Introduction
But is it okay to share some tea with your pooch? In short, your dog can enjoy small amounts of tea, but only teas that have no caffeine and in small quantities. Let's find out a little bit more about the benefits of tea, what kinds you can share with your dog, and what risks it comes with as well.
Signs of a Dog Liking Tea
If you want to share some warm tea with your dog occasionally, you can generally do so without any severe consequences. If your dog has a particularly sensitive tummy, it may upset their stomach a little, but you likely won't encounter any serious or long-term issues.
You know your dog best and will be able to tell if they enjoy the tea you decide to share with them. If you would like to tell if your dog does enjoy a safe variety of tea you give them, you can look out for some of the following signs. Remember that dogs reactions vary from breed and personality, so these signs can be a little different from pup to pup.
Your dog will communicate their like for tea through positive body language signs. To tell if your dog does enjoy this warm drink, watch if they lick or eat the tea without any reservation, if they wag their tail in excitement, if they look alert and raise their ears in anticipation for more tea, or even bark at your for another cup of yummy tea!
Body Language
- Alert
- Barking
- Wag tail
- Pacing
- Lip licking
- Drooling
- Tail up
- Ears up
Other Signs
- Looking for More
- Pawing At You
- Begging
History of Tea and Dogs
He proceeded to drink the tea infused water and fell in love with the flavor. From there, he began to research more about the leaf and tree and discovered its wonderful and powerful medicinal properties.
There are also conflicting tales that tea was actually discovered in India. Tea began popularized in the Far East and then made its way to Japan as well. It took all the way to the 17th century for tea to makes its way to The West and to Britain, where it became a staple in the British diet.
People did not just drink tea for the wonderful flavors and aromas, but also for its powerful health benefits. It was believed to give the body energy, cleanse the spleen, and even cure illnesses. Today, tea is still used for a wide variety of health benefits such as preventing certain cancers, recusing the risk of heart disease, protecting your bones, boosting your immune system, and much more.
Science Behind Dogs and Tea
Caffeine is a stimulant, so if your dog has caffeine, they can experience hyperactivity and it can up their heart rate. They can also become jittery and restless and have a difficult time getting comfortable. Caffeine can also raise your dog's blood pressure.
With that being said, you must stick to naturally caffeine-free tea, which generally consists of herbal teas. Chamomile tea can help your dog with a variety of ailments like dry and itchy skin and various kinds of inflammation since chamomile tea is a natural anti-inflammatory. Pure ginger tea can help with stomach upset, nausea, diarrhea, and can help keep their digestive tract functionally properly.
Training Dogs to Like Tea
If your dog does enjoy some tea from time to time, there are a few good ways you can incorporate this warm beverage into their diet a bit more efficiently. Remember to never give your dog steaming hot tea like we would drink it. Dogs are not used to hot liquids and they can severely burn their mouth if you give them a hot cup of tea.
You can brew some naturally caffeine free tea, like herbal tea or decaf black tea, let it cool down a bit and mix it into their kibble/food. This can help them enjoy the tea more and give them some substance as well. You can also brew some tea and use it in treats where a recipe calls for some type of liquid like water, broth, etc. This is a great way to add a ton of antioxidants to their treats to give them an even bigger nutritional boost. You can also take some completely cooled brewed tea and fill ice cube molds with the cooled tea. Freeze the tea cubes until solid and your dog can enjoy one of these superfood tea cubes in the summertime for a healthy and cool treat!
Safety Tips for Feeding Your Dog Tea:
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Make it an occasional treat.
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Don't give them too much at one time.
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Make sure the tea is decaf.