My Dog Ate a Tea Bag What Should I Do?

Many pet parents have tea, made with tea bags, every day. Who doesn’t enjoy a great cup of tea? But what happens if your dog happens to eat a tea bag?

It can happen that a dog may eat a tea bag. This may be because a tea bag happened to drop on the floor and the dog got to it before his pet parent. In that case, many dogs swallow their treasure, rather than giving it over to their pet parent.

Or maybe you were enjoying a refreshing cup of tea, and the phone rang. You had to jump up for the phone, leaving your tea unattended. Sometimes a dog may be curious about what his pet parent is eating or drinking. Whatever their pet parent has must be pretty good, so the dog may try it, too. He may then swallow or eat the tea bag. When you come back from your phone call, the tea bag is no where to be found, and your dog may have a sheepish look. Then it’s clear he’s swallowed the tea bag down.

These are just a couple of scenarios where a dog could have access to tea or tea bags. But is there anything to worry about?

Caffeine & Dogs Don’t Mix

If you were enjoying a cup of regular tea, then it probably contained caffeine. Caffeine is poisonous to dogs. In this case, you’ll need to call the vet as soon as possible. Let the vet know the size of the tea bag and then tell them about any symptoms your fur baby may be having. Also be sure to let the vet know what type of tea was in the tea bag.

The caffeine in tea can cause your dog to develop the following symptoms:

• Hyperactivity (mild to severe)
• Vomiting
• Elevated heart rate
• Restlessness
• High blood pressure
• Hyperthermia
• Seizures
• Collapse

Other Health Issues from Swallowing a Tea Bag

There are many other types of tea, some of which can be dangerous for your canine companion. These include chamomile and peppermint teas. These are also toxic to dogs.

No matter what type of tea was in the tea bag, one other problem to be concerned about is that the tea bag could cause an intestinal blockage in a dog.

If you suspect your fur baby has swallowed a tea bag, then call the vet right away. Do not induce vomiting, unless directed to do so by the vet.

In most cases, with prompt treatment, your fur baby should be OK. But you’ll need to make sure not to leave tea or tea bags where your dog can access them in the future, especially if he has a habit of trying to eat tea bags!