Is Coffee Wood Safe For Dogs? (7 Interesting Facts)

People who are seeking all-natural, vegan chews for their dogs are often advised to consider those made from coffee wood. But are such coffee wood chews actually safe for dogs? This article has the answer.

Is coffee wood safe for dogs? Yes, coffee wood for dogs is generally safe, though there is still the slight risk of dogs damaging their teeth or swallowing pieces that are too large.

Therefore while offering coffee wood chews for dogs, close monitoring is essential.

You want to be sure that your dog isn’t damaging its teeth through these chews, which can be quite tough.

Further, you want to be sure that your dog isn’t swallowing pieces that are too large, as that can cause truly major problems.

Right from the outset, we need to note that the coffee wood chews for dogs are also referred to as coffee wood sticks for dogs.

There are even those who may refer to them as coffee wood bones for dogs.

Thus when you hear someone making reference to coffee wood stick for dogs or coffee tree wood for dogs, you need to understand that they are talking about the same thing.

So that is all about the coffee wood chew for dogs.

What Is Coffee Wood For Dogs?

Coffee wood for dogs refers to a type of dog chews that are made from the branches of the coffee tree.

The nature of the coffee tree is such that it requires regular pruning. Now rather than letting the branches that are pruned off to go to waste, they are made into dog chews.

Those are the ones we refer to as coffee tree dog chews.

The process of converting the raw coffee tree branches into dog chews entails drying and sanding them.

Is Coffee Wood Safe For Dogs?

So far, we have established that coffee wood dog chews are made from the branches of coffee trees.

The next logical question that comes up is this: is coffee tree wood safe for dogs?

Others may rephrase the question as: is coffee wood OK for dogs or are coffee wood chews safe for dogs?

And because we said that the coffee wood chews are also known as coffee wood bones in certain circles, there are also those who may ask, are coffee wood bones safe for dogs?

Now the true position is that coffee wood for dogs is quite safe.

There are two key proofs for the assertion that coffee wood for dogs is safe.

Firstly, there are many people who have been giving their dogs coffee wood chews for years, with no apparent harm.

So that proves the coffee tree chews are generally safe for dogs.

Secondly, chemical analysis of the coffee tree reveals nothing that is potentially harmful to dogs.

This too proves that the coffee tree chews are basically safe for dogs.

However, notwithstanding the general safety of coffee wood chews for dogs, there are some risks that dog owners need to have some awareness of.

Firstly, it is important to take note of the fact that the coffee tree chews are quite tough in terms of texture.

The toughness of the coffee tree chews in turn means that dogs chewing on them run the risk of ending up damaging their teeth.

Secondly, there is the fact that dogs chewing on coffee tree sticks may end up swallowing pieces that are too large.

That can cause problems ranging from injuries in the mouth/throat to gastrointestinal blockages.

How Safe Is Coffee Wood For Dogs?

Coffee wood for dogs is quite safe.

Most of the people whose dogs chew on coffee wood don’t report any incidents of harm. 

This means that the probability of any given dog suffering harm on account of chewing on coffee wood is rather low. In turn, it means that the coffee wood sticks are quite safe for dogs.

On another note, none of the chemical elements present in coffee wood is known to be harmful for dogs.

This in turn also means that the coffee tree chews are quite safe for dogs.

Of course, the safety of coffee wood chews for dogs is not absolute. There are small remote risks – like those of the dogs chewing on the treats damaging their teeth or swallowing bits of coffee wood that are too large.

Generally though, compared to the likes of the synthetic material chews for dogs that are also available in the market, the coffee wood sticks offer a far better safety profile.

Is Coffee Wood Safe For Dogs To Chew?

So far, we have established that coffee wood for dogs is meant to function as a chew treat.

The question that tends to arise from that is this: are coffee wood sticks safe for dogs to chew?

And the answer is ‘yes’ – given the fact that dogs typically have strong teeth that were designed to chew on tough things, like the coffee wood in question.

