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

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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
Dogs · Food safety My 8 kg nursing Yorkshire terrier just snacked on a whole orange with the peel — is this safe? Feed with care — the flesh itself is fine in small amounts, but a whole orange with peel is a lot for an 8 kg… Cats · Emergency guide My 3.5 kg cat chewed three tulip bulbs last night and vomited twice — after the vet visit, how long do I need to keep watching her at home? The bulb holds the highest concentration of toxin, so three chewed at once is serious. Over the next 48 hours… Cats · Food safety Can my 6 kg nursing queen eat a small piece of dill pickle while she's feeding her kittens? A tiny piece won't hurt her or the kittens, but dill pickle is the wrong treat for a nursing cat. Vinegar… Cats · Food safety My 4 kg indoor cat ate two bites of plain mashed sweet potato while my other cat stayed clear — is the sweet potato safe for my multi-cat home? Yes, plain cooked sweet potato is safe for both cats. The one that ate two bites will be fine — it's… Cats · Food safety My 6 kg cat licked a piece of sugar-free xylitol gum that was left on the Christmas table — should I be worried? It depends on how much was actually swallowed. Xylitol is a true emergency for dogs — it can trigger… Cats · Food safety My 5 kg indoor cat ate half a clementine including the peel — is that too much? A couple of segments of clementine flesh are safe for cats, but the peel, white pith, and seeds are the… Cats · Food safety My 6 kg cat just ate two of my homemade cat treats that contain sour cream — is this a hidden-source risk? Yes, sour cream can hide in plain sight in homemade pet treats, and that's exactly why it's easy to overlook.… Cats · Food safety My 4 kg cat ate a handful of unsalted shelled sunflower seeds while my 7 kg cat kept away — is the eating cat okay? A handful of shelled, unsalted sunflower seeds is unlikely to harm a 4 kg cat, though it's not something she… Dogs · Emergency guide My 9 kg pregnant dog just swallowed one lisinopril pill — is this an emergency for her and her puppies? Yes, this is an emergency. Lisinopril is an ACE inhibitor that lowers blood pressure, and in a 9 kg dog a… Dogs · Emergency guide My 10 kg golden retriever dug up sugar-free fudge leftover from a New Year's party buffet — should I call the vet now? Yes — call now. The ASPCA Poison Control line is 888-426-4435. Fudge means concentrated sorbitol in a rich… Dogs · Food safety My 4 kg Chihuahua ate erythritol sweetener this morning and is now passing gas — what do I do right now? Mild risk, but keep a close eye on her. Erythritol is a sugar alcohol that draws water into the gut — the gas… Dogs · Emergency guide My 3 kg Chihuahua swallowed a piece of rawhide chew 45 minutes ago and shows no symptoms — what should I do right now before calling the vet? That is risky even without symptoms right now. Rawhide sits in the stomach, swells and can turn into a solid… Dogs · Food safety Can a nursing mother dog eat a small piece of pomelo flesh without worrying about the kittens? Yes, with caution. Citrus oils in pomelo can cause mild stomach upset in dogs, and while a single small piece… Cats · Food safety Is cooked quinoa safe for my 10-week-old rescued tabby who just tasted a bite? Yes, cooked qu Rinse thoroughly before cooking to remove saponins — bitter compounds that can irritate the… Cats · Food safety My senior cat found and ate a dried fig left out overnight — is mould worse than the fig itself? The fig isn't great, but the mould is the bigger worry. Dried fruit left out overnight can develop surface… Cats · Emergency guide My 4-year-old cat swallowed several pear seeds while eating chicken stew — what should I do now? This is urgent. Pear seeds contain amygdalin, which converts to cyanide when chewed or crushed in the… Cats · Food safety My 3.5 kg indoor cat grabbed raw bok choy from a salad — what signs should I watch for and when? Bok choy is safe for cats, so serious toxicity isn't a concern. The main thing to watch for is mild… Cats · Food safety My 3-year-old cat sneaked a piece of raw octopus off the kitchen counter — how do I stop this happening again? Raw octopus is a choking and bacterial risk for cats, so keeping it out of reach is essential. Store raw… Dogs · Food safety How much cooked plain butternut squash can my 25 kg adult Golden Retriever eat without gaining weight? Butternut squash is low in calories and high in fibre, making it a smart supplement for dogs who need weight… Dogs · Food safety My 6-year-old beagle ate a few cubes of plain firm tofu about 20 minutes ago. What should I do in the next hour? Plain tofu is safe — don't panic. Just sit with him and watch for vomiting or loose stool over the next hour.… Dogs · Food safety My 8 kg beagle ate three of those coconut oil soft chews meant for dogs — will that cause trouble? Three chews at 8 kg is unlikely to cause anything serious, but the high fat content could upset his stomach.… Cats · Food safety My 6 kg senior cat gets daily joint supplements with added tuna oil — could the mercury build up over time? Yes, it could. Most supplement makers purify the oil and remove mercury, but without checking the product… Dogs · Food safety My 4 kg Yorkie licked one ripe gooseberry off the garden path — does that tiny amount still deserve a call to the vet? No, one ripe gooseberry is not an emergency for a 4 kg dog. The concern here is purely the fruit's acidity… Cats · Food safety My 4 kg cat licked one drop of regular mayonnaise off my dinner plate — do I need to worry? No, one drop on a plate is not enough to cause harm. Mayonnaise is mostly fat, and the small amount your cat… Dogs · Food safety Does plain cooked pasta hide in my dog's everyday commercial treats? No, plain cooked pasta is not something you'll find hidden in standard dog treats. Plain pasta is safe to… Dogs · Food safety My 6 kg pregnant terrier sniffed and swallowed about a teaspoon of mustard seeds — is this dangerous for her puppies? Yes, this is dangerous and needs attention right away. Mustard seeds and their powder are toxic to dogs … Cats · Food safety My 10-week-old 1.5 kg kitten licked a drop of honey off my finger — is that safe? A single drop is unlikely to cause problems in a kitten this size, but it's worth being cautious. Honey is… Cats · Emergency guide My 4 kg Persian cat got into a vase of English ivy that sat out overnight and started vomiting — is mouldy ivy worse than fresh? Yes, mouldy ivy is worse. Saponin concentrations concentrate as the leaves decay, and the overnight window… Cats · Food safety My 4 kg cat ate two small segments of pomelo an hour ago. How long should I monitor her, and what tests might a vet run if she gets sick? Watch her for 24 to 48 hours. Citrus oils in pomelo can irritate a cat's stomach, so the main signs to look… Dogs · Emergency guide My 12 kg German Shepherd has chewed mothballs three times in two weeks and now has pale gums and vomits occasionally — is this from repeated exposure? Yes, repeated exposure is the problem. Naphthalene or paradichlorobenzene slowly destroys red blood cells…

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