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
Cats · Food safety My 6 kg cat chewed on a piece of ginger root that was mouldy and left in the pantry for weeks. Is it safe? The ginger itself is safe, but the mould is the real problem. Ingesting mould can cause vomiting, diarrhoea… Dogs · Food safety My 7 kg terrier loves his new artichoke chews — are these safe for his daily treat? Yes, those are fine for him. Artichoke itself is safe, and most commercial treats use small, processed… Dogs · Food safety My 15 kg dog ate a raw gooseberry with the leaf still attached. Is that safe? Yes, a single raw gooseberry with the leaf is safe for a dog that size. The leaf itself isn't poisonous, but… Dogs · Food safety My 22 kg dog with a sensitive stomach ate a walnut piece and now has itchy skin. Could it be an allergy? Yes, food allergies can cause itchy skin, but the bigger risk from walnuts is tremorgenic toxins from mould.… Dogs · Food safety My 25 kg dog ate a few raw chive leaves an hour ago — when would I see signs like weakness? Yes, chives are toxic to dogs and you need to watch for signs of anaemia. The first symptoms, like lethargy… Dogs · Food safety My 12 kg beagle ate two whole hazelnuts from the floor; my other dog didn't. What should I do? No, this isn't an emergency. One whole nut is a mild choking risk, and two are very fatty. Watch your beagle… Dogs · Food safety My 15 lb nursing mother dog ate a chunk of nectarine flesh today — is that safe for her puppies? Yes — a piece of nectarine flesh is fine for a nursing dog. The flesh itself isn't on the toxic list and a… Cats · Food safety My 4 kg cat ate a bite of ripe jackfruit off the counter but my 9 kg indoor cat didn't touch it — do I need to worry about the smaller cat more? No — ripe jackfruit flesh is safe for cats of any size, and a single bite won't hurt either cat. Weight… Cats · Food safety My 5 kg cat ate a quarter cup of plain cooked barley overnight — my other 3 kg cat stayed away. Do I need to watch the lighter one too? Yes — plain cooked barley is safe for both cats, so the 3 kg one has zero risk. The 5 kg cat that ate the… Cats · Food safety My 1.5 kg, 3-month-old kitten licked half a spoonful of vanilla ice cream — should I rush to the vet? No, not an emergency — but don't brush it off either. Kittens are unusually sensitive to lactose, and their… Cats · Food safety My 5 kg senior indoor cat ate two small pieces of plain cooked shrimp — is that amount safe or too much? Two small pieces are perfectly fine — actually, shrimp can be a good occasional protein boost. The real… Dogs · Food safety My 10 kg beagle found and ate a slice of cheese pizza crust that had been on the living room floor for a few hours — should I be worried about onion and garlic? Yes — onion and garlic powder in pizza sauce and cheese are the real concern here, not the crust itself. A 10… Dogs · Emergency guide Is arugula better or worse for a 20 kg Labrador compared to kale — which is the safer leafy green treat? Arugula is the safer choice, and here is why: kale contains goitrogens that can interfere with thyroid… Dogs · Food safety My 15 kg Golden Retriever chewed through a bottle of cyclobenzaprine muscle relaxant pills and swallowed three 10 mg tablets — what is the immediate next step? This is a life-threatening emergency — go to the nearest emergency vet now, do not wait for symptoms. Three… Dogs · Food safety My 8 kg diabetic dog on insulin accidentally licked a tablespoon of agave syrup — how does this affect her blood sugar and what should I do right now? Agave syrup is roughly 70 to 90 percent fructose, which hits the bloodstream quickly and can cause a sharp… Dogs · Food safety My 12 kg dog with a sensitive stomach ate two oil-packed anchovies from a pizza and now has diarrhea — is this an allergy? No, it's more likely a simple intolerance to the extreme salt and oil. Those two anchovies deliver a huge… Cats · Emergency guide Are cat treats with yew extract in the ingredients safe for my 4 kg senior cat? No, absolutely not. Yew is highly toxic, and any product listing it, even as an extract, should never be… Cats · Food safety My 5 kg cat licked some cumin powder that was left out in a damp jar for months — could the mould make him sick? Yes, the mould is the real danger here, not the cumin itself. Inhaled or ingested mould spores from old, damp… Cats · Food safety My 3 kg cat stole and ate a raw turnip piece with the skin still on — is the raw skin toxic? No, the raw skin isn't toxic, but it's tough and hard to digest. For a small cat, that chunk could cause an… Dogs · Food safety Only my 8 kg dog ate a whole kumquat from the fruit bowl, but my other dog didn't — how do I handle them differently? Focus on the dog that ate it. A whole kumquat includes the peel, which contains oils that can irritate the… Dogs · Food safety My 7 kg dog licked a plate clean that had spicy jackfruit curry sauce on it — will the spices or jackfruit hurt him? The ripe jackfruit flesh in the sauce is safe. The real concerns are the curry spices and any onions or… Dogs · Food safety My 10 kg dog just ate a grain-free dog food with sweet potato listed as the third ingredient. Is that safe, or should I watch for anything? Yes, that's safe — cooked sweet potato is a common, nutritious filler in many dog foods. The third ingredient… Dogs · Emergency guide My 60 lb dog licked a small puddle of ammonia floor cleaner ten minutes ago and is now drooling a little. Is he okay? No, this is an emergency. Ammonia is a corrosive alkali that causes chemical burns the moment it contacts the… Cats · Food safety My 4 kg cat ate half a mouldy teabag I found under the sofa from last night — is this an emergency? Yes, call your vet or the ASPCA Poison Control line (888-426-4435) now. Caffeine in the tea is toxic to cats… Dogs · Food safety My 10 kg dog eats a joint supplement with Swiss chard extract daily—is this safe long-term? Yes, the tiny amount in a supplement is very unlikely to cause trouble. Swiss chard is high in oxalates… Cats · Food safety My 3-month-old, 1.5 kg kitten chewed on two raw pecans she found — is this dangerous for her small size? It's a mild risk, not an emergency. Pecans are very fatty and can cause an upset stomach or pancreatitis… Cats · Food safety Only my 5 kg cat licked a spoonful of onion gravy from the roast pan — my other cat didn't touch it. What do I do? Watch the cat that ate it closely. Onion and garlic in gravy are toxic to cats, and a spoonful for a 5 kg cat… Dogs · Food safety My 7 kg dog lapped up some sweet dessert wine that was left out overnight — is the sugar or alcohol more dangerous? Both are dangerous, and you need to act now. Alcohol is directly toxic, causing depression, vomiting, and in… Cats · Emergency guide My 5 kg cat chewed a small piece off a leaking AA battery — how much of this is an emergency? Any amount is an immediate emergency. Alkaline batteries leak potassium hydroxide, a strong caustic that… Dogs · Emergency guide My 25 kg dog ate a chunk of rat poison 3 days ago — what signs of internal bleeding should I watch for now? Watch closely now, as signs often appear 2–5 days after ingestion. Check his gums — they should be pink, not…

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