Can Dogs Eat Boba? Here’s 10 Essential Safety Tips

Reviewed & Fact Checked Dr. Joseph Menicucci Veterinarian DVM, MBA

Your Guide To: Can Dogs Eat Boba?

Written by

Keenan Farrell

Fact checked and reviewed by:
Dr. Joseph Menicucci, DVM, MBA

Boba, also known as tapioca pearls, is a popular component of bubble tea, cherished for its chewy texture and slightly sweet taste. This delightful treat often comes in a variety of flavors and colors, making it a fun and refreshing beverage choice for many people.

While boba is a beloved snack for humans, it’s important to consider whether this treat is safe for our canine companions. The chewy, sticky nature of tapioca pearls might seem like it could be a fun snack for dogs, but there are important factors to keep in mind.

Let’s dive into whether sharing your boba with your furry friend is a good idea and explore the potential effects on their health. Dig in to find out – Can Dogs Eat Boba?

Can Dogs Eat Boba? Can Dogs Have Boba?

If you’re a bubble tea enthusiast, you wonder if your furry companion can sip on this sweet, refreshing treat and enjoy the delightful tapioca pearls. The world of pet nutrition can be a slippery slope when dealing with unique human treats such as boba. As a pet parent, you must often make hard choices to keep your pooch healthy.

You’ll need to vet every item on the dog’s menu to ensure it is safe and nutritious since some human delights can be deadly for pets. As such, it is only natural to question if such treats are safe for your furry companions.

So, where does bubble tea with its delightful boba fall on the dog-safe scale? Can you safely share boba with Fido? Dig in to find out.

Can Dogs Eat Boba

Dogs shouldn’t eat boba—the tea may contain harmful or toxic ingredients. ¹ While boba or the tapioca pearls in the tea aren’t poisonous, they aren’t healthy for dogs. They’re made of processed tapioca flour, laden with carbs, and have no nutritional value for dogs. Dogs that frequently high calorie foods risk gaining weight and becoming obese. ²

For the most part, boba is a filler food for dogs—but that’s not the end of it. Plain boba balls are bland and tasteless. As such, manufacturers find creative, and unhealthy wasy to increase their appeal. They douse them in sugar, syrups, artificial flavors, and other unhealthy ingredeints to improve their taste profile and appearance.

Store-bought boba may contain xylitol, popular artificial sweetener that’s highly toxic to dogs—it lowers their blood sugar and can cause liver damage. ³

While boba isn’t inherently dangerous for dogs, the additional ingredients pose a health risk to your pooch. Since boba isn’t beneficial for dogs, you’re better off striking it from your dog’s food menu.

Can Dogs Eat Tapioca

Dogs can eat tapioca—but it’s not recommended. Tapioca is a form of starch extracted from cassava tubers. It’s primarily carbohydrates with trace amounts of essential minerals such as calcium and iron. ⁵ While dogs can safely eat tapioca in small amounts, there’s little nutritional upside. Feeding your pup too much of this starch may lead to digestive issues, while offering it too frequently may lead to canine obesity.

Can Dogs Eat Boba Pearls

Dogs can eat boba pearls in moderation—if they don’t contain harmful additives. ⁶ Boba pearls are made from tapioca flour and may be plain or flavored. You may feed plain boba pearls to your dog in small amounts as an occasion treat, but it’s not ideal. Boba pearls are pure carbohydrates with little nutritional value to your dog.

Conversely, flavored boba can be dangerous for your dogs. ⁷ They may contain artificial sweeteners such as xylitol, which are toxic dogs. Some contain flavorings and preservatives that are harmful to dogs.

Is Boba Bad For Dogs

Boba is bad for dogs because it’s laden with empty calories, offers little nutritional benefits, and may contain toxic ingredients. ⁷ They’re often served in bubble tea, which is another landmine for your pooch. While boba tea may seem like an ideal choice to indulge Fido’s sweet tooth, it may endanger his health and well-being.

Is Boba Toxic For Dogs

Boba or tapioca pearls aren’t inherently toxic for dogs. ⁶ Dogs may safely eat fully cooked boba in small amounts without adverse health effects. Dogs that consume uncooked or too much boba may experience digestive issues. However, boba may be toxic to dogs because it’s usually served in bubble tea, which may contain toxic ingredients such as xylitol and taro.

