Tea break

I have just read the article in the May issue regarding grapes and tannins. Are dogs allowed to drink tea because I'm pretty sure it has tannins in it? My dog (a Lab) goes to my parents house and they say she always looks for a cup of tea when they have theirs. My mum does her a dish of a little milk, some tea from the teapot and then some cold water so she can drink it straight away. Mind you it would hurt their feelings if I said it was not allowed, so I hope it's okay. My parents' dogs always drank tea and it did them no harm.
Mandy Rivers, by email

Alex Campbell, from the Veterinary Poisons Information Service, advises:
The main risk associated with tea consumption in dogs is probably not the tannins but the caffeine content. In the literature it is reported that a 150ml cup of tea can contain something between 20-60 milligrams of caffeine. On that basis occasional very small volumes of diluted tea are probably okay for dogs to have - but common sense must prevail!
The Veterinary Poisons Information Service has had many cases reported where dogs have eaten teabags (used or otherwise) or tea-leaves and subsequently developed signs of severe caffeine intoxication. Many of these required some intensive veterinary care but all survived.
NOTE: The VPIS is not a public access service and any queries should be referred to your vet in the first instance.

Nick Thomson, holistic vet, says...
Grapes and raisins are toxic to dogs, but we don’t know why and it's definitely not the tannins. Macadamia nuts, chocolate and onions aren’t a great idea either, while we’re at it. Avocado is said to be toxic, but as far as I can find out, and in my experience, it's the risk of the dog swallowing the big pip (or pit) inside them that’s the actual threat; the flesh is non-toxic in practice.
There’s more tannins in the average barky stick that your Lab, inevitably chews/carries than there is in a small quantity of milky tea, so panic not. If tannins killed dogs, the country would be littered with dogs lying next to roughly chewed sticks. It's not, when I first looked. A little cup of tea here and there will do no harm. It's the milk that most dogs go for, actually.
We vet herbalists use a lot of herbs with tannins in, too. They’re called ‘astringents’, because of their drying, healing and protein coagulating properties. Other common veterinary astringents include: Achillea millefolium (yarrow), Agrimonia eupatorium (agrimony) and Rheum palmatum (rhubarb root). To find a trained veterinary herbalist in the uk, go to www.herbalvets.org.uk.
I use cold tea at my practice (www.holisticvet.co.uk) a lot; for eyes. It's a really good solution for cleaning eyes generally, but also if they have very mild conjunctivitis. The tannins in the tea are antibacterial, anti-inflammatory and help to calm sore eyes. Clients always ask me what’s the best sort, thinking I’m going to say ‘best China or Ceylon’ or something.
I love watching their expression when I just say ‘oh, builder’s will do’.