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

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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
Dogs · Food safety My 10 kg Beagle swallowed one whole pitted cherry and also got the stem — should I call the vet or wait and watch? Watch but don't panic yet. A single pitted cherry flesh is safe, but the stem carries cyanide compounds in… Cats · Food safety My 6 kg cat just ate a grain-free chew treat with cloves listed as an ingredient — is this safe? Feed with care. That chew likely contains eugenol, the compound in cloves that irritates the gut and can tax… Dogs · Food safety My 15 kg dog ate two bites of leftover turkey gravy made from a packet last night. Should I be worried about onion powder? Yes, call your vet or the ASPCA poison line at 888-426-4435 now. Packet gravy is a classic hidden source, and… Cats · Emergency guide My 4 kg cat licked the inside of a kitchen cabinet after I sprayed oven cleaner — what should I do? This is an emergency. Even residue on cabinet walls carries concentrated sodium hydroxide, which burns tissue… Dogs · Emergency guide My 9 kg dog with heart disease ate avocado flesh and possibly the pit — is this dangerous? Yes, this is dangerous. Avocado contains persin, a toxin that affects the heart and gastrointestinal tract … Cats · Emergency guide My 3 kg cat bit open and swallowed the gel from a laundry pod — is this an emergency? Yes — for a 3 kg cat, even one pod is enough to cause serious corrosive injury. The concentrated surfactants… Dogs · Food safety My 6 kg dog ate an orange that was left out overnight and is now vomiting — could the mold be the problem? Probably — fruit left out overnight can develop mold and begin fermenting, both of which will irritate a… Dogs · Food safety My 7 kg dog found a clove of garlic left out overnight and ate it — does it matter that the garlic is old? It doesn't matter that the garlic is old — garlic is toxic to dogs whether fresh or spoiled, because the… Dogs · Food safety My 10 kg home-brewing dog keeps trying to get into the hop storage bin — how do I keep him away? Used brewing hops are extremely dangerous for dogs — they can trigger malignant hyperthermia, a rapid and… Dogs · Emergency guide My 25 lb dog licked oven cleaner off his paw. How much is an emergency? Any amount is an emergency. The strong alkali burns tissue on contact, and a dog licking its paw can ingest… Cats · Emergency guide My pregnant cat ate half a ripe avocado 2 hours ago and is now vomiting. What should I do? Call your vet or the ASPCA poison line at 888-426-4435 now. Persin in avocado can affect a pregnant cat's… Dogs · Emergency guide My 12-week-old puppy just ate half a laundry detergent pod — is he in danger? Yes, this is an emergency and needs a vet now. Puppies have smaller bodies, so the concentrated chemicals hit… Cats · Food safety My 10 lb cat licked brine from a pickle jar left open overnight — should I worry? Probably not, but watch for vomiting or diarrhoea from the salt and spoiled food. The brine is the main risk… Cats · Emergency guide My 4 kg cat just came home from the vet after eating avocado. What should I watch for during recovery, and how long does it take? Monitor closely for the next 48 hours. The vet likely treated for persin toxicity and checked for… Cats · Emergency guide My 5 kg indoor cat licked a tiny bit of oven cleaner foam off her paw 15 minutes ago. She's drooling a little. Is this a vet emergency? Yes, call your vet now. Even a tiny amount of alkali cleaner can cause immediate chemical burns to the mouth… Dogs · Emergency guide My 30 kg dog licked some dried oven cleaner residue off the kitchen floor. The cleaner was used yesterday. Is the dried form still toxic? Yes, dried residue is still highly toxic. The strong alkali chemicals do not become safe when dry and can… Dogs · Food safety My 15 kg dog ate several bites of lamb stew. Is the cumin in it safer than curry powder, which often contains onion and garlic? Yes, plain cumin is far safer. The tiny amount used in cooking is not toxic to dogs. Curry powder is the real… Dogs · Toxicity calculator A puddle leaked under my car. How much antifreeze would be a fatal dose for my 25 kg dog if he drank some? For a 25 kg dog, ingesting just 100 to 150 ml (roughly half a cup) of ethylene glycol antifreeze can be… Cats · Food safety My 6 kg cat snatched a BBQ shrimp with sauce from the party table. It was cooked but had glaze. What should I do now? Watch her closely. The cooked shrimp itself is a mild risk, but the BBQ glaze likely contains garlic, onion… Dogs · Food safety My 12 kg dog ate about half a cup of chia seed pudding I left on the counter. The seeds were already soaked. Is this okay? Yes, soaked chia seeds are safe for dogs. Since they were already expanded in the pudding, there's no risk of… Cats · Food safety Are a few fresh blackcurrants safe for my 3 kg cat? How does the risk compare to my friend's 8 kg cat eating the same amount? A few berries are safe for both, but size absolutely changes the risk. For your tiny 3 kg cat, the same… Dogs · Toxicity calculator My 10 kg dog found and swallowed one piece of nicotine gum 20 minutes ago. He seems normal. Is one piece an emergency? Yes, treat this as an emergency right now. Nicotine acts fast, and a single piece of gum can contain enough… Dogs · Emergency guide My pregnant 15 kg dog ate half an avocado with the pit. Is this an emergency? Yes, this is an emergency. The avocado pit is a major choking and blockage risk, and the persin toxin can be… Cats · Emergency guide My 4 kg indoor cat is obsessed with my avocado toast. How do I train her to leave it alone and store it safely? Yes, you need to prevent all access. Persin in avocado can cause vomiting, diarrhea and abdominal pain in… Cats · Emergency guide My 5 kg cat just walked through wet oven cleaner on the kitchen floor. What are the very first steps I should take in the next hour? First, put on gloves and gently wipe all four paws and any fur with a damp cloth to remove the cleaner — cats… Dogs · Emergency guide My 20 kg dog came home from the vet after eating avocado flesh and the pit. What should I watch for over the next 48 hours of recovery? Watch closely for any signs of intestinal obstruction, since the pit can block the gut even days later. Look… Dogs · Food safety At our Thanksgiving buffet, my 15 kg lab might snag cranberry sauce or dried cranberries. How do I keep him away from these holiday dishes? Plain, unsweetened cranberries are safe in tiny amounts, but holiday versions are the problem. Cranberry… Dogs · Food safety Are dog joint supplements that list a small amount of maple syrup as a flavoring safe for my 12 kg senior dog with mild arthritis? A tiny, measured amount as flavoring in a supplement is usually fine. Maple syrup is essentially sugar, so… Cats · Emergency guide My 3 kg kitten just nibbled the edge of one poinsettia leaf and now has a bit of white sap on her lip. Is this an emergency? Likely not an emergency, but act now. The milky sap is irritating and can cause drooling, lip smacking, or… Dogs · Food safety If my 8 kg terrier eats a tablespoon of blackstrap molasses, what are the first signs I might see, and how soon would they appear? The first signs are usually gastrointestinal, appearing within a few hours. Expect vomiting, diarrhea, or a…

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