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Why Dogs Can’t Eat Boba

Dogs shouldn’t boba because it may contain harmful or toxic ingredients. ⁷Boba may be a refreshing drink for humans, but it heralds trouble for your pup. The typical ingredients in bubble tea include milk, sweeteners, tea, taro, and tapioca pearls. However, some varieties vary the ingredients and flavorings.

Boba or tapioca pearls are made from tapioca starch; some are plain, and others are flavored. While cooked tapioca is safe for dogs in small amounts, it has little nutritional value. Raw tapioca pearls are boiled in water until ready and are then marinated in sugar syrup for sweetness and artificial coloring to improve appearance.

Besides the boba containing unhealthy ingredients, store-bought boba tea isn’t dog-safe because it may contain harmful ingredients:

Black tea: It isn’t healthy for dogs because it contains caffeine. ⁸In small amounts, the stimulant is unlikely to harm your pup but may pose a health risk in large amounts. Caffeine affects your dog’s nervous and cardiovascular systems, triggering symptoms such as irregular heartbeat, hypertension, vomiting, and diarrhea. In severe cases, ingesting caffeine may lead to seizures, tremors, or organ damage. Since dogs are more sensitive to caffeine, a small amount can be devastating.
Milk: Adult dogs have lower milk tolerance than puppies. ⁹ Puppies can safely consume milk, but the ability to process lactose—the milk sugar—declines with age. If lactose-intolerant dogs take milk, they’ll experience uncomfortable GI symptoms such as diarrhea, vomiting, and painful bloating.
Sweeteners: While sugar isn’t inherently dangerous for dogs, it’s closely linked to canine obesity, which leads to obesity and joint pain. ³However, artificial sweeteners such as xylitol are highly toxic to dogs and can be fatal.
Artificial flavors: Typically, you should avoid feeding your furry companions artificial ingredients. ¹⁰ Artificial sweeteners, colorants, and preservatives provide no nutritional value but load up your pooch with potentially harmful ingredients associated with various health concerns.
Taro: This starch root tuber adds a sweet, nutty taste to taro milk tea. While safe for humans, taro is a no-go for dogs. ¹² The entire taro plant—from leaves to the roots—is toxic for cats and dogs. Taro contains calcium oxalate crystals that cause taro poisoning, characterized by drooling, vomiting, oral irritation, and swallowing difficulties. Taro is also linked to kidney stones and plummeting levels of calcium and magnesium in dogs.

What Do I Do If My Dog Eats Boba?

Boba isn’t inherently dangerous to dogs—unless it contains toxic ingredients such as xylitol, caffeine, or taro. ¹If you suspect your dog has eaten boba, check the tea’s ingredients to ascertain if it contains dog-safe ingredients.

There’s no cause for alarm if your dog eats a small amount of boba and the tea doesn’t contain taro or xylitol. While unhealthy, most other ingredients in bubble tea are not harmful in small amounts. Closely monitor your pooch for adverse reactions such as vomiting, flatulence, or diarrhea. Contact your vet if you notice such symptoms.

Contact a veterinarian immediately if your pup ingests a bubble tea with toxic ingredients such as taro and xylitol. They may instruct you about the signs to watch out for and provide specific guidance based on your dog’s health, size, and the toxic ingredient.

What Can I Feed My Dog instead of Boba?

Plenty of safe and refreshing alternatives can tantalize your dog’s taste buds without endangering their health. ¹² Here’s what to offer your pooch instead of bubble tea:

Bone broth
Coconut water
Homemade broth
Goat’s milk
Kefir
Herbal teas
Smoothie
Homemade frozen treats

Are There Any Safe Boba for Dogs?

Boba is a comfort food with little nutritional value to dogs. ¹³While it tastes good, the risks of serving your dog boba far outweigh the few benefits it could offer.

Every ingredient in a bubble tea has a potentially dangerous downside for your pooch. As such, the best way to lower its risk profile is to strike it from your dog’s menu. You have plenty of other dog-safe treats and drinks to choose from when you wish to indulge your pooch.

So, Can Dogs Eat Boba? What’s The Verdict?

Dogs shouldn’t eat boba. It’s a sweet treat, but every ingredient in the bubble tea is unhealthy for your pooch. Some varieties contain xylitol and taro, which are toxic to dogs. There’s no upside to offering bubble tea to your dogs—even if you avoid the toxic ingredient, you’re only loading up your pooch with sugar and unhealthy ingredients. Rather than gamble with your dog’s health, you’re better off sticking with the safe, healthier alternatives. Boba is more trouble than it’s worth for your dog.