Coffee for Dogs?

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Roofee - Coffee for Dogs

Go ahead, you can admit it. Before that first cup of coffee in the morning, you are pretty much useless. For many of us, a life without our daily dose of caffeine would mean struggling to get up or the inability to stay awake throughout the day The savvy co-founder of a line of beauty supplies for pets, Agota Jakutyte, wants to provide the same type of jolt which coffee provides people, but in a safe way that dogs can enjoy with her new product, Roofee.

It wasn't too long before both the name and the concept behind Roofee made people sit up and take notice. Soon after launching the new product through a Kickstarter campaign, the press started to question whether it was a good idea for Jakutyte to name her product after a well-known drug which many people associate with date rape and something which causes people to lose their memories. At the same time, animal welfare organizations, like the ASPCA, expressed concerns over any dogs consuming coffee or any product containing caffeine.

Others may have seen the controversy with the name of the product as a problem, but Jakutyte chose to view it as a marketing opportunity instead. Her company decided to offer the chance for one lucky dog owner to win a year supply of the product by voting on a new name for the product. One disaster averted, but many dog lovers remained concerned about the safety of the product.

But there is more good news. While the company markets the product as a safe coffee for dogs, in reality, it doesn't contain any coffee beans or caffeine at all. In fact, in a promotional video, the creator of the product refers to it the product as a "coffee-free, coffee type" of drink. In other words, it is not similar to coffee in any way. But then what is it?

Jakutyte refers to her product as a "wild Nordic biohack for [your] dog's morning routine," and claims it is. "free from toxins, pesticides, herbicides, mold and other nasties." The Kickstarter campaign lists a variety of flavors, and insists each one can benefit your dog in a unique way:

  • Dandelion Root provides an immunity boost and helps to improve digestion.

  • Burdock Root which supplement's your pets diet with additional minerals and vitamins.

  • Carrot Seed is an anti-oxidant and helps protects against the signs of aging.

  • Hawthorn Seed promotes better heart health.

  • Chicory Root helps your pooch lose weight while improving its digestion.

Sadly for those hoping to get their hand on the product, the Kickstarter campaign didn't reach its goal.  So we don't know what's next for Roofee - or whatever they choose to call it.

Don't have a dog? Don't worry. The creator says the drink is appropriate for any mammal, even you.

What Your Dog Should Not Eat

There are lots of "human food" besides coffee you should never feed to your dog. According to the American Kennel Club, don't give your dog these foods:

  • Chocolate. Small amounts of chocolate can cause diarrhea and vomiting. Large amounts may cause heart problems and seizures.

  • Cinnamon. It can damage a dog's mouth and low its blood sugar.

  • Garlic. One cause of anemia in dogs is garlic.

  • Ice Cream: Dogs don't usually do well with any type of dairy product.

  • Nuts, particularly salted nuts. Some types of nuts are toxic to dogs. Even the nuts which are not poisonous can damage the dog's esophagus. Excessive salt can lead to water retention.