Green Tea for Dogs / Is It Healthy?

What are the benefits of green tea for dogs?

What are the health benefits of green tea for dogs?

If you’re a dog’s best friend, chances are you’ve heard of green tea extract.

Green tea is among the most popular beverages worldwide.

It has been consumed for centuries to help with various health issues, including improving heart function, boosting the immune system, and reducing stress.

In addition to these benefits, clinical trials have shown that green tea offers other therapeutic benefits such as lowering blood pressure and improving overall cognitive function.

Green tea is a popular ingredient in many products—from pills to pet food—and it benefits dogs with serious health problems like kidney disease, diabetes, and obesity.

But what about the other side of the story?

This article will highlight the health benefits of green tea for dogs.

Can Dogs Drink Green Tea?

Perhaps you’re wondering, ‘can dogs drink green tea?’

The short answer is yes. Dogs can safely consume moderate amounts of green tea.

However, there are a few things that you should know before you start giving your dog green tea.

First of all, green tea has a lot of potential health benefits for dogs.

It can help with weight loss, brain function, arthritis, and skin problems.

And it’s also a great source of antioxidants, which can help protect your dog from diseases.

So if you’re looking for a safe way to improve the health of your dog, green tea is a great option.

However, green tea contains caffeine.

And although its caffeine content is much less than black tea, dogs, especially small dogs, are highly sensitive to caffeine.

High caffeine content can cause caffeine toxicity and harm your dog’s health.

Therefore, the best thing to do is give your furry friend a small amount of green tea, as it does not trigger any ill effects.

On the flip side, decaffeinated teas such as chamomile tea, ginger tea, peppermint tea, and decaffeinated green tea are not toxic to dogs.

But they should also be served in small quantities as large amounts can lead to adverse side effects.

Adding sugar or milk to your pet’s herbal tea can cause digestive issues, diabetes, and obesity.

Is Green Tea Bad for My Dog?

Moderate amounts of green tea are generally considered as safe.

The only reason it may not be safe for your furry friend is that it contains caffeine.

All true teas, including green, white, black, and oolong tea, are made from the leaves of the camellia Sinensis plant (tea plant), which contains caffeine.

The difference between these types of teas lies in how the tea leaves are oxidized.

While black tea leaves are fully oxidized, green tea leaves are not oxidized; hence they retain their green color and have a less caffeine content.

Oolong and white tea leaves are partially oxidized, and their caffeine concentration typically depends on the oxidation level.

Pet lovers who want their dogs to enjoy the potential benefits of green tea should stick by the rule of serving small amounts of tea occasionally

www.HerbalHealthHut.com Tweet

These teas offer numerous health benefits.

They possess antioxidant properties that help slow or prevent cell damage caused by free radicals.

Besides preventing free radical damage, green tea antioxidants can also play a significant role in killing cancer cells and stopping them from growing.

In conclusion, pet lovers who want their dogs to enjoy the potential benefits of green tea should stick by the rule of serving small amounts of tea occasionally.

While decaffeinated green tea is a popular option, note that it naturally contains up to 2mg of caffeine per cuppa.

Are There Any Risks of Green Tea for Dogs?

While two licks of organic green tea are unlikely to cause caffeine toxicity, large amounts of green tea in your dog’s diet can trigger adverse effects.

But it’s important to note that not all dogs react the same way to green tea.

While some dog owners may find their dogs getting sick, others might not experience any side effects.

It depends on your dog’s physiology. But you must ensure that the green tea extract you’re giving your dog is pure and organic.

Additionally, tea is acidic in nature.

Having it on an empty stomach can disrupt the acidic balance in your dog’s body.

Therefore, you should serve tea after dog food to aid in digestion.

The side effects of green tea for dogs include:

- Renal inflammation
- Ulcers in the gastrointestinal tract
- Cardiovascular diseases
- Increased blood pressure

The Signs of Caffeine Toxicity in Dogs

As mentioned above, caffeine poisoning in dogs results from your pet ingesting too much caffeine.

Generally, 140mg/kg of caffeine can be toxic for your dog.

This means that a large dog would have to consume at least 60 cups of green tea to reach caffeine poisoning.

Signs of caffeine toxicity in dogs include:

Tremors
Vomiting
Restlessness
Loss of consciousness

5 Science-Backed Benefits of Green Tea for Dogs

1. Promotes Healthy Weight

Your pet can eat more calories than it can expend, leading to overweight and obesity.

Obesity is also common in older dogs because of their inability to exercise due to conditions like arthritis.

Unfortunately, obesity can lead to health problems like high blood pressure.

The good news is that several studies have found that green tea can promote weight loss, help your dog maintain a healthy weight, and lower blood pressure.

2. Helps Fight Cancer

Scientific studies suggest that the antioxidants in green tea, specifically the principal polyphenol compounds, play an essential role in preventing cancer.

Some preliminary evidence suggests that polyphenols can kill and prevent cancerous cells from growing.

The Best Herbal Tea for Headaches

10 Best Herbal Teas For Kidney Stones

The Best Herbal Tea for Men: 10 Best Herbal Teas for Men On the Go

So, if you have a dog who’s battling mammary (breast) cancer or prostate cancer or want to prevent the risk of any tumor type, you can consult your veterinarian about adding green tea to your dog’s diet.

3. Improves Bone Health

Epidemiological studies have found a link between green tea and the prevention of age-related bone loss.

Consumption of green tea and its active ingredients can help mitigate the weakening of bones and osteoarthritis in your older dog.

4. Enhances Oral Health and Fresh Breath

Periodontal diseases are pretty common in small animals like dogs and cats.

This infection damages the soft body tissues and can destroy the bone that supports dog teeth if left untreated.

Green tea products can protect against bad breath, gum diseases, and cavities.

One study indicated that green tea possesses antibacterial properties, which can promote fresh breath and improve oral health.

5. Reduces Dandruff and Dry, Itchy Skin

Dandruff and dry, itchy skin are common problems that pet owners face.

This skin condition is typically caused by food or seasonal allergies, hormonal imbalance, or your dog’s skin being excessively oily or dry.

Topical use of green tea can help lessen the not-so-welcome flakes clinging to your dog’s beautiful hair.

In fact, green tea is a popular ingredient in dog shampoo as it contains antifungal and antimicrobial properties that fight mites and other bacteria that commonly attack your dog’s coat.

It is also an excellent source of vitamins E and C, which nourish dogs’ dry skin while boosting collagen production.

How to Prepare Green Tea for Dogs

For those who prefer a prepackaged option, you can find varieties of green tea bags for dogs in your local pet food store.

Make sure to read the label to confirm that it’s safe and specifically designed for dogs.

Alternatively, you can prepare green tea for dogs in these simple steps:

Pour one liter of cold water into a large glass pitcher
Steep one spoon of loose leaf tea or one high quality green tea bag in the cold water for about 15 minutes
Remove the leaves and pour a half cup of tea into the pet bowl
Cover the glass pitcher and store the remaining tea in the fridge for up to 3 days.