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 · Emergency guide How do I stop my 18 kg dog from drinking out of stagnant ponds on walks to prevent blue-green algae poisoning? Carry a portable water bowl and offer fresh water frequently during walks, so she's less tempted. Train a… Cats · Food safety My 4 kg pregnant cat licked leftover venison gravy from a plate. Is this safe for her and the kittens? Yes, a few licks of plain venison gravy are safe for a pregnant cat. The cooked meat itself is a lean… Dogs · Food safety My 20 kg dog just grabbed a whole raw cabbage leaf from the BBQ platter — should I worry about bloat? No, a single leaf is safe. That amount is too small to cause the gas and bloating that come from eating a… Dogs · Toxicity calculator My 4-month-old, 3 kg puppy just chewed a 2 mg nicotine gum piece 10 minutes ago. Is this an emergency? Yes, call your vet or the ASPCA Poison Control line (888-426-4435) right now. A puppy's small body can't… Dogs · Food safety My 15 kg dog keeps trying to grab leftover baked potato off the counter. How do I stop this safely? Yes, you can train him to leave it. Cooked potato itself is low risk, but the bigger danger is him learning… Cats · Food safety My 4 kg cat ate two bites of green potato peel from the compost bin — how soon would vomiting or tremors start? Signs can start within 2 to 12 hours. The first thing you might see is drooling and vomiting, often before… Cats · Food safety My 5 kg cat licked a spiced cookie with nutmeg that was left out on the counter overnight — is mould or fermentation a bigger risk now? The nutmeg is the main danger, not spoilage. Even a small amount of this spice can cause tremors… Dogs · Food safety My 25 kg dog stole and ate about a cup of chopped rhubarb stems from the kitchen counter — is that amount dangerous for a large dog? Yes, that amount is dangerous. While the leaves are far more toxic, a full cup of stems still contains enough… Cats · Food safety Can my 3 kg kitten safely eat a thin slice of raw apple with the peel, if I've removed the core but a seed or two might be stuck? The flesh and peel are safe, but you must remove every seed. Apple seeds contain cyanide compounds, and a… Cats · Food safety How do I stop my 4 kg curious cat from stealing cooked mussels off the holiday buffet table where guests are eating? Keep her in a separate room with her own food, water, and a litter box during the meal. Cats are fast and can… Dogs · Food safety Is a tiny pinch of fresh grated ginger safe for my 12 kg diabetic dog who is on daily insulin and has a sensitive stomach? A tiny pinch is likely safe, but check with your vet first. Ginger can lower blood sugar, which might… Cats · Food safety Can I give my 8-week-old, 1 kg kitten a teaspoon of plain, unsweetened yogurt to help her digestion, or is she too young? Wait until she's older. Kittens this young have delicate digestive systems still adjusting to solid food, and… Cats · Food safety My 5 kg tabby swallowed two savory crackers laced with rosemary and thyme — should I worry about the thyme poisoning him? Safe — the thyme amount in those crackers won't hurt your cat. A few crackers is well within normal culinary… Cats · Food safety Are quince-flavored dental chew treats safe for my 5 kg senior cat who vomits easily? Yes, they're generally safe — the cooked flesh is fine in small amounts. Treats and dental chews have been… Cats · Emergency guide My 10-pound senior cat has had diarrhea for two days since starting tramadol — is this just a side effect or poisoning? It could be either, and only a vet can tell the difference. Tramadol commonly causes vomiting and loose… Cats · Food safety My 4 kg indoor cat ate three salted cashews that had been left open on the counter for two days — could mould or staleness make them dangerous? Cashews are not toxic, but they are very high in fat; three salted nuts can trigger pancreatitis or simple… Dogs · Emergency guide My 7 kg cavalier king charles ate four sugar-free gum pieces with sorbitol an hour ago — will that exact amount cause explosive diarrhea and dehydration? Yes, that amount is enough to cause severe symptoms. Sorbitol draws water into the intestines by osmosis, so… Dogs · Food safety Only my 5 kg shih tzu ate a chunk of cooked trout while my other two dogs didn't — how do I handle the others and monitor the eater? Cooked trout is safe for all your dogs, so the two who did not eat it are fine. For your shih tzu, watch for… Cats · Food safety How do I keep my 3 kg thai cat from stealing cooked squid from the dinner table during holiday meals? Cooked plain squid is safe but very chewy — always cut it into small, manageable pieces to prevent choking.… Dogs · Emergency guide My 10 kg labrador puppy chewed on lily pollen from a centerpiece at a birthday party — is this an emergency even though he only snuffled it? Yes, treat this as an emergency. Lily pollen is highly toxic to cats and can cause fatal kidney failure from… Cats · Food safety My 2.5 kg kitten just ate half a small wild mushroom from the lawn — is her tiny size a bigger risk? Yes, her small size makes this much more urgent. A kitten's liver is smaller and more vulnerable to the… Cats · Food safety My 7 kg cat keeps trying to steal collard greens from my plate. How can I train him to leave it? Collard greens are safe for cats, but you don't want a cat begging at the dinner table. Cats respond best to… Dogs · Food safety My 20 kg dog ate a small piece of raw breadfruit thinking it was jackfruit — which one is actually safer? Jackfruit is safe; raw breadfruit is not. The ripe, sweet jackfruit flesh you buy is fine in small amounts.… Cats · Food safety One of my cats got into avocado flesh but the other two didn't — should I be worried about the ones who stayed away? No — the two who didn't eat are fine. Avocado flesh isn't strongly toxic to cats, though it's very high in… Dogs · Food safety My 12 kg dog ate one piece of sugar-free gum with xylitol at a holiday BBQ and started vomiting 40 minutes later — is this an emergency? Call your vet or the ASPCA poison line (888-426-4435) now. Xylitol is a true emergency for dogs — that one… Cats · Food safety My 15-year-old cat Miso kept sneezing after licking paprika from my plate — would cayenne pepper be even worse? Cayenne would almost certainly be worse. Paprika is one of the milder spices, and many cats handle it fine in… Dogs · Food safety My 20-pound beagle licked the plate clean after my pasta carbonara dinner — should I worry? Yes, you should worry. Carbonara contains eggs and typically cheese and pancetta — and almost certainly… Cats · Emergency guide My 7.5 kg tabby chewed on a foxglove leaf from my garden yesterday and is now vomiting and wobbling — is this an emergency? Yes — this is an emergency, go now. Foxglove leaves contain digitoxin and digoxin, compounds that slow your… Cats · Food safety My 8 kg cat ate six pine nuts with no issue — should I worry more if my 3 kg cat nibbles two? Same food, very different risk. Pine nuts are high in fat, and for a 3 kg cat even two nuts deliver a… Dogs · Food safety My 6 kg beagle chewed tomato leaves and green unripe tomatoes from the garden 3 hours ago. What signs should I watch for and how quickly do they appear? Symptoms show within 2 to 6 hours. Watch for vomiting, diarrhea, drooling, and a wobbly walk. Mild cases…

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