The sweet flavor of root beer is a favorite of many people, even dogs. People have long believed that this beverage, as well as other drinks containing high concentrations of sugar, can adversely affect your dog’s ability to regulate blood sugar and lead to life-threatening issues such as liver failure. How much of this is true? Can dogs drink root beer? Or should you opt for something else for your canine companion? Let’s find out!
Can Dogs Drink Root Beer?
The answer is No. Dogs cannot drink Root Beer. It contains caffeine and alcohol which are both poisonous to canines. There is also a high content of sugar in the drink which is not healthy for them. Root beer can be highly dangerous for your pet in many ways so you should avoid letting them have any contact with this beverage.
You might also be interested in “Can Dogs Drink Non-Alcoholic Beer?”
In order to present a complete picture, let’s start the article with a short description of a root beer.
What Is A Root Beer?
Root beer is a type of carbonated soft drink, flavored with sassafras and other roots, that is commonly served in the Northeastern United States. Its flavor comes from the use of sarsaparilla, or root beer extract.
The ingredients for root beer are similar to juice: extracts or essential oils from herbs and spices mixed with sweeteners like sugar syrup, progesterone glycerol esters (found in vegetable oil), honey, molasses (astronauts on the moon drank a lot of this stuff) and sometimes vanilla beans. The mix is then carbonated with yeast and stored as a liquid until it’s time to serve it up at warm temperatures.
There are many different types of root beers available today, ranging from dark brown ales brewed with honey to highly carbonated “old fashion” sodas that have been flavored with vanilla or hops. It also comes in a variety of flavors. The most common flavors are licorice and ginger. Other popular flavors include chocolate, cinnamon, and brown sugar (for people who can’t miss the sweetness).
Also, check out: “Can Dogs Drink Beer?”
Can Dogs Drink Root Beer?
No. Root Beer is a type of alcoholic beverage which can make dogs drunk and cause many issues for them in the body. It has an alcohol content of around 20% and contains high amounts of caffeine. Both of these are extremely toxic to your pup’s health.
How Root Beer Is Toxic For Dogs
As a carbonated beverage, root beer contains carbon dioxide bubbles that would undoubtedly cause discomfort in any animal that drank it. Furthermore, the syrup used to sweeten root beers (sugar) can prove harmful to dogs if ingested in large quantities.
Root beer can cause the following health problems in dogs:
- Kidney Failure
- Acidosis
- Metabolic Acidosis (which damages your dog’s red blood cells from the inside).
- Urinary problems
- Gastric issues
- Behavior problems
If you notice your dog drinking root beer, then it may be time for a vet check. Not only root beer, but any other type of sugary beverage may also have similar effects on your pet. Animals generally have very sensitive digestive systems that can easily get overwhelmed by foreign substances. Root beer would most likely cause severe discomfort to dogs.
There are other drinks that are much more canine-friendly including water (obviously), milk, and cranberry juice. Each of these options contains important vitamins that your dog needs on a daily basis without the risk of ingesting anything harmful in return. In some places, you might also find a carbonated beverage called “bartender’s brew” that has been brewed especially for canines. There’s also a whole range of dog beer available in the market.
Conclusion
So, can dogs drink root beer? No, they cannot. The contents in root beer may cause a dog gas sickness, which can include vomiting, diarrhea, panting (breathing), or shaking (as the dog turns its legs on one side). If you find your dog drinking root beer, call your vet immediately. There are no known solutions for this other than to ask your veterinarian.
Thank you for reading the article.
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Have you ever shared root beer with your dog? How did they react? Were they hospitalized soon after? We would love to hear about your experience. Please share with our community by leaving a comment below!
While I will agree that foods and beverages not made specifically for canines “could” cause some minor digestion issues, I have to strongly disagree with numerous comments made throughout this whole post…
1. Root beer is sold and consumed in way more areas other than just “Northeastern United States”. – It’s sold and consumed throughout all of North American, including Canada.
2. It’s made using the “root bark” of the sassafras tree along with other ingredients like carbonated water, sucrose, high fructose corn syrup, caramel color, natural and artificial flavors, sodium benzoate, phosphoric acid, and red #40. – A&W Root Beer does NOT put “essential oils” in there product.
3. Most root beer made by numerous manufacturers DOES NOT contain any caffeine. A&W root beer literally contains 0.00 mg of caffeine in a 2-Liter bottle.
4. Root beer doesn’t have alcohol in it because it doesn’t undergo the typical fermentation process. The environment for yeast to turn into alcohol is less than adequate because the sugar and yeast will not produce enough ethanol. Since it’s often naturally carbonated, the amount of carbon dioxide is toxic to the yeast and will prevent the final product from being anywhere above 0.5% alcohol by volume. When it ferments, the alcohol level will be equivalent to the amount of alcohol in a piece of bread. Light years away from being labeled as “poisonous” in your post.
Root beer is NOT poisonous to dogs anymore than it being poisonous to human beings which is none whatsoever and if your dog happens to drink root beer, calling your vet “immediately” is NOT advised because your vet will just tell you exactly what I just wrote.
You should do some more research on this matter then come back and edit your incorrect statements.