Are Hops Harmful to Dogs?

Breweries are often pet-friendly places to share a drink with friends. People love their dogs as much as they love beer. But did you know that hops, a key ingredient to a lot of beers, is poisonous to dogs and, more rarely, cats?

Hops are the flowers from the plant Humulus Lupulus. Brewers use hops for flavor and as a stability agent. They come in several forms including dried flowers, plugs or pellets. The toxic component of the plant is unknown, but essential oils, resins, phenolic compounds or nitrogenous constituents have been considered. Hops can be very dangerous to dogs because they cause a rapid rise in body temperature over 102.5°F degrees. Normal body temperatures are 101-102.5°F and anything over 107°F is considered life-threatening. Symptoms including upset stomach (vomiting or diarrhea), heavy panting/breathing, agitation and increased heart rate can occur as soon as 30 minutes after ingestion, but may be delayed as much as eight hours. Death has been reported in dogs poisoned by hops within 6 hours of ingestion without treatment. Any breed of dog may be affected, but breeds predisposed to malignant hyperthermia (e.g., Greyhounds, Labrador Retrievers, Saint Bernards, Pointers, Dobermans, Border Collies, English Springer Spaniels, and northern breeds) are at higher risk for toxicity. Greyhounds seem to be the most susceptible breed. Toxicity can occur from both raw and spent hops.

For a safety precaution, keep pets away from key ingredients in your brewery. Using color-coded containers with lids is an excellent way to segment/protect ingredients and mitigate accidental ingestion. They also prevent physical/chemical contamination from pests, allergens or other materials. Hops growers should use precaution when the mature, yellow-green cones drop to the ground. Ensure that dogs can't reach any low-hanging cones. If you’re using cats in your brewery as a natural form of pest control, you probably want to read our blog post and consider proper pest control measures. It can save your pet and save your brewery during an FDA audit.Take precautions to bag and properly dispose of your spent or old hops. You should never mix spent hops with your spent grains or add them to a compost pile where animals may gain access to them.

If your dog has ingested hops and/or showing signs of hops toxicity, try to cool it as much as possible and immediately take it to a veterinarian or animal hospital for treatment. Treatment includes cooling the dog, induced vomiting, charcoal, and efforts to clean its digestive track. Only a doctor can properly treat a pet for hops poisoning. Keep your pets safe and your brewery compliant!

Union Jack -- Your Partner in FSMA /HACCP Compliance
Keeping it Clean Since 2006