, then inducing vomit can solve the issue without difficulty. Though, expert’s opinion matters.
The amount in tea bags can kill the dog, and the teabag itself causes blockage of the intestine and leads to severe health issues. Therefore, it is always better to contact the vet as soon as possible, no matter what type of teabag is ingested by the dog.
What To Do If A Dog Ate A Tea Bag?
It is essential to consider the consumption of tea bags by the dog as a serious issue. Following are few tips that an owner can track when the dog ate a tea bag.
Prevention Fropm Eating More Tea Bags
The last thing that a dog owner can do is to prevent the dog from eating more tea bags. Thus, remove any remnant from that area. Dogs usually find such things from dining areas or trash bins. Most often, they will find such products from cups left in the sink.
Understand The Happening
In such conditions, it is very important to remain calm and understand what is happening. Since tea bags are lethal, it is better to gather as much information as possible. This information will be convenient while visiting the vet, who can provide a quick and accurate diagnosis.
The owner should note down the following few questions:
- The number of tea bags the dog consumes?
- How long it happened?
- Any other products to consume along with the tea bags?
Gathering such information will help the owner understand how bad the situation for the dog can be. It will also help the vet make a quick diagnosis and administer the treatment as soon as possible.
Contact The Vet
An immediate call to the veterinarian will help you handle the situation, and you will have an expert’s advice. The vet will guide you to perform some procedures or examinations, if possible, at home to reduce the effect of tea bags.
Final Word
It is clear from the conversation that tea bags are harmful to dogs. Besides caffeine poisoning, the tea bags can cause intestinal blockagees
There is no doubt that caffeine is lower in tea bags than other caffeine products like coffee, but still, it can cause problems when the dog ingests it.
As always, the best method to prevent this issue from happening is to prevent it from happening. Placement of tea bags should be somewhere where dogs cannot reach.
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