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My dog ate coffee grounds hours ago. Should I worry if he's fine?

Updated On September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Dog | Australian Shepherd | Male | neutered | 40 lbs

My dog ripped into the garbage about 6-7 hours ago and ate coffee grounds, I didn't think anything of it until I searched it online and found out it could be poisonous he weighs 40lbs and ate approx 2-4 tablespoons I'm guessing, he hasn't acted unsusual or out of the norm should I be worried?

4 Answers

Most Helpful Answer

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Answered By Dr. Melanie, BVSc MS

Veterinarian

Published on May 7th, 2017

That was naughty of Zeus to get into the trash, but good on you for reaching out for help! Yes, you are correct that coffee grounds are poisonous, and if they eat a moderate amount of them, it will cause toxic symptoms. The good news is that these symptoms start appearing within the first one to two hours of ingestion, so if he ate them six to seven hours ago and is acting normally, then he likely did not ingest enough to cause a problem. I will give you the symptoms of toxicity just in case you see some worrying symptoms, but he should be ok :-) Symptoms: Diarrhea, vomiting, an increased heart rate, an irregular heart rate, excitability, and tremors.

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    Answered By Linda G, MS, DVM

    Veterinarian

    Published on March 17th, 2021

    Hello. I am so sorry that no one has taken your question up to now. If these were used grounds, then there should be absolutely no problems. If the grounds were fresh, such as she got into a K cup or something similar, there could be enough caffeine to cause stimulatory activity, including agitation, restlessness, vomiting, incoordination. If after an hour, Snowflake seems relatively calm & comfortable, then she is fine to watch at home. But if she is becoming increasingly agitated, restless, heavy panting, vomiting or gagging, you should take her into an emergency clinic for decontamination & observation. I do hope all is well & again my apologies for your delayed response. Thanks for contacting Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

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    Answered By Dr. Melanie, BVSc MS

    Veterinarian

    Published on September 22nd, 2016

    If Bella ate the coffee grounds within the past 2 hours, you can take her into your vet now to get her to vomit them up. If it has been longer than 2 hours, I would monitor her for signs of caffeine toxicity. Signs should develop within 1-2 hours after ingestion. If you see any of those signs, take her into your vet immediately.

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    Answered By Linda G, MS, DVM

    Veterinarian

    Published on August 27th, 2020

    Hello. I would not worry. This was just a small amount of caffeine for a dog this large. Sunny might be a little "sunnier" for the next few hours, but no need to worry. Some gastrointestinal signs, including vomiting & diarrhea would be very possible once the amounts approached 7 ounces of coffee grounds, but if the amount in 1-2 tongue-fulls was much less than this, then you have nothing to worry about. Thanks for contacting Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

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