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

Poisoning questions, answered

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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

All pets Dogs Cats

Dogs · Food safety Only one of my two dogs ate half a head of lettuce off the counter — the other just sniffed it and walked away. Should I worry about the non-eating dog? Both dogs are fine. Lettuce is safe and mostly water, so the dog that ate it won't come to harm from it, and… Cats · Emergency guide My 2-year-old cat just ate about two tablespoons of raw bread dough and her belly looks bloated — what should I do right now? This is an emergency. Call your vet or the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center (888-426-4435) immediately. Raw… Cats · Food safety My 4 kg cat ate half a cup of plain cooked halibut in one sitting. Is this too much? No emergency, but that's more than ideal. Half a cup is about 120g — fine for a big dog, but heavy for a… Cats · Food safety My 4 kg cat ate a few bites of plain cooked duck breast, but my other cat didn't touch it. How do I handle the one who ate it and the one who didn't? The cat who ate the duck is fine — plain, skinless duck is safe. Skip the next regular meal because duck is… Dogs · Emergency guide My 5 kg Chihuahua just chewed and swallowed half a mothball. Is a small dog in more danger than a big one? Yes, a small dog is at higher risk. The toxic dose is relative to body weight, so half a mothball delivers a… Dogs · Food safety Is it safe for my pregnant 25 kg Labrador to eat a few raw carrot sticks as a treat? Yes, that’s safe. Raw carrot sticks are a fine, crunchy snack for a pregnant dog. Cut them into manageable… Dogs · Emergency guide My 8 kg dog ate three sugar-free peanut butter cookies that list sorbitol as a sweetener. Should I be worried? Yes, you should be worried. Sorbitol draws water into the intestines, and three cookies could cause explosive… Dogs · Emergency guide My 12 kg dog ate one 25 mg diphenhydramine pill from my nightstand. Is that worse for him than a children's Benadryl liquid? A plain 25 mg pill is a concern, but a children's liquid could be far worse. Many liquid formulations contain… Cats · Emergency guide My 5 kg cat ate a small piece of raw chicken breast last night. Is raw chicken more dangerous for her than cooked chicken bones? They are dangerous in different ways. Raw chicken carries bacteria like Salmonella that can cause severe… Cats · Food safety My 3 kg cat ate about a quarter cup of steamed zucchini two hours ago. What signs should I watch for and how soon might they appear? Plain steamed zucchini is safe, so you likely won't see any signs of poisoning. If her stomach is unusually… Dogs · Food safety My 7 kg dog ate a piece of steak with a heavy black pepper crust 30 minutes ago. What are the first signs of irritation and how long until he might get sick? The first sign is usually drooling or pawing at the mouth from the pepper's heat, which can start within… Dogs · Food safety My 18 kg dog ate five cooked mussels removed from the shell yesterday. How long should I monitor him and what does recovery look like? Monitor him for 24–48 hours. Cooked, shelled mussels in that amount are safe for a dog his size, so recovery… Cats · Food safety My 4 kg cat licked a bit of whey protein powder off the kitchen counter — is that an emergency? No — one lick from a 4 kg cat won't do any damage. Plain whey protein is not toxic to cats, so don't panic.… Dogs · Emergency guide My 5 kg, 12-week-old puppy just ate one of my 500 mg metformin pills and is now wobbly — what do I do? This is urgent. A 500 mg dose is huge for a tiny puppy, and wobbliness means his blood sugar is already… Dogs · Emergency guide My 20 kg dog ate a whole raw chicken wing, but my other two dogs didn't — how do I handle the cleanup and watch for problems? Isolate the dog that ate the wing immediately. Raw poultry carries bacteria like Salmonella, which can spread… Cats · Food safety My 4 kg cat just licked a smear of garlic-and-chive flavoured cream cheese off a plate — what are the first steps I should take in the next hour? First, take the plate away and wipe down the area to prevent a second helping. The garlic flavouring is more… Dogs · Food safety How much beer is toxic for a 15 kg dog — is a few licks from a spilled can dangerous, or does it take a whole bottle? Even a few licks can be dangerous because of the hops, not just the alcohol. Hops cause a rapid… Dogs · Food safety How can I stop my 25 kg dog from getting into the maple syrup bottle at our backyard BBQ with 10 guests? Put the syrup bottle and any glazed foods on a high table or inside a closed cooler immediately after use … Dogs · Food safety Does unagi (eel) hide in everyday foods like supermarket sushi rolls or teriyaki sauces that my 12 kg dog might steal? Yes, unagi is common in sushi rolls, bento boxes, and pre-made teriyaki glazes. The bigger risk isn't just… Dogs · Toxicity calculator How can I prevent my curious 10 kg terrier from getting into my bottle of vitamin D supplements that I keep on the kitchen counter? Never leave the bottle on the counter — even for a minute while you take your pill. Store all human… Dogs · Food safety Can my 12 kg senior beagle get diarrhoea from eating two mandarin segments? It can, though the flesh itself is usually fine. The peel holds most of the trouble — the acids and oils… Cats · Food safety How much cooked plain plantain can I safely give my 3.5 kg indoor cat as an occasional treat? A couple of small pieces — roughly the size of two dice — is plenty for a 3.5 kg cat. Cooked, plain plantain… Dogs · Food safety My 2 kg Chihuahua just ate a tablespoon of sour cream — will this make her sick? Yes, it can — a tablespoon is a meaningful amount for a 2 kg dog. Sour cream's fat and lactose hit small dogs… Dogs · Emergency guide My 6 kg dog licked a rawhide chew and took one tiny bite off the corner — is that enough to cause a blockage? Yes, even a small piece can cause a blockage, especially in a 6 kg dog. Rawhide is difficult to digest and… Cats · Emergency guide My 8-week-old kitten just licked a drop of liquid phenylephrine decongestant off the floor — is her tiny size a bigger risk? Yes, her tiny size makes this extremely dangerous. Even a drop contains a concentrated dose for a kitten, and… Cats · Food safety My 5 kg cat with early kidney disease drank some coconut water and vomited once — how long should I monitor her and what tests might the vet run? Monitor her closely for the next 12 hours. The main concern with kidney disease is the potassium in coconut… Cats · Food safety My 5 kg cat ate a few bites of beef stew that contained chopped hot dog — should I worry about the salt and spices? Yes, worry about the salt and any onions or garlic that might be in the stew. A few bites could give her an… Dogs · Emergency guide My 12 kg terrier is a counter-surfer — how can I train him to leave my melatonin gummies alone and where should I store them? Store all medications in a high, latched cabinet — not just on a high shelf, because a determined terrier can… Dogs · Food safety My 8 kg senior dog with kidney disease ate a small piece of plain cooked tilapia — is the phosphorus content a problem for him? A single small piece is unlikely to cause a problem, but tilapia does contain phosphorus, which kidneys… Cats · Emergency guide At a holiday party, my 3.5 kg cat ate one sugar-free cookie with sorbitol — when will the diarrhea start and how severe could it be? Diarrhea can start within 2 to 12 hours and may be explosive and watery. For a small cat, even one cookie can…

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