Suspect poisoning? US: ASPCA Poison Control (888) 426-4435 · UK: 01202 509 000 · Severe symptoms → nearest emergency vet now.
Home / Questions

Poisoning questions, answered

Every question has a direct answer, a symptom checklist and clear next steps — plus a matching tool that estimates the real risk.

Prefer to run the tool?

The four most-used triage calculators:

chocolate · open tool My dog ate dark chocolate — how much is dangerous? grapes & raisins · open tool My dog ate one grape. Should I panic? xylitol · open tool Dog ate sugar-free gum with xylitol — emergency? lily · open tool Cat licked a lily petal — is that fatal?
Full answer library
Dogs · Emergency guide My 22 kg dog ate several slices of cooked lotus root from my vegetable stir-fry about 30 minutes ago — should I be worried? Cooked lotus root is generally low-risk, but watch for signs of irritation. The alkaloids in lotus plants are… Cats · Food safety My 3.2kg indoor cat ate two unsalted peanuts that were mixed into a creamy chicken soup 10 minutes ago — any signs I should watch for? It’s a mild risk, so just keep an eye on her. Two unsalted peanuts in a creamy chicken soup add extra fat and… Dogs · Food safety My 10 kg dog ate a small raw taro piece — will it cause diarrhea or an upset stomach? Yes, a raw piece can upset his stomach. The calcium oxalate crystals in raw taro irritate the mouth and gut… Dogs · Food safety My 7 kg Dachshund ate a used Earl Grey teabag from the bin 10 minutes ago — my other two dogs didn't touch it. What do I do for her? Yes, call your vet or the ASPCA poison line at 888-426-4435 now. The caffeine in Earl Grey tea can cause… Cats · Food safety My 4 kg cat with a sensitive stomach ate half a raw endive leaf and now has diarrhea — is the endive to blame? It might be. Endive itself is safe, but any new food can upset a sensitive cat's stomach, especially raw… Dogs · Food safety My 8 kg dog ate a whole pastry with corn syrup and got treated for vomiting — what does recovery at home look like over the next 3 days? Expect a day or two of quiet rest. Follow the vet's diet plan strictly, usually starting with tiny meals of… Cats · Food safety Only one of my three cats ate about five dried goji berries that spilled — do I need to separate them or watch the other two for anything? No need to separate them for poisoning risk. The berries aren't contagious. Just clean up any remaining… Cats · Emergency guide Is it safe to give my 6 kg senior cat a daily joint supplement that's labeled for dogs, if I just give half the dog dose? No, do not use a dog supplement. Formulas differ, and ingredients safe for dogs can be toxic to cats at any… Dogs · Emergency guide What actually happens inside my 12 kg dog's body if he repeatedly gets into small amounts of toxic stuff like chocolate or grapes over several months? Repeated small exposures can cause cumulative organ damage that you won't see until it's severe. Chocolate's… Dogs · Food safety My husband gives our 25 kg dog one piece of sugary candy every single night — what kind of health problems will this cause over a year? Daily sugar leads to obesity, dental decay, and can trigger pancreatitis — a painful, dangerous inflammation… Dogs · Emergency guide My dog vomited 10 minutes after eating a sago palm seed — what should I do right now? Go to a vet immediately. One sago palm seed can cause fatal liver failure in a small-to-medium dog, and… Cats · Food safety Can a 4 kg cat eat ham regularly without health risks? No, feeding ham regularly to a 4 kg cat is risky. It's very salty and fatty, which can lead to salt poisoning… Cats · Food safety My 4 kg cat licked a guest's spilled hot chocolate off the table. Should I worry? Yes, call your vet now. That small lick delivers chocolate, sugar, and dairy to a cat's system, and the… Cats · Food safety My 2-year-old cat keeps trying to steal guava slices off my plate — how can I safely store it and teach her to leave it? Guava itself is safe for cats, but the real problem is the habit of stealing food. Keep the whole fruit in a… Cats · Food safety My 4 kg cat with early kidney disease licked a small piece of nectarine flesh — is this okay? It's likely fine this once. A tiny taste of the flesh is low risk for a healthy cat, but with kidney disease… Dogs · Food safety My 10 kg dog ate a few bites of beef stew that contained cooked green onions — is this toxic? Yes, it is toxic. Cooking does not destroy the compounds in alliums like green onions that damage a dog's red… Cats · Food safety My 6 kg cat licked a plate that had pasta with a creamy nutmeg butter sauce on it — what should I do? This is an emergency. Nutmeg is toxic to cats, and even the small amount in a sauce lick can cause tremors… Dogs · Food safety How do I prevent my 15 kg dog from stealing fried, salted plantain chips left on the coffee table? Clear the table completely the moment you're done eating. Dogs are opportunistic, and the smell of fried food… Dogs · Emergency guide My 8 kg dog on heart medication just ate one oleander leaf in the garden — is this more dangerous for him? Yes, this is extremely dangerous and requires immediate emergency care. Oleander contains cardiac glycosides… Dogs · Food safety What happens if my 20 kg dog has been licking plates with onion powder gravy weekly for several months? This repeated exposure is dangerous. Onion powder is concentrated, and the toxin builds up over time, slowly… Dogs · Food safety My 12 kg dog just ate a handful of salted, toasted pine nuts I dropped — is that okay? Watch him closely. A handful of pine nuts is a lot of fat and salt at once, which can cause vomiting… Cats · Food safety How do I stop my 6-month-old kitten from stealing cantaloupe I leave out overnight? Small pieces are safe, but the priority is keeping cantaloupe out of reach. Store it in a lidded container or… Cats · Emergency guide My 4 kg cat ate half a garlic breadstick that fell on the floor — is this a poisoning emergency? Yes, this is an urgent risk. Garlic is toxic to cats, and the amount in half a breadstick is enough to damage… Cats · Food safety My cat ate some steamed collard greens left out on the counter for about 8 hours. Should I be worried? No, this is not an emergency. Plain steamed collard greens are safe for cats in small amounts. The main risk… Cats · Food safety Are commercial cat treats that list cooked plantain as a main ingredient safe for my 3 kg senior cat? Yes, they are safe. Cooked, plain plantain in small amounts is fine for cats. The risk with treats is usually… Dogs · Emergency guide Only my 10 kg beagle ate 3 mistletoe berries from the holiday decoration — my other two dogs didn't touch it. What's the plan? Call your vet or the ASPCA poison line at 888-426-4435 now. Mistletoe berries are the most toxic part, and… Dogs · Food safety How can I train my 25 kg Labrador to stop stealing plain cooked shrimp from the kitchen counter? Keep shrimp in sealed containers in the fridge until you're ready to eat. A determined Lab will swipe food… Cats · Food safety My 5 kg cat with early kidney disease ate two small pieces of plain cooked okra. Is this okay? Yes, that amount is fine. Cooked plain okra is safe and the small portion won't stress her kidneys. The main… Dogs · Food safety How soon after eating a spoonful of sour cream would my 15 kg dog with a sensitive stomach get diarrhea? Diarrhea usually starts within 4 to 12 hours. The high fat and lactose in sour cream are hard for many dogs… Cats · Food safety Will two bites of seasoned seaweed wrap from a New Year's buffet hurt my 12-year-old cat? Two bites of seasoned seaweed won't rush a senior cat to the ER, but the iodine and salt load is rough on a…

Page 102 of 337

The library keeps growing. Can’t find your situation? Open the matching toxicity calculator and enter weight plus amount for an instant risk level.