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 5 kg cat licked a spiced cookie — is the nutmeg in it more toxic for her than the cinnamon? Yes, nutmeg is the real danger. Cinnamon might cause mild mouth irritation or an upset stomach in large… Dogs · Emergency guide Only my 8 kg terrier ate a silica gel packet from a new shoe box; my other two dogs didn't touch it. How should I handle the situation at home? Focus on the terrier who ate it. First, read the packet: if it says "oxygen absorber" or "iron," call your… Dogs · Food safety My 15 kg dog licked a dinner plate that had leftover onion gravy and a bit of mashed potatoes on it. What's the risk from the gravy in that context? The risk is low but not zero. Gravy is a concentrated source of onion and garlic, which damage red blood… Cats · Food safety My 3 kg cat with a sensitive stomach ate two fresh basil leaves from my windowsill plant — could this give her diarrhoea or gas? It might, but basil itself is not toxic. Some cats have digestive systems that react to any new plant matter… Dogs · Emergency guide Is it worth training my 20 kg dog to "leave it" when he sniffs at the yew hedge in our garden, or should I just remove the plant? Remove the plant. Yew is one of the most toxic plants for dogs — every part of it, including dried clippings… Dogs · Food safety My 20 kg dog got the leftover chicken off the counter — how do I train him to leave food alone? Yes, that chicken is safe, but the counter-surfing habit isn't. Start by never leaving food unattended — even… Cats · Food safety My 4.5 kg cat just ate half an erythritol-sweetened cookie and seems fine — what should I do in the next hour? Watch her closely for the next few hours, but an upset stomach is the main risk. Erythritol isn't toxic like… Dogs · Food safety My 7 kg dog scraped the broccoli and cheese sauce off my pasta plate — will that upset his stomach? It might. Plain steamed broccoli in small pieces is safe for dogs, but that cheese sauce adds fat and dairy… Cats · Emergency guide My 4 kg cat stole a vitamin A supplement mixed into her evening meat puree — is this an emergency? Yes — call your vet or the ASPCA Poison Control line at 888-426-4435 right now. Vitamin A is fat-soluble… Dogs · Food safety Are commercial lamb-flavored dog treats safe for my 10 kg adult dog, or should I check the label first? They are generally safe as long as the lamb is lean, cooked and unseasoned, and the treat doesn't contain… Dogs · Food safety My 5 kg Shih Tzu just took one small bite of raw celery — should I be panicking or is this fine? This is fine. One small bite of celery is not dangerous for a dog of any size. The main thing to remember… Cats · Food safety Can my 12 year old, 4 kg cat with chronic kidney disease eat one salted pistachio kernel? No. A single salted pistachio is unlikely to be immediately fatal, but for a cat with chronic kidney disease… Cats · Food safety My 4 kg cat with kidney disease just ate three salted pistachio kernels — should I still worry? It's a bigger problem than a healthy snack — kidney disease means the salt in those pistachios is not a small… Dogs · Food safety My 2 kg Maltese ate half a cup of papaya chunks with seeds — will her size make her sick? Ripe papaya is safe for your 2 kg Maltese, but the seeds are the problem. Seeds contain traces of cyanogenic… Dogs · Food safety My 9 kg Border Collie threw up an hour after eating a teaspoon of loose green tea leaves. Could the tea actually be the problem, or should I just watch him? It could be the tea. Caffeine irritates the gut, and even a small amount like a teaspoon of loose green… Dogs · Food safety My 12 kg dog just licked the sauce residue off my plate after I'd mixed roasted pumpkin seeds into it — any worry about the spices or oil? No immediate danger from the pumpkin seeds themselves. A few seeds in a sauce are unlikely to cause trouble… Dogs · Food safety My 12 kg dog just ate 4 pitted cherries from the bowl on the counter — what should I do in the first hour? Watch for vomiting and diarrhea, but the main risk is already past. The flesh is safe; you removed the… Dogs · Food safety Only my 5 kg dog licked a teaspoon of grape jam off the knife — does my 20 kg dog need the same check? Yes, check both dogs, but the smaller one faces a higher risk. Grape jam adds grape toxicity, which is… Cats · Emergency guide My 4 kg cat licked hydrocortisone cream off my hand 15 minutes ago and is now hiding — what are the first steps? Call your vet or the ASPCA poison line at 888-426-4435 now. Human creams are dosed for much larger bodies and… Cats · Emergency guide My 3 kg cat walked through wet oven cleaner — is the burn risk worse for her tiny size than for a large dog? Yes, her small size makes every lick more concentrated. The strong alkali can burn her paw pads and mouth if… Dogs · Food safety My 4-month-old, 6 kg puppy just chewed and swallowed a 2-inch piece of corn cob — is this a blockage emergency? Yes, this is an emergency. Puppies have narrower intestines, and corn cob pieces do not digest — they can… Cats · Food safety My 5 kg cat nibbled on a small piece of watermelon rind with the green skin still on — is the rind or skin dangerous? The rind itself is not toxic, but it's a serious choking and blockage hazard. Cats can't digest that tough… Cats · Emergency guide My 4 kg cat licked a plate that had pasta sauce with cooked green tomato pieces in it 30 minutes ago — is she at risk? Yes, she is at risk. Cooking does not destroy solanine, the toxin in green tomatoes and potato plants. Even a… Cats · Food safety My 3.5 kg cat just licked the juice from one ripe gooseberry I dropped — is that tiny amount an emergency? No, it's not an emergency. A lick of juice from a ripe berry is very unlikely to cause harm. The flesh of… Dogs · Food safety Is it okay to give my 15 kg dog a few plain cooked pasta noodles with his kibble every single day? A few noodles daily is generally safe but nutritionally empty. Plain pasta is just carbohydrates — it adds… Cats · Food safety My 4 kg cat ate a bite of cooked pork that was seasoned with garlic and onion powder — what now? Watch her closely. The plain pork is fine, but garlic and onion are toxic to cats and can damage red blood… Cats · Emergency guide My 5 kg cat with stage 2 kidney disease licked a few drops of ear cleaning solution off my hand. What's the risk? Yes, this is an urgent risk. Her kidneys cannot clear toxins as well, so even a small amount of alcohol or… Cats · Food safety My 5 kg cat licked a generous amount of scrambled eggs that had diced ham mixed in. Should I be worried about the salt? Watch her closely. The real risk depends on how much ham was actually in the eggs she ate — a few tiny pieces… Cats · Emergency guide I saw a calming chew for cats that lists 'natural hormone-balancing extracts'. Is this safe for my 6 kg, otherwise healthy cat? No, do not give it. The term 'hormone-balancing' is unregulated and risky — it could contain plant-based… Dogs · Food safety My 15 kg dog loves gourmet wet food. Which premium brands or 'novel protein' formulas might secretly contain pheasant? Pheasant can appear in brands marketing 'wild game', 'limited ingredient', or 'novel protein' diets, often in…

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