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

Poisoning questions, answered

Every question has a direct answer, a symptom checklist and clear next steps — plus a matching tool that estimates the real risk.

Prefer to run the tool?

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

All pets Dogs Cats

Dogs · Food safety How can I teach my 8 kg terrier to leave a bowl of salsa alone on the coffee table? Yes, training 'leave it' is worth it because salsa combines onion, garlic and chili — three irritants in one… Cats · Toxicity calculator Could my 5 kg indoor cat be exposed to metaldehyde slug bait hidden in everyday items like potting soil or mulch? Yes, metaldehyde slug bait is sometimes mixed into granular fertilisers or sold as pellets that resemble soil… Dogs · Food safety Can my 12-year-old, 8 kg dog with early kidney disease have a few pieces of raw endive as a treat? Yes, a few small pieces of raw endive are safe. Endive is low in phosphorus and oxalates, which makes it a… Cats · Emergency guide How soon after my 4 kg cat chewed a few poinsettia leaves would she show symptoms, and how long do they last? Symptoms usually start within 30 minutes to an hour and last just a few hours. Watch for drooling… Dogs · Food safety For a 15-lb Shih Tzu, is lettuce safer than kale if it gets into a salad bowl? Lettuce is safe for dogs. Unlike kale, which can irritate a small dog's stomach, lettuce is mostly water and… Cats · Food safety My 6 kg cat ate a piece of cooked bass that had been sitting out on the counter all day — could bacteria make her sick? Cooked bass itself is safe for cats, but food left out for hours picks up bacteria that can upset a cat's… Dogs · Food safety My 12 kg Dachshund ate half a cooked plantain — is that too much for his size? Half a cooked plantain is fine for a 12 kg dog. Keep the pieces plain and unseasoned. The main risk is a… Dogs · Food safety My 10 kg dog just ate a whole teriyaki eel rice bowl. Is this an emergency? No, it's not an emergency, but the fat and sauce are the main concerns. That much cooked eel and oily… Dogs · Food safety My 30 kg Labrador ate a whole banana 20 minutes ago, but my other two dogs didn't get any — do I need to watch them too? No, you only need to watch the dog that ate it. A whole banana is a lot of sugar and fiber for one meal, so… Cats · Food safety My 5 kg cat just licked a tablespoon of avocado pasta sauce off my plate. What should I do? Watch her closely but don't panic. The main risk from that small amount of sauce is the high fat content… Dogs · Food safety My 10 kg dog ate a piece of beef jerky left out overnight—is it still safe? No, that's not safe. Jerky left out overnight can grow mould or bacteria that cause vomiting and diarrhoea.… Dogs · Food safety Which everyday packaged foods or soups for a 15 kg dog might secretly contain mustard greens? Mustard greens are safe in small amounts, but they can turn up in places you wouldn't expect. Check the… Dogs · Food safety Are two plain cashews worse for my 6 kg dog's pancreas than two plain peanuts? Yes, cashews are higher in fat. Two plain cashews have about three times the fat of two peanuts, which can be… Dogs · Emergency guide My 12 kg dog just ate two kalanchoe leaves 15 minutes ago—what's my first step right now? Call your vet or the ASPCA poison line at 888-426-4435 immediately. Kalanchoe contains cardiac toxins that… Dogs · Food safety Can one fresh fig give my 8 kg dog with a sensitive stomach diarrhoea within a few hours? Yes, it can. The milky sap in fresh fig stems and skin is irritating, and the high fibre can speed up… Dogs · Food safety Is a chunk of cooked rutabaga safe for a 5 kg Chihuahua versus a 30 kg Labrador? Yes, cooked rutabaga is safe for both, but the size of the chunk matters more for the small dog. A piece the… Cats · Food safety My 4 kg cat just licked a tiny smear of peanut butter off my toast — is this a problem? No, one small lick of xylitol-free peanut butter is not an emergency. The main risks are from xylitol, which… Dogs · Food safety My 12-week-old puppy licked a bit of garlic powder off my finger — is that an emergency for his small size? Yes, call your vet. Garlic powder is concentrated, so a lick for a tiny puppy is a real dose. Puppies have… Cats · Emergency guide My 4 kg cat licked some old castor beans that were moldy and left outside overnight — is this an emergency? Yes, get to an emergency vet immediately. Mold adds its own toxins, but the castor bean's ricin is the true… Dogs · Emergency guide My 20 kg dog ate a cooked chicken bone and the vet did an X-ray — what should I watch for at home now? Watch closely for gagging, vomiting, or straining to pass stool. Even if the X-ray looked clear, sharp… Dogs · Emergency guide What are the first signs if my 15 kg dog licked a small amount of topical pain cream, and how soon do they appear? The first signs are usually excessive drooling and pawing at the mouth, which can start within 30 minutes.… Dogs · Emergency guide Is a half cup of prepared infant formula more dangerous for a 3 kg toy poodle than a large dog? Yes, the risk is much higher for a small dog. A half cup is a large volume relative to a 3 kg body, and the… Cats · Emergency guide My 12-week-old kitten licked some pain cream off my knee — is this extra risky because she's a baby? Yes, kittens are at extreme risk. Their tiny size and immature kidneys make them far more sensitive to toxins… Cats · Emergency guide What happens if I give my adult cat a tablespoon of infant formula mixed with water every day for weeks? This repeated feeding can cause chronic digestive issues and nutritional imbalances. The daily lactose load… Dogs · Emergency guide My 10 kg dog found and ate a heartworm pill I had hidden inside a piece of cheese — what should I do? Call your vet immediately with the product name and your dog's weight. A single extra dose of a monthly… Cats · Emergency guide Is it dangerous if my pregnant cat ate a small amount of raw egg white that fell on the floor? A single small exposure is low risk for immediate poisoning, but it's not safe during pregnancy. The avidin… Dogs · Emergency guide My dog with chronic kidney disease licked a bowl that had raw egg white in it — does his condition make this worse? Yes, his kidney disease adds a layer of concern. While a one-time lick is unlikely to cause biotin… Dogs · Emergency guide My vet prescribed ear drops for my dog's infection — is there a difference in risk if I accidentally put in too much versus if he licks some? Yes, the routes pose different dangers. Licking causes gastrointestinal upset like vomiting. Putting too much… Cats · Emergency guide My 3 kg kitten licked one drop of Mometamax off my finger. Is this an emergency? Yes, call your vet now. Even a tiny amount of ear medication can be toxic if it contains an aminoglycoside… Cats · Emergency guide My 4 kg cat snatched a cooked chicken bone off the counter — how can I stop this happening again? Yes, this is an urgent situation. Cooked bones splinter easily and can tear your cat's throat or intestines…

Page 158 of 337

The library keeps growing. Can’t find your situation? Open the matching toxicity calculator and enter weight plus amount for an instant risk level.