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

Poisoning questions, answered

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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

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Cats · Food safety My 3 kg cat ate a small piece of grapefruit and now has loose stools — is this an allergy or just tummy upset? More likely the latter. The peel, seeds and pith carry oils that can irritate a cat's gut — even a small bite… Cats · Food safety My 5-kg cat started nursing four kittens yesterday. I fed her two spoonfuls of canned tuna in water this morning. Will the mercury reach the kittens? A single serving of two spoonfuls won't hurt her or the kittens. The mercury worry is about plates day after… Cats · Food safety My 4 kg cat nibbled a raw jalapeño instead of the red bell pepper — should I worry about that more than the bell pepper would have been? Yes, but you can keep it calm. Jalapeños contain capsaicin which makes the tongue and gut burn — bell peppers… Cats · Food safety My 3.5 kg senior cat licked a few pieces of star fruit out of a leftover curry on the counter, about two hours ago — is that a real danger? Yes, a few pieces of star fruit in that curry is a genuine risk — the oxalates that injure the kidneys sit… Cats · Food safety Is a single bite of a green potato peel dangerous for a 4 kg cat, or does the risk only start with a larger amount? Yes, even a small bite is dangerous. The toxin solanine is concentrated in the green skin and sprouts, and… Cats · Food safety My 5 kg cat is a counter-surfer — how can I keep corn syrup out of her reach when baking? Keep it completely out of reach. Corn syrup is a concentrated sugar that can cause stomach upset, and the… Cats · Food safety My 3 kg cat ate two small bites of sausage — is her small size a bigger concern than for a larger cat? Yes, her small size makes a bigger difference. The high salt and fat in sausage, plus any onion or garlic… Dogs · Emergency guide Could jade plant extract or powder be a hidden ingredient in herbal joint supplements for senior dogs? It's very unlikely, but you must read every label. Jade plant is a common houseplant, not a typical… Cats · Emergency guide My cat licked a plate that had honey and a possible dead bee fragment on it — is swallowing a tiny piece of bee in honey dangerous? The honey itself is low risk, but a bee fragment could be. The main danger from bees is the venom in the… Cats · Food safety My 5 kg cat ate a heaping tablespoon of shelled hemp hearts — what should I watch for in the 48 hours after, and when would a vet need to run tests? Shelled hemp hearts are safe, but a heaping tablespoon is a large amount for a small cat. Watch for vomiting… Dogs · Food safety My 15 kg dog's new dental chews list cranberries as the third ingredient. Are these safe for a medium-sized adult dog? Yes, those chews are safe. Cranberries themselves are not toxic to dogs, and many commercial treats include… Cats · Food safety My 4kg cat just ate raw elderberries from the counter — what should I do now? Yes, this is urgent. The raw elderberries contain cyanogenic glycosides that can cause vomiting and diarrhoea… Dogs · Food safety My 4 kg shih tzu got into okra that sat on the counter all night — could she get sick from the spoiled vegetable? Cooked plain okra itself is safe for dogs, but the real issue here is spoilage, not the vegetable. When okra… Dogs · Food safety My 6 kg beagle ate a chunk of cooked octopus that was left on the counter all night — is it still safe for him to have eaten? It's not worth giving him any more, and you don't need to panic yet. Cooked octopus that sat out overnight… Cats · Food safety How do I keep my 4 kg cat from stealing apple slices while I'm prepping them in the kitchen? Keep the core and seeds away first — they're the real danger. A stolen slice of flesh is low risk, but you… Dogs · Food safety Is it okay to sprinkle a teaspoon of ground flaxseed on my 10 kg dog's food every day? A daily teaspoon is likely fine for a dog that size, but watch his stool. Ground flaxseed adds fibre, which… Dogs · Food safety My 6 kg dog got into a stevia packet and now has diarrhoea — is this an allergic reaction? Diarrhoea is more likely a tummy upset than an allergy. The stevia plant itself isn't toxic, but many packets… Cats · Emergency guide My 4 kg diabetic cat got a double dose of insulin — how soon will low blood sugar signs appear? Signs can start within 30 minutes to a few hours. A double dose is a serious overdose — the brain begins to… Cats · Food safety My 3 kg cat keeps jumping on the counter for snap peas — how can I train her to leave them alone? Start by storing snap peas in the fridge or a sealed container — out of sight is out of mind. For training… Cats · Food safety My 7-year-old cat ate two spoonfuls of plain yogurt straight from the tub — is that okay? Yes, plain yogurt is safe for cats. Two spoonfuls won't harm most adult cats. The main risk is a mild stomach… Cats · Food safety My 4 kg cat licked one tiny piece of cooked chestnut off the kitchen counter — should I worry? No, this is nothing to panic over. A single lick of a cooked, peeled chestnut won't cause any harm — these… Cats · Food safety Can my 700 g, 10-week-old kitten eat half a slice of cooked water chestnut? Yes — a 700 g kitten can have half a slice of cooked water chestnut; it's safe at any age. At that jaw size… Cats · Food safety My 5 kg cat ate rye left out on the kitchen counter overnight — is it safe or should I call the vet? Cooked rye itself is safe for cats — but the overnight part matters. Grain sitting out gets warm and damp… Cats · Toxicity calculator My 4 kg cat snatched a piece of dark chocolate from the holiday buffet table 20 minutes ago. What do I do? Call your vet or the ASPCA poison line at 888-426-4435 now — dark chocolate is highly concentrated and a 4 kg… Dogs · Emergency guide My 10 kg dog ate one mothball 6 hours ago and seems fine. When will symptoms of poisoning show? Symptoms can appear within hours or be delayed a day or two, so seeming fine now does not mean he's safe. The… Cats · Emergency guide My 3 kg cat licked hydrocortisone cream directly from a squeezed tube. Is the cream form more dangerous than a pill? Yes, cream can be more dangerous in this case because cats groom thoroughly and may ingest a large amount… Dogs · Emergency guide Is ear cleaning solution more toxic to a 15 kg dog than rubbing alcohol if he licks a teaspoon of it? Both are dangerous, but ear cleaning solution often contains additional ingredients like chlorhexidine or… Dogs · Toxicity calculator How does one 81 mg aspirin pill affect a 25 kg dog compared to a 5 kg dog? Size changes everything — that same pill is a much larger dose per kilogram for the 5 kg dog, making stomach… Cats · Emergency guide My 4 kg cat ate a piece of a tramadol-acetaminophen combo pill that fell on the floor. Which ingredient is the bigger threat? Both are severe, but for cats, acetaminophen is often the more immediate killer — it destroys red blood cells… Dogs · Food safety My 7 kg dog with kidney disease ate one small bite of granola with raisins 30 minutes ago. What's the risk? The raisins are the main concern, as they can cause kidney failure, and a dog with existing kidney disease…

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