You should not feed boba, or boba milk tea, to your dog. While not toxic, boba milk tea can be bad for your pet pooch – read on below to find out why.
What is boba?
Boba milk tea (also known as pearl milk tea) is a drink originating from Taiwan, and consists of tapioca balls added to a sweet milk tea.
The tapioca balls are called boba, or pearls – however some people refer to the entire drink as boba as well (we’ll only refer to the balls as boba in this article). The chewy boba balls are made from tapioca starch, which itself is actually made from cassava root.
The liquid portion of the drink is usually hot water steeped in a black tea, with milk and sugar added for sweetness. Ice is also added to turn it into a cold, refreshing beverage. Other ingredients and flavourings can also be used in the drink, but today we’ll only talk about the original, ‘plain’, version.
Can my dog have boba?
Boba milk tea is not toxic to dogs, however it does not mean you should feed it to them. We examine each component of boba milk tea below.
Boba balls
Boba balls are made from tapioca starch extracted from the cassava root. In fact, there are actually some varieties of dog food that use tapioca grain as part of their ingredients as well. While boba balls aren’t toxic to dogs, tapioca can be hard to digest (even in humans!). Eating a lot of boba at once can cause obstructions in your dog’s digestive system – something you definitely want to avoid!
Black tea
The other component of boba tea is the liquid part. Dogs are usually smaller and weigh less than humans – they are also more sensitive to caffeine than humans. Some boba teas use strong black tea leaves steeped in hot water. This draws out the tea flavour we love, but also a large amount of caffeine too. The caffeine in boba tea can not only make your dog jumpy and stressed – but can also be dangerous to your dog in high concentrations.
Milk
Milk is also added to boba milk tea – giving it a light brown colour and creamy flavour. Milk can be OK for dogs, but it also depends on the individual dog itself. Some dogs, like humans, are lactose intolerant. Lactose intolerance can lead to flatulence (gas), diarrhea, bloating and tummy aches.
Sugar
Most places allow you to customise sugar levels for your boba drink. However, depending on your sugar level and where you buy your boba milk tea from, the drink can contain up to 3 times more sugar than a can of soft drink! That’s a lot of sugar! Consuming highly sugary foods and drinks can wreak havoc on your dog’s blood sugar levels and lead to excessive thirst and urination. Long term effects of too much sugar can be weight gain, diabetes and tooth decay.
Conclusion
Boba is a popular drink that has spread from the streets of Taiwan to the cities of America and elsewhere. While it likely won’t harm your dog if consumed in very small amounts, each ingredient – from the boba balls, to the milk tea, to the sugar – can be bad for your dog in their own way.
