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.

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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

All pets Dogs Cats

Dogs · Food safety Is a lick of chocolate hazelnut spread worse for my 7 kg dog than if he ate the same amount of plain peanut butter? Yes, dramatically worse. Plain peanut butter is just fat and protein, but chocolate hazelnut spread contains… Dogs · Toxicity calculator At a BBQ, my 10 kg dog snatched a burger with a few cooked onion pieces and ate it within seconds — is that a toxic amount? Yes, a few pieces of cooked onion could be a toxic dose for a 10 kg dog. Onion toxicity is cumulative and… Dogs · Emergency guide My 6 kg dog licked a steroid cream off my bare arm — is that riskier than if he'd licked it through my shirt fabric? Licking it directly off bare skin is far riskier. He gets the full, undiluted dose into his mouth, whereas… Cats · Food safety My 4 kg senior cat has early kidney disease — can she have a few small pieces of raw red bell pepper as a low-phosphorus treat? Yes, a few small pieces are safe and can be a good low-phosphorus, hydrating option. Bell peppers are over… Dogs · Emergency guide My 12 kg terrier ate a heartworm pill that fell out of the packet and sat on the floor overnight. Is it still effective or dangerous? Yes, it's dangerous — the main risk is the overdose, not the spoilage. A pill left out overnight is still a… Dogs · Food safety My 8-year-old Dachshund ate three of the dill-flavored dental chews — is that safe? Safe. The dill in those chews won't harm your dog — the small amount used as a flavouring is well within… Cats · Food safety Is maple syrup safe for cats if it's mixed into a baked treat with baking soda? No, the syrup itself is still the problem, not the baking soda. Maple syrup is essentially concentrated… Dogs · Food safety My 15 kg dog ate a whole sheet of seasoned nori seaweed — is the seasoning or the seaweed itself worse? The seasoning is the immediate concern, but the seaweed itself carries a long-term risk. The soy sauce, salt… Dogs · Food safety My 10 kg dog grabbed a handful of used brewing hops from a backyard BBQ — is this a party emergency? Yes, this is an emergency, even at a party. Hops can trigger malignant hyperthermia in dogs, causing a rapid… Cats · Emergency guide My 4 kg cat ate one birth control pill she found in a guest's purse at a holiday party — what do I do now? Call your vet or an emergency clinic immediately, even if it's just one pill. The main risk isn't immediate… Cats · Emergency guide My 3 kg cat licked pain cream off my knee — is an NSAID cream worse for her than a capsaicin cream? Yes, NSAID creams like diclofenac are far more dangerous long-term than capsaicin creams. Capsaicin causes… Dogs · Emergency guide My 7 kg dog just ate a poinsettia leaf and is now drooling — what's the first thing I should do in the next hour? First, gently rinse his mouth with lukewarm water to wash out the irritating sap. Use a damp cloth to wipe… Cats · Food safety My 5 kg cat with early kidney disease ate a small strip of beef jerky — is the salt or the onion powder more dangerous for her? For a cat with kidney disease, the salt is the more immediate threat. The high sodium can worsen her… Dogs · Emergency guide My 15 kg Labrador stole raw mince off the kitchen counter — is that more dangerous than the same amount of cooked hamburger scraps I sometimes give him? Raw mince is the riskier choice here. Cooked hamburger won't carry Salmonella or E. coli — those bacteria… Dogs · Food safety My 3 kg Cavalier King Charles Spaniel ate a tablespoon of pine nuts 12 hours ago — what symptoms should I watch for and when will they show? Signs from pine nuts usually appear within 24 hours of eating them. Watch for vomiting, diarrhoea, or your… Dogs · Food safety My 8 kg dog ate half a ripe persimmon with seeds — is that worse than eating half a mango without seeds? Persimmon is worse. The seeds and any firm unripe bits can form a blockage in your dog's gut, whereas mango… Cats · Food safety My 4 kg cat ate three slices of cucumber and vomited once — how long do I need to watch her and what does recovery look like? Watch for 24 hours. A single vomit after cucumber is usually just an upset stomach from eating too fast or a… Dogs · Food safety How can I keep my 15 kg dog from stealing salty french fries off the kitchen counter after dinner? Clear the plate immediately. Dogs learn to counter-surf when they find rewards, so never leave fries… Cats · Food safety My 5 kg cat nibbled fresh dill off the holiday buffet table — is this a problem with all the other rich food around? No, the dill itself is safe. The real risk is the butter, sauces, or seasoned meats she might have also… Dogs · Food safety For my 6 kg small dog, are a few small pieces of mango flesh safer or riskier than the same amount of papaya? Mango is riskier because of the pit and skin. Both fruits' flesh is safe in tiny amounts, but mango pits… Cats · Emergency guide My 4 kg cat licked a little raw egg white — is cooked egg yolk or scrambled egg with butter safer for her? Yes, cooked is always safer. Cooking destroys the avidin protein in the white that causes biotin deficiency.… Dogs · Food safety My 25 kg pregnant dog licked a spoonful of agave syrup off a plate. Is this safe for her and the puppies? It's a mild risk, not an emergency. The main concern is a spike in blood sugar from the concentrated… Dogs · Food safety My 4 kg shih tzu got onto the counter and ate three big leaves of fresh parsley — what should I do first? Parsley is safe for dogs and even used to freshen their breath, so there is no emergency here. Watch the dog… Dogs · Food safety Are organic goose jerky training treats safe for my 12 lb senior beagle with a sensitive stomach? Yes — plain cooked goose is safe for dogs. The real risk here is fat, and a 12 lb senior beagle has a small… Dogs · Food safety My 4 lb chihuahua puppy just chewed a Hershey's kiss — should I rush him to the vet? Yes — call your vet or the ASPCA Poison Control line at 888-426-4435 right now. Even a small Hershey's kiss… Dogs · Food safety My 8 kg dog ate a mandarin segment that was left out overnight and looks a bit dried out — is it still safe? Likely yes, but watch for vomiting. A single segment of dried-out mandarin flesh is not toxic, but the sugar… Cats · Food safety For my 3 kg cat with a sensitive stomach, is a spoonful of onion-based gravy worse than plain chicken broth? Yes, onion gravy is much riskier for a small cat. Plain broth is usually just simmered meat and water, while… Dogs · Food safety My 12 kg Labrador ate two bites of sage and onion stuffing that had visible green mould on it from being left out overnight — what should I do? Watch closely for vomiting or diarrhoea within the next few hours. The sage itself is not the issue — it's… Dogs · Food safety I bought sugar-free peanut butter flavoured dog chews that list 'xylitol' in the ingredients — are these safe for my 7 kg terrier? No, return them immediately. Any product listing xylitol is an absolute no for dogs. For a 7 kg terrier, even… Dogs · Emergency guide We're having a garden party and my 10 kg dog might nibble lily of the valley from the table centerpiece — how urgent is this and what's the first sign? Extremely urgent — even a single leaf or flower can be life-threatening. The first signs are often vomiting…

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