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

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

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Cats · Food safety My 4 kg cat has been gnawing on a yoghurt-based dental treat bar that lists kefir on the ingredients — could this hidden source cause stomach upset? Yes, it's possible. Kefir is a live-culture dairy product and some cats are sensitive to the lactose or the… Cats · Food safety My 5 kg cat chewed on a roasted clove from my holiday stuffing and now seems to have it stuck in her throat — is the cooked form still dangerous? Cooked cloves still contain eugenol, the compound that irritates the mouth and can stress the liver in larger… Dogs · Food safety My 12 kg dog stole a handful of salted almonds at a barbecue while my cousin's 25 kg lab didn't touch them — is my dog at higher risk just because he's smaller? Size does matter here. A 12 kg dog eating a handful of salted almonds takes in a higher dose per kilogram of… Dogs · Emergency guide My 8 kg dog has been chewing on a sago palm leaf in my garden every day for the past two weeks — how much damage could this daily exposure cause to his liver? Every single bite delivers cycasin, a toxin that attacks the liver directly. There is no safe threshold … Cats · Food safety My 4 kg cat with a history of sensitive stomach ate a thin slice of banana yesterday — should I expect diarrhoea or is the sugar harmless for her? Banana is safe for cats in small amounts, but the high sugar content can trigger loose stools in cats prone… Dogs · Emergency guide My 5 kg terrier swiped three birth control pills from the coffee table during our Christmas dinner — what should I do? Call your vet or the ASPCA poison line now at 888-426-4435. Three pills is enough to start causing… Dogs · Toxicity calculator Is it dangerous to give my 5 kg dog half a cup of black coffee every day for a few months? Yes, it's dangerous. Half a cup of black coffee contains far more caffeine than a 5 kg dog can safely… Dogs · Food safety Can I use tiny pieces of cheese as training treats for my 3-month-old, 4 kg golden retriever puppy? Yes, tiny bits work fine as training treats, but go slowly with a puppy. A 4 kg golden retriever's digestive… Cats · Food safety My 4 kg cat licked spilled diet cola off the kitchen floor — will that upset her stomach or cause anything worse? A few licks of spilled cola are unlikely to cause serious poisoning, but your cat may get an upset stomach… Cats · Emergency guide Is raw bread dough dangerous for my 2.5 kg indoor cat who knocked a bowl off the party buffet table? Yes, raw bread dough is dangerous for a 2.5 kg cat. The active yeast continues fermenting in the warm… Cats · Food safety My 3.5 kg cat stole two french fries from the holiday table — is the fried fat and salt a bigger worry than spoilage? The fried fat and salt are the bigger concern for a 3.5 kg cat, not the spoilage. Two french fries are a… Dogs · Emergency guide My 6 kg dog licks iron supplement residue off the kitchen floor once a week — is that a long-term health risk? Yes, this is a long-term health risk. Iron is directly corrosive to the stomach lining, and repeated weekly… Cats · Food safety My 3 kg kitten licked energy drink from an open party cup left on the counter — is this a cardiac emergency? Yes, this is potentially a cardiac emergency. Energy drinks combine caffeine, sugar, and often taurine in… Dogs · Food safety Which everyday packaged snacks contain chili that could burn my 5 kg dog if he licks just one bit? Spicy potato chips, chilli-loaded nuts, heat-wave flavoured crisps, and some human pain-relief patches all… Dogs · Emergency guide How can I prevent my 10 kg dog from chewing on trailing pothos vines hanging near his favorite nap spot? Move the plant. The simplest fix is hanging it somewhere his head can't reach, or switching to a pet-safe… Dogs · Food safety My 8 kg terrier swallowed a chunk of plain baked cod while my 25 kg lab won't touch it — should I worry about the smaller dog? No. Plain cooked cod is safe regardless of size, and there's no dangerous dose to calculate here. The larger… Cats · Emergency guide My 3.5 kg indoor cat chewed on a cooked lily of the valley leaf an hour ago and is now drooling — is this an emergency? Yes, treat it as an emergency. Every part of lily of the valley carries cardiac glycosides that interfere… Dogs · Emergency guide My 6 kg dachshund ate three pecan halves from the coffee table while my 22 kg collie sniffed and walked away — should I take the little one to the vet now? Yes, take the dachshund in. Three pecan halves in a 6 kg dog carry enough fat to trigger pancreatitis, and… Dogs · Food safety My 10 kg beagle with chronic kidney disease ate a peeled kiwi slice yesterday — will the fruit damage her kidneys further? A single peeled kiwi slice is unlikely to cause harm to her kidneys. The fruit itself is not toxic to dogs… Cats · Food safety My 5 kg senior cat with heart disease and on medication ate two fresh basil leaves from my garden — should I be concerned about an interaction? Two fresh basil leaves won't interact with her heart medication or worsen her condition. Basil is not toxic… Cats · Food safety My 4 kg domestic shorthair licked some tahini off a crust of bread I dropped on the floor — is this hidden source of sesame dangerous for her? A lick of tahini off a bread crust is not dangerous for a 4 kg cat. Plain sesame seeds and small amounts of… Cats · Food safety One of my 4 kg cats ate cooked bison; others didn’t. Safe? Yes, cooked bison is safe for cats. Watch for vomiting or diarrhea. If seen, call your vet. Don’t induce… Dogs · Food safety My 8 kg dog has chronic kidney disease and was given one teaspoon of curry powder containing cumin — is that still safe? Safe — cumin is fine for a dog with kidney disease in the tiny amounts found in cooking. One teaspoon of… Dogs · Toxicity calculator My 6 kg dog with early kidney disease swallowed one penny 3 hours ago — do I still need to take her to the vet given her condition? Yes — go now. Her kidneys are already weakened, and zinc from the penny will keep leaching into her system… Cats · Food safety Is cooked celeriac safe for a 5 kg nursing queen with three kittens who snuck a bite? Yes. Cooked celeriac is safe for a nursing cat and does not pass anything harmful through the milk. The fact… Cats · Food safety Can a 3.5 kg nursing queen cat who knocked over a cup of loose black tea an hour ago pass caffeine through her milk to her 6-week-old kittens? No, she should not be exposed to tea at all. Caffeine is toxic to cats — a spill like this can trigger… Cats · Emergency guide Are dental chews made with pothos extract safe for my 4 kg indoor cat, or should I avoid commercial treats that list it as an ingredient? Avoid them completely. Pothos contains insoluble calcium oxalate crystals, and chewing releases them into the… Cats · Food safety Can a 3.5 kg nursing queen cat safely have a single lick of guacamole, or do the avocado, onion, and garlic in it pose a risk to her and her kittens? She should not have any guacamole. The avocado base contains persin, which can irritate a cat's stomach, and… Cats · Emergency guide My 4 kg cat licked a button battery that was sitting on the coffee table — even though she only made contact for a few seconds, is this still an emergency? Yes, this is an emergency regardless of how brief the contact was. Button batteries generate an electric… Cats · Food safety My 3-year-old indoor cat with a known sensitive stomach ate two plain air-popped popcorn kernels and is now vomiting — is the popcorn itself the problem? It could be. Plain air-popped popcorn is not toxic, but cats are obligate carnivores and their digestive…

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