Of course, if a dog chews too hard on a coffee tree piece, his teeth may get damaged. But the probability of that happening is rather low.

For the most part, coffee tree wood tends to be rather safe for dogs to chew upon.

It is because coffee tree wood is safe for dogs to chew that the coffee tree chews for dogs have been allowed to continue being offered for sale for so many years.

Is Coffee Wood Safe For Dogs To Eat?

Coffee wood is safe for dogs to eat. Granted, if a dog swallows too big a piece of coffee wood, there can be major problems.

In most cases though, what dogs tend to swallow are the very small chips that come off the coffee tree pieces as they chew on them. And those turn out to be completely harmless.

This answers a common asked question, namely, when offering coffee wood for dogs is it safe to allow the dogs to swallow?

So the answer is yes, though close supervision is necessary to ensure that the dogs aren’t swallowing overly big pieces that are capable of causing injuries or intestinal blockages.

All in all, it is safe for dogs to eat coffee wood. The coffee wood contains nothing that would potentially harm a dog in any way.

Notably – and contrary to what many people imagine – the coffee wood contains no caffeine.

So the caffeine in coffee is usually to be found in the berries, not in the branches from which coffee wood chews for dogs are fashioned.

Is Coffee Wood Safe For Puppies?

Whether coffee wood is safe for puppies depends on the age/developmental stage the said puppies are at.

If they are very young puppies, with deciduous teeth still present in their mouth, coffee wood chews may not really be safe for them.

That is because deciduous teeth are not really very strong. So when such puppies munch on something as tough as coffee wood, the teeth may fracture or outright break.

But for bigger puppies whose deciduous teeth have been shed (meaning they have permanent adult teeth in their mouths), coffee tree chews are alright.

Is Coffee Wood Good For Dogs?

So far, we have focused all our attention on the safety of coffee wood chews for dogs.

However, it is possible for something to be safe without necessarily being beneficial.

That is what leads to the question as to whether the coffee wood treats are good for dogs (notwithstanding their safety).

And the answer is yes, coffee wood treats are good for dogs.

For one, when dogs chew on coffee wood, any plaque or tartar on their teeth is removed.

Moreover, chewing on something as tough as coffee wood offers the dogs mental stimulation.

And further still, chewing on coffee wood serves the purpose of relieving anxiety and boredom in dogs.

So the coffee wood chews are good for dogs in those ways.

How Often Should Dogs Have Coffee Wood Chews?

The general rule of the thumb is to ensure that dogs have dental chews at least twice per week.

That serves the purpose of ensuring the dogs don’t develop too much plaque or tartar in their teeth.

There are even those who offer their dogs these sorts of chews daily or every other day, and that is still alright.

What Are The Alternatives To Coffee Tree Chews For Dogs?

One alternative to coffee tree chews is that of bully sticks. Others are antlers, hooves, horns as well as yak chews.

Yet another commonly touted wood-based alternative is that of olive tree. Indeed, the decision on whether to use olive wood or coffee wood for dogs chews can be quite tricky to make.

Making that sort of choice necessitates a side by side coffee wood vs olive wood for dogs chews comparison.

Even with the olive wood vs coffee wood for dogs chews comparison, coffee tree still tends to come on top.

That is on account of the fact that coffee tree is less prone to splintering, compared to olive tree.

Final Verdict

Coffee wood is largely safe for dogs to chew upon.

Granted, as dogs chew on coffee wood, there is always the slight risk of them damaging their teeth, due to the coffee woods’ inherent toughness.

Furthermore, while dogs are chewing on coffee wood, there is the other risk of them swallowing pieces of the wood that are too large. 

However, such things – dogs damaging their teeth while chewing on coffee wood or dogs swallowing overly big pieces of coffee wood – rarely happen.

Therefore in general terms, coffee wood chews for dogs are safe.

Rajkumar Ravichandran

Welcome to Learn About Pet. My name is Rajkumar Ravichandran and I love all pets, travel, and amazing food. I write about my passion and personal experience caring for multiple pets in this blog! ❤️