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

Cats · Food safety My 6 kg cat ate an entire 4 oz plain baked catfish fillet. Is that too much? Yes, that's too much at once and will likely cause vomiting or diarrhea. A safe treat for a cat that size is… Cats · Food safety My 5 kg senior cat with chronic kidney disease chewed a handful of loose tea leaves — is this dangerous given her condition? Yes, this is dangerous for any cat, and kidney disease makes it worse. Tea contains caffeine, which causes… Dogs · Emergency guide My 8 kg Jack Russell Terrier chewed a pothos leaf this morning and is drooling — how long should I monitor him and what will the vet check? Watch him closely for at least 4 hours, and longer if he starts vomiting or seems wobbly. Calcium oxalate… Dogs · Food safety My 5 kg Maltese ate three raw chive stems about two hours ago — what are the first signs I should watch for and how soon will they appear? The first signs are usually not obvious right away. Onion-family plants like chives damage red blood cells… Dogs · Emergency guide My 15 kg Labrador swam in a pond with green scum yesterday and now seems okay — what should I monitor at home and what tests will the vet run? Even if he seems fine, blue-green algae exposure is serious and liver damage can start within hours. Watch… Cats · Food safety Is it safe to give my 4 kg Persian cat a sprig of fresh thyme every day for the past six months, or could daily use cause problems? Daily fresh thyme in cooking-sized amounts is unlikely to cause harm, but six months of daily exposure is… Cats · Food safety My 3.5 kg Maine Coon mix found a marshmallow that was left out overnight and ate it — is the spoiled marshmallow dangerous or is it just the sugar? The main concern is the sugar and the gelatin, not spoilage — a dry marshmallow left out overnight will not… Dogs · Food safety My 15 kg dog just ate a slice of bread that I found had green mould on it, left out overnight. What should I do? No, mouldy bread is not safe for dogs. The mould itself can contain toxins that cause vomiting, tremors, or… Cats · Food safety My 6 kg cat has been licking pesto off my plate every evening this past month �� is there cumulative risk from the garlic? Yes, feeding pesto regularly is a genuine concern. Garlic compounds accumulate in a cat's system; a single… Cats · Toxicity calculator My 2 kg, 4-month-old kitten chewed through an 18 mg nicotine patch an hour ago �� what do I do right now? Yes — this is an emergency. A 2 kg kitten chewing through an 18 mg nicotine patch is a dangerous exposure… Dogs · Food safety My 4kg puppy ate a handful of dried goji berries that were left on the counter for 2hours and now has gas, is this dangerous? It’s not an emergency, just keep an eye on your puppy for any stomach upset. Two or three dried goji berries… Cats · Emergency guide My 4 kg cat licked a pea-sized amount of lidocaine cream 2 hours ago — when will signs of poisoning appear and how long do they last? Signs from a local anesthetic like lidocaine can appear within 30 minutes to 4 hours after licking. You might… Cats · Emergency guide My 5 kg cat licked some boric acid powder from a roach bait station — is the powder form more dangerous than the solid bait? Yes, loose powder is more immediately dangerous because it’s easier for a cat to ingest a significant amount… Dogs · Food safety My 12 kg dog licked a spoonful of garlic aioli mayonnaise off a plate — is the seasoned form worse than plain? Yes, garlic aioli is worse because garlic is toxic to dogs, even in small amounts mixed into mayonnaise. The… Dogs · Emergency guide My pregnant 25 kg dog dug up and ate one tulip bulb — is this toxic for her and her unborn puppies? Yes, tulip bulbs are toxic, and pregnancy doesn’t change that. The bulb contains concentrated irritants that… Dogs · Food safety Is a pinch of dried thyme safe for both my 4 kg Chihuahua and my 30 kg Labrador, or does size matter? Yes, a pinch of dried thyme is safe for both sizes when used as a seasoning in their normal food. Thyme… Dogs · Food safety My 4 kg Shih Tzu stole three snap pea pods from the Thanksgiving buffet — should I be worried? Safe — three pods won't hurt a 4 kg dog. The real risk with snap peas is choking on the tough strings… Cats · Food safety Are commercial mussels treats safe for a 5 kg cat? Yes, cooked mussels are safe in small amounts for a 5 kg cat. Watch for vomiting or diarrhea, and call your… Dogs · Food safety Can a 5 kg nursing Shih Tzu eat two bites of plain steamed collard greens without harming her puppies? Yes, a small amount is fine. Plain, steamed collard greens are safe for a nursing mother, and the nutrients… Dogs · Food safety My 7 kg Jack Russell snatched a bite of plain cooked lamb from my backyard BBQ plate — should I be worried? No, that's unlikely to cause a problem. A single bite of lean, cooked, unseasoned lamb is well within safe… Dogs · Food safety My 4 kg Yorkshire terrier ate one whole pitted date — is that an emergency? No, this isn't an emergency. One pitted date is high in sugar for a 4 kg dog, but it won't poison him. The… Cats · Food safety My 2.8 kg indoor cat licked a few drops of dessert wine off my coffee table — what do I do now? Call your vet or the ASPCA Poison Control line at 888-426-4435 right now. A 2.8 kg cat has very little body… Cats · Food safety My 4 kg senior cat ate frozen peas that fell on the kitchen floor this morning — should I be concerned? No major concern, but check the peas first. Frozen peas are perfectly safe for cats, and a few from the floor… Dogs · Emergency guide My 8 kg dog chewed a whole aloe vera leaf 30 minutes ago — what should I do right now? Call your vet now for guidance. The yellow latex just under the leaf skin contains aloin, which is a powerful… Dogs · Toxicity calculator My 6 kg beagle swallowed a single blue slug bait pellet an hour ago — how urgent is this? This is urgent — take her to an emergency vet now. Metaldehyde is absorbed rapidly from the gut and attacks… Dogs · Emergency guide My 9 kg crossbreed dog lapped up half a cup of prepared infant formula — will she get diarrhoea? She probably will. Most adult dogs are lactose intolerant to some degree, and infant formula is loaded with… Cats · Toxicity calculator My 3.5 kg cat licked about 10 grams of dark chocolate from my desk — is this an emergency? Yes, treat this as an emergency and call the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center at 888-426-4435 now. Dark… Dogs · Food safety Can my 12 kg beagle safely eat a kiwi that was left out overnight on the counter? Yes, a peeled kiwi left out overnight is still fine for your dog. The flesh doesn't go bad quickly at room… Cats · Emergency guide How much lily of the valley can a 6 kg adult cat eat before it becomes dangerous? Even one leaf can poison a 6 kg cat. Lily of the Valley contains cardiac glycosides in every part of the… Cats · Food safety My 5 kg cat swiped a couple of bites of plain cooked beef off the counter while the rest of the house ignored it — any risk to her or the others? Safe for her, and no risk to the other pets. Plain cooked lean beef is just good protein — nothing toxic…

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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.