02/05/2025
Do you use Green Tea for your pup?
🫖🍃Is Green Tea Safe for Dogs? The Science Behind This Ancient Remedy
| Green Tea for Dogs: Nature’s Multi-Tasking Medicinal Herb
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🏁TL;DR: Yes, dogs can benefit from green tea (Camellia sinensis)—when it’s used correctly and under professional guidance. Decaf green tea offers antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, anticancer, oral, and calming benefits, thanks to compounds like EGCG and L-theanine. Always check with a vet before offering it.
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Green tea (Camellia sinensis) is widely praised for its health benefits in humans—but did you know it could also support your dog’s wellness in a number of remarkable ways? Backed by scientific research, green tea contains powerful polyphenols like EGCG (epigallocatechin-3-gallate), offering anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and potential anticancer benefits. Let’s take a closer look at the science.
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1️⃣ Antioxidant Powerhouse
Green tea is rich in catechins, a type of polyphenol that helps to neutralise free radicals, the unstable molecules linked to inflammation, ageing, and degenerative diseases. The most studied catechin, EGCG, has demonstrated strong antioxidant properties in both in vitro and in vivo studies (Balentine et al., 1997; Katiyar & Mukhtar, 1997). These compounds help protect cells from oxidative stress, a contributor to chronic disease and immune dysfunction.
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2️⃣ Anti-Inflammatory Effects
Chronic inflammation is linked to many canine conditions, from arthritis to skin disease. Green tea’s polyphenols help suppress inflammatory mediators such as cytokines and proteases. For example, Adcocks et al. (2002) found that green tea extract inhibited collagen and proteoglycan degradation in cartilage, making it a potentially useful adjunct in dogs with joint disease or early-stage osteoarthritis.
Benelli et al. (2002) also found that EGCG exhibits anti-invasive effects, partly by inhibiting matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs)—enzymes involved in tissue destruction and inflammation.
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3️⃣ Anti-Cancer Potential
Numerous animal studies suggest that green tea may help inhibit cancer development through multiple mechanisms:
✅ Blocking tumour growth
✅ Inducing apoptosis (programmed cell death)
✅ Inhibiting angiogenesis (formation of new blood vessels that feed tumours)
In mice exposed to carcinogens, oral green tea extract significantly reduced lung and liver tumours (Cao et al., 1996; Lambert et al., 2003). EGCG interferes with cancer pathways by modulating MAPK and NF-κB signalling, which are often dysregulated in tumours (Li et al., 2002).
While these results are preliminary and need more validation in dogs, they’re promising for future use in veterinary oncology.
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4️⃣ Dental & Oral Health Benefits
Green tea’s EGCG has also been shown to reduce oral pathogens and inhibit MMPs involved in gum degradation. Yun et al. (2004) demonstrated that green tea catechins can inhibit the expression of MMPs in human gingival fibroblasts, suggesting it may help support gum and oral health in dogs, especially those prone to dental disease.
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5️⃣ Calm the Nervous System
Green tea contains L-theanine, an amino acid that promotes the release of calming neurotransmitters like GABA and dopamine. It may help dogs cope with stress, noise anxiety, reactivity, or transitions such as vet visits and travel. L-theanine is now widely used in canine calming supplements for its non-sedative calming effects.
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How to Use Green Tea for Dogs (Safely!)
⚠️ Green tea contains caffeine, which is toxic to dogs. Always use a decaffeinated version or a standardised green tea extract designed for pets.
Dosage guidelines (for general wellness use, not treatment):
☕ ½–1 cup of diluted, cooled decaf green tea per 10kg body weight (added to food or water)
⚖️ Or 10–20mg/kg daily of standardised extract, split into two doses
Always consult your vet or a canine nutritionist before adding green tea to your dog’s routine—especially if they are on medication, have liver issues, or are pregnant/lactating.
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🩺🥼Veterinary Use Cases for Green Tea Include:
✔️ Adjunctive cancer therapy
✔️ Atopic dermatitis & allergic skin issues
✔️ Mild diarrhoea or GI inflammation
✔️ Anxiety & stress support
✔️ Topical use on “hot spots” or minor wounds (always vet-supervised)
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Final Thoughts:
Green tea is one of the few botanicals with an impressive body of peer-reviewed research supporting its use in both human and animal models. When used correctly and responsibly, it may be a valuable natural aid in supporting your dog’s immune function, calming the nervous system, protecting tissues, and even reducing disease risk. But as with all things herbal—less is more, and always with professional support.
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References:
• Balentine, D. A., Wiseman, S. A., & Bouwens, L. C. (1997). The chemistry of tea flavonoids. Critical Reviews in Food Science and Nutrition, 37(8), 693-704.
• Katiyar, S. K., & Mukhtar, H. (1997). Tea antioxidants in cancer chemoprevention. Journal of Cellular Biochemistry, 27, 59-67.
• Adcocks, C., Collin, P., & Buttle, D. J. (2002). Catechins from green tea inhibit cartilage degradation. Journal of Nutrition, 132(2), 341-346.
• Benelli, R. et al. (2002). Anti-invasive effects of EGCG. Biological Chemistry, 383(1), 101-105.
• Cao, Y. et al. (1996). Green tea reduces tumour growth in mice. Nutrition and Cancer, 26(3), 325-333.
• Lambert, J. D. et al. (2003). Tea and cancer prevention: experimental and clinical studies. BioFactors, 19(1-2), 3-17.
• Li, J. et al. (2002). EGCG modulates cancer-related pathways. Carcinogenesis, 23(8), 1311-1317.
• Yun, J. H. et al. (2004). EGCG inhibits MMP expression in oral cells. Journal of Periodontal Research, 39(5), 346-352.
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