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

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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 Can my 3-month-old, 2 kg puppy safely eat a tiny pinch of dried thyme from my spice rack? Yes, a tiny pinch of dried thyme is safe for a puppy. The amount used in normal cooking is not toxic. The… Cats · Food safety My 4 kg cat licked some raw beer foam off a freshly poured glass — is the foam as dangerous as the liquid beer? Yes, the foam is just as dangerous. It contains both alcohol and hops, which are toxic to cats. Even a few… Cats · Food safety Is it safe for my nursing mother cat to eat a few thin slices of peeled cucumber to help with hydration? Yes, a few thin slices of peeled cucumber are safe and can be a hydrating snack for a nursing cat. The extra… Dogs · Food safety How much plain vanilla cake is too much for a 7 kg dog — is a whole cupcake a problem? A whole cupcake is too much for a 7 kg dog. While the cake itself isn't toxic, that amount of sugar, fat, and… Dogs · Food safety My 7 kg dog with heart disease ate a teaspoon of mustard seeds from a dropped jar. What do I do? Call your vet or the ASPCA poison line at 888-426-4435 now. Mustard seeds are toxic and can cause severe… Cats · Food safety My 5 kg indoor cat has a mint plant he nibbles from every day for the past two weeks — should I be worried about the repeated exposure? A few leaves now and then won't hurt him, but feeding mint daily over weeks is where things change.… Dogs · Food safety My 4 kg chihuahua keeps jumping onto the counter and nibbling the fresh dill I leave near the cutting board — how do I keep her away from it? Dill itself won't hurt her. The real problem is the counter, not the herb. Store it in a closed drawer or a… Dogs · Emergency guide My 12 kg dog licked ibuprofen gel off a guest's knee at a BBQ — is this an emergency? Yes, this is an emergency. Topical pain gels contain highly concentrated NSAIDs, and even a small lick can… Cats · Food safety My 5 kg cat ate some leftover pizza crust and sauce from a takeaway box — should I be concerned? Yes, be concerned. The main risks here are the garlic and onion powder in the sauce, which are toxic to cats… Cats · Food safety My 3 kg senior cat ate two grapes that were left out in a bowl overnight — is this toxic? Yes, this is a toxic emergency for cats. Grapes are poisonous and can cause sudden kidney failure, and there… Dogs · Food safety My 3 kg Pomeranian ate a whole raw chili pepper — is this more dangerous because she's so small? Yes, her small size makes this extremely dangerous. Capsaicin, the compound that makes peppers hot, will… Cats · Emergency guide Are commercial cat treats that list 'natural antibiotics' like those in fluoroquinolones safe for my 4 kg cat? No, they are not safe. Any treat or supplement claiming 'natural antibiotic' properties similar to… Dogs · Emergency guide My 8 kg dog who already has a heart murmur ate one dropped amlodipine pill — is this a double emergency? Yes, this is a critical double emergency. Amlodipine is a calcium channel blocker that drastically lowers… Cats · Food safety My 4 kg cat ate a few shelled sunflower seeds from my vegetable stir-fry — are they okay with the oil and seasoning? The seeds themselves are fine, but the stir-fry context changes things. The oil and any seasonings like… Dogs · Food safety Only my 25 kg Labrador ate a pear core with seeds — my 5 kg terrier didn't touch it. What do I do for the Lab? Focus on the Lab. The core is a choking hazard, and the seeds contain cyanide compounds. His large size… Cats · Food safety Is a 3kg indoor cat allowed to eat a few raw radicchio leaves that were on the holiday buffet for 45 minutes? Yes, a few raw radicchio leaves are safe for a 3kg cat. Radicchio is listed as safe in small amounts for… Cats · Food safety My 4.5 kg cat with chronic kidney disease ate two bites of plain cooked herring 1 hour ago; should I be worried? Yes, plain cooked herring is safe for a cat with chronic kidney disease. The two bites you gave your 4.5 kg… Cats · Food safety My cat licked a spoon of dry hot chocolate powder mix. Should I be worried? Yes, call your vet or the ASPCA poison line at 888-426-4435 now. Theobromine in chocolate is concentrated in… Cats · Food safety My 5 kg cat slipped two bites of seasoned artichoke hearts off the holiday buffet table. Should I worry? She's fine. Cooked artichoke hearts are safe for cats, even in small amounts. The seasoning on those buffet… Dogs · Emergency guide My 3 kg Yorkie took one small bite of my poinsettia about 45 minutes ago and is now vomiting — do I need to go to the vet right now? It’s likely not an emergency, but you should watch her closely. The old “one leaf kills” story comes from a… Dogs · Food safety My 4 kg dog just chewed through an open bag of chopped green onions on the kitchen counter — what do I do first? Call your vet or the ASPCA poison line (888-426-4435) now. Green onions damage red blood cells in dogs — the… Cats · Food safety My 2.8 kg healthy adult cat spilled a bowl of blackstrap molasses and ate some — does his small size make this more dangerous than it would be for a big cat? Small cats are more at risk from the sugar and potassium in blackstrap molasses simply because there's less… Cats · Food safety Can an 8-week-old, 1.5 kg kitten eat plain canned pumpkin? She nibbled a teaspoon and hasn't vomited. Yes — plain canned pumpkin is safe for kittens at that size. A teaspoon won't hurt an 8-week-old, and because… Dogs · Food safety Is it worth training my 5 kg dog to leave onions alone, or should I just change how I store them? Training helps, but storage is your first line of defense — onions belong in sealed containers, never loose… Dogs · Emergency guide My 6 kg terrier just licked a phenol antiseptic wipe from the first aid kit. He seems fine now, but should I worry? Yes, call your vet or the ASPCA poison line at 888-426-4435 now. Phenol is corrosive and can burn the mouth… Dogs · Emergency guide My 15 kg dog ate a few holly leaves and now has gas and diarrhea. Is this an allergy? Yes, holly commonly causes stomach upset from its saponins and sharp leaves irritating the gut. The gas and… Dogs · Food safety My 7 kg terrier ate a quarter of a raw red bell pepper and now has soft stool. Is this related? Probably, but it's not poisoning. A quarter of a pepper is a lot of new fiber for a small dog's gut, and that… Dogs · Emergency guide My 3-month-old, 2 kg puppy just licked a drop of Gorilla-style expanding glue off the floor — is this an emergency for such a tiny dog? Yes, this is an urgent emergency. Polyurethane glue reacts with moisture and expands into a solid mass that… Dogs · Emergency guide My 15 kg dog ate a whole bag of beef liver treats marketed as a 'natural vitamin A supplement' — are these hidden sources dangerous? Yes, that is very dangerous. Liver is extremely concentrated in vitamin A, and a whole bag of treats can… Cats · Emergency guide My 4 kg indoor cat ate two dried, slightly mouldy mistletoe berries that fell behind the sofa weeks ago — is the mould or the plant worse? Both are serious, but the mistletoe itself is the primary emergency. The berries contain toxins that can…

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