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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
Cats · Toxicity calculator My 5 kg cat ate one-third of a joint supplement chew labeled 1000 IU vitamin D3 — is this toxic? Yes, this is toxic and urgent. Even that fraction of a chew delivers a dangerous dose for a cat. Vitamin D3… Cats · Food safety My 4 kg cat took one small bite from a chocolate-coated protein bar — the wrapper lists xylitol. What do I do right now? This is an emergency. Xylitol causes a rapid, life-threatening drop in blood sugar in cats, and chocolate… Dogs · Food safety Can a nursing 6 kg dog drink a quarter cup of coconut water without harming her puppies? Yes, a quarter cup is safe for her and won't harm the puppies. Coconut water is high in potassium, so skip it… Dogs · Food safety My 10 kg Cocker Spaniel ate half a pitted apricot from my plate — my other dog didn't get any. What do I do now? Watch the dog who ate it, but the risk is low. The flesh itself is safe; the cyanide is in the pits, leaves… Cats · Food safety Are hemp heart supplements or cat treats that list hemp hearts safe for my 4 kg indoor cat? Yes, treats with shelled hemp hearts are safe for a cat that size. The risk is in the leaves and flowers, not… Cats · Food safety Only one of my three cats licked a cut lime wedge once — what do I do for her and the others? Watch the one who licked it for drooling or lip-licking in the next hour. Citrus oils on the peel can… Dogs · Emergency guide One of my two dogs was stung inside the mouth by a hornet and is pawing at his face — the other is fine. What's the emergency plan? This is an emergency — go to the vet now. Swelling inside the mouth can block the airway within minutes. Do… Dogs · Food safety Which everyday packaged human foods or dog treats might secretly contain olive oil that a 7 kg dog with pancreatitis should avoid? Check ingredient lists on jarred pasta sauces, certain salad dressings, and many 'gourmet' soft dog treats.… Cats · Food safety My 5 kg cat ate a few spoonfuls of mashed sweet potato from my Thanksgiving dinner plate — it had butter and brown sugar. Is that dangerous? The sweet potato itself is safe, but the butter and sugar are the problem. A few spoonfuls could give a 5 kg… Dogs · Food safety My 12 kg dog ate a whole 5-ounce can of tuna in water 6 hours ago and seems fine. How long should I monitor him, and what tests might a vet run? Monitor for 48 hours. The immediate risk is vomiting or diarrhoea from the sudden rich meal, but mercury… Dogs · Emergency guide Which common packaged human foods or dog snacks might secretly contain tomato plant parts like leaves or stems, which are toxic to my 10 kg terrier? Check 'garden vegetable' flavoured treats, some dehydrated veggie chips, and homemade-style pasta sauces that… Dogs · Food safety My 8 kg terrier ate about 10 salted cashews from the coffee table — my other two dogs didn't get any. What's the risk and how do I handle the one who ate them? The main risk is vomiting or diarrhoea from the fat and salt, not toxicity. Ten salted cashews are a lot for… Cats · Food safety Can a 3-month-old kitten eat two bites of cooked crab meat without shell? Yes, two bites of plain cooked crab meat is fine for a 3-month-old kitten. Her small body processes protein… Cats · Food safety My 3 kg cat licked lamb drippings off the BBQ grill — should I worry about the charred bits? No emergency. The char marks themselves won't hurt your cat, but watch for vomiting if it swallowed a lot of… Dogs · Food safety My 5 kg terrier found a packet of paprika-seasoned crackers in the recycling bin — should I be worried? No, not in this case. A few crackers from the recycling bin are unlikely to harm a 5 kg dog, because ordinary… Dogs · Emergency guide My 6 kg dog chewed open a bottle of liquid alprazolam for anxiety — how dangerous is the liquid form compared to a tablet? This is an emergency. Liquid alprazolam absorbs much faster than a swallowed tablet, so a 6 kg dog can reach… Dogs · Food safety My 8 kg Labrador ate one grape and has a slightly soft stool — is this an allergy or something worse? It is more likely to be something worse than a simple allergy. Grapes and raisins are known to cause acute… Cats · Food safety My 5 kg cat licked vanilla extract directly from the baking jar — could this cause stomach upset rather than poisoning? Stomach upset is exactly what to expect, since vanilla extract is mostly alcohol and that is hard on a cat's… Cats · Food safety Can a 2.8 kg kitten eat cooked nori seaweed sheets meant for human sushi? A tiny bit might not kill her, but I would not recommend it. Seaweed is very high in iodine and salt, and a… Dogs · Food safety My 4 kg cat stole slices of persimmon with the seeds still in them while my 20 kg dog did not eat any — is the cat at higher risk? Yes, the cat is at significantly higher risk, and this is an emergency situation for her. Persimmon seeds and… Dogs · Food safety Is a lick of cinnamon from a cookie dangerous for an 8-week-old puppy weighing 2 kg? It is not an emergency, but an 8-week-old puppy this small needs closer watching than an adult dog. A pinch… Dogs · Food safety My 12 kg dog ate a handful of fresh basil from the garden — is basil any safer for dogs than mountain herbs like sage or thyme? Yes, plain fresh basil is one of the safest herbs you can give a dog. Unlike sage or thyme, which contain… Dogs · Food safety My 5 kg Chihuahua just ate about half a cup of fresh blackcurrants. Is this safe for a dog his size? Yes, that amount is safe for a dog his size. The main concern is the sugar, which can upset a small stomach.… Cats · Emergency guide My 3 kg cat ate one castor bean and has had diarrhoea for two days — is this an allergy? No, this is not an allergy — it is likely ricin poisoning, and you need an emergency vet now. The diarrhoea… Dogs · Food safety My 2.5 kg chihuahua once stole a cabbage leaf off the kitchen counter — how do I keep him away from it now? Safe — cabbage itself isn't toxic to dogs. Keep the heads and leaves off every counter and table your dog can… Cats · Food safety My 4 kg nursing queen knocked over the garlic bulb and chewed two cloves this morning — are her kittens also at risk? Toxic — do not feed garlic to a cat, and especially not a nursing queen. Garlic destroys red blood cells and… Cats · Food safety My 2.5 kg rescue cat ate a walnut-sized blob of pesto pasta — do I need to worry more than if it was a 7 kg cat? Yes, it matters — a 2.5 kg cat absorbs more garlic per kilogram than a 7 kg one. Pesto is built on garlic… Dogs · Emergency guide My 5 kg dog licked guacamole off the party table within 30 minutes and is now vomiting — do I need to go to the vet now? Yes — this is urgent. Guacamole usually packs a concentrated amount of avocado, and a 5 kg dog has very… Cats · Food safety My 4 kg pregnant cat licked a small pile of mustard seed powder off the counter — is this dangerous for her and her kittens? Yes, this is dangerous for her and warrants an urgent call to your vet or the ASPCA poison line at… Dogs · Emergency guide What happens if I give my 20 kg dog a pear core with seeds every day for a week? This is dangerous and could lead to cyanide poisoning. Crushed seeds release amygdalin, which converts to…

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