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 I've been giving my 8 kg spaniel one small raw chili pepper as a treat every day for two weeks — will this cause long-term damage? Yes, that's a dangerous routine. The capsaicin is a constant irritant, causing repeated mouth pain, stomach… Cats · Emergency guide My 4 kg cat found and ate half a benzodiazepine pill that fell off my nightstand — what's the first thing I should do? Call your vet or the ASPCA Poison Control Line at 888-426-4435 immediately — do not wait for symptoms to… Cats · Food safety My 4 kg kitten nibbled a small wild mushroom cap from the backyard about 20 minutes ago — is this dangerous for a young cat her size? Yes, this is dangerous regardless of her small size. Wild mushrooms contain toxins that can cause liver… Cats · Emergency guide My 3.5 kg cat found a piece of cooked chicken bone on the living room floor and ate it within the last five minutes — what should I do right now? Call your vet or an emergency clinic immediately. Cooked bones splinter easily, and sharp fragments can tear… Cats · Food safety My 10 kg dog ate a pitted plum that was left out overnight and has started fermenting — is this likely to make him sick? Possibly, yes. A plum left out overnight can develop mould, yeast, or bacterial growth, and fermented fruit… Dogs · Food safety My 15 kg dog with chronic kidney disease has been offered a quarter cup of plain cooked couscous as a treat — is this safe for his condition? Plain cooked couscous is generally safe for dogs, but a dog with chronic kidney disease needs extra caution.… Cats · Food safety My 5 kg cat had a small bite of star fruit and now has diarrhea. Could it be an allergy or just a bad reaction? No, this isn't a simple allergy or upset stomach; star fruit is toxic to cats. The oxalates can cause kidney… Dogs · Food safety My 10 kg dog ate a whole cup of ripe jackfruit while my other dog watched — is the one who didn't eat it safe? Yes, the dog that didn't eat any is perfectly safe. Your main job is to watch the one who ate the fruit for… Cats · Emergency guide My 4 kg cat ate a few fertilizer pellets from the lawn and now has diarrhoea. Is this the main risk? Yes, diarrhoea is the most common immediate risk from a small amount. Those pellets can contain salts and… Cats · Food safety My 2.5 kg rescue cat ate a whole 40 g square of dark chocolate 45 minutes ago — does her tiny size make this an emergency? Yes — this is an emergency. At 2.5 kg that entire square means a massive dose of theobromine, and dark… Dogs · Food safety My 2 kg Chihuahua with kidney disease ate two bites of pickle, is that dangerous? It's not safe, but a tiny piece rarely causes harm. Vinegar and salt can worsen kidney disease, and garlic in… Cats · Food safety Could one tiny piece of kumquat flesh give my 5 kg cat with a sensitive stomach diarrhea? Yes, it could. Citrus oils in the peel and the fruit's acidity are common irritants for sensitive digestive… Dogs · Emergency guide My 15 kg dog ate two slices of cooked raisin bread from the loaf — is baking the raisins less dangerous? No, baking does not make raisin bread safe. The unknown toxin in raisins survives cooking, and two slices… Dogs · Food safety My 7 kg dog just lapped up half a cup of whipped cream from a bowl — what should I do in the next hour? Watch closely for vomiting or a tender belly. That much fat for a small dog is a significant load that can… Cats · Food safety Which common cat treats or dental chews might list mint or peppermint oil in the ingredients? Check the fine print on breath-freshening treats, some dental sticks, and herbal supplement pastes. Mint is… Cats · Food safety How much thoroughly cooked bamboo shoot can my 5 kg cat safely eat? A teaspoon-sized piece, once or twice a week, is the safe limit. Bamboo must be cooked to break down natural… Dogs · Food safety Is a pinch of nutmeg more toxic to my 12 kg dog than the same amount of cinnamon? Yes, nutmeg is far more dangerous. Cinnamon might cause mild mouth irritation or coughing, but nutmeg… Cats · Food safety My 4 kg cat with early kidney disease ate one peeled mandarin segment. Is that okay? One peeled segment is unlikely to cause an immediate crisis. The bigger concern is the extra potassium and… Dogs · Food safety My 10 kg Beagle ate a whole raw halibut steak I left out to thaw — is this a problem? No, a whole raw halibut steak is not toxic, but it's a large, rich meal for a small dog. Watch for vomiting… Cats · Food safety My cat just ate one cooked shallot ring and is now walking wobbly — what do I do first? Call your vet or the ASPCA Animal Poison Control line at 888-426-4435 now. Wobbliness means the toxins are… Dogs · Toxicity calculator My 12 kg dog ate a piece of nicotine gum an hour ago and is drooling — how soon do other symptoms start? This is urgent. Nicotine poisoning can begin within 15-60 minutes, so drooling now means it's already taking… Dogs · Toxicity calculator My 7 kg terrier licked a plate with leftover low-dose aspirin sauce from my takeaway — should I be concerned? Yes, be concerned. Even a small amount of aspirin can ulcerate a dog's stomach and harm the kidneys, and a 7… Cats · Food safety My 3 kg kitten accidentally ate one unsweetened dried cranberry — is that an emergency? No, one dried cranberry is not an emergency. It's safe. The main risk with dried fruit is the sugar content… Cats · Food safety Only one of my two cats ate a few bites of bison stew that contained onions — what do I do? Focus on the cat that ate the stew — the onions are the problem, not the bison. Even a small amount of onion… Cats · Food safety How many whole cloves would be dangerous for a 4 kg cat to eat? Even one whole clove is too many — the eugenol in cloves is irritating and can affect the liver in quantity.… Dogs · Food safety How many plain, cooked shrimp can my 15 kg dog safely eat at once? One or two medium shrimp, fully peeled and cooked, is a safe occasional treat for a 15 kg dog. More than that… Dogs · Toxicity calculator My 10 kg dog chewed open and ate a bottle of zinc pennies that were mouldy from the basement. Is this an emergency? Yes, this is an emergency. Mould adds another toxin, but the zinc from the coins is the main danger. Coins… Cats · Food safety My 3.5 kg indoor cat ate about a tablespoon of whey protein powder left on the counter 20 minutes ago and is now drooling, what should I do right now? It’s not an emergency, but you need to watch your cat closely for the next hour. Wipe any remaining whey… Cats · Food safety Is it safe for my 3.5 kg cat to eat five small pieces of cooked artichoke hearts within 30 minutes? Yes, five small pieces of cooked artichoke hearts given to a 3.5kg cat within 30minutes are safe. Only the… Dogs · Food safety My 8 kg Beagle licked fresh horseradish off my plate — is horseradish worse for dogs than wasabi? Plain horseradish root is usually the hotter irritant. Wasabi from a tube or jar is typically just…

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