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My Pomeranian drank half decaf coffee. What signs should I watch for?

Updated On September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Dog | Pomeranian | Female | spayed | 5 years old | 12 lbs

Hey my 12lbs Pomeranian drank about a quarter of a cup of half decaf coffee with milk before we noticed. She's not showing much signs of any changes in her health? Is there anything I should watch for? Is there anything I can do? Thank you so much

2 Answers

Most Helpful Answer

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Answered By Dr. Melanie, BVSc MS

Veterinarian

Published on February 19th, 2017

That wasn't good that Angel Puff drank coffee! While it's good that it was half decaf, there is concern because of the caffeine in the regular coffee and the fat that she is a small dog. Signs of caffeine toxicity typically appear one to two hours after ingestion, and include vomiting, mild to severe hyperactivity, restlessness, increased heart rate, abnormal heart rhythms, tremors, elevated body temperature, seizures, and collapse. I would monitor her for those signs, and if you see any of them, take her into a vet immediately for treatment. It could be that she did not ingest enough caffeine to cause toxic symptoms, but it's best to know the signs just in case. Hopefully, she will be ok!

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    Answered By David Darvishian

    Veterinarian

    Published on December 9th, 2017

    Hi and thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Sorry to hear about Jasper. The degree of toxicity is determined by the amount of caffeine ingested as well as the size and health status of the pet. A large, young, healthy pup will likely have a better outcome than a small, old dog with kidney problems. Symptoms can occur with the consumption of 9 mg/pound of caffeine. Severe illness can occur at 20 mg/pound. Seizures and death are possible after a pet consumes 75- 100 mg/pound. Let’s put that into perspective. The average cup of coffee 8 oz would contain about 95 mg. If Jasper weighs 3 lbs his low toxic dose would be about 27 mg of caffeine. He would have to drink almost 1/3 of a cup of coffee to get that dose unless it was espresso. I don't think you are going to see any major problems but you need to monitor him throughout the day today. Pets that consume caffeine may have an increased heart rate and become hyperactive. They get jittery and restless and don’t want to lie still. They may pace or vocalize excessively. Caffeine also raises blood pressure and causes cardiac arrhythmias, which can be dangerous. Pets may also lose muscle control and have tremors or seizures. Caffeine affects the GI tract and causes vomiting, which can actually be a helpful side effect since it removes some of the toxins from the body. They may also have diarrhea. Pets may urinate more just like we do after drinking a couple of sodas. Honestly, I don't think you have anything to worry about but if you are concerned you should call your veterinarian and get their opinion on this especially if signs develop. Good luck

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