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 My 15 kg dog ate three vitamin A pills left on the coffee table, but my other dog didn't. Do I need to monitor the one that didn't eat any? Yes, you need to focus all your attention on the dog that ate the pills. Vitamin A is fat-soluble, and three… Dogs · Food safety My 8 kg dog ate nutmeg from my jar. Will it cause stomach upset? Yes, nutmeg can cause stomach upset in dogs. Watch for vomiting, diarrhea, or gas. If symptoms last more than… Dogs · Food safety My 5 kg dog vomited after eating mango skin — is it safe for small dogs? Yes, but mango skin can cause upset stomach. Watch for vomiting, diarrhea, or itching. If symptoms last more… Dogs · Food safety My 8 kg dog was treated at the vet for eating a teaspoon of mustard seeds — what happens next during recovery? Your vet likely gave medication to protect the gut and manage vomiting. The next 24-48 hours are critical for… Dogs · Food safety My 15 kg dog just drank half a leftover vanilla whey protein shake from my shaker — what do I do in the next 60 minutes? First, grab the container and read every ingredient, scanning for xylitol — it's often listed under… Cats · Food safety My counter-surfing 4 kg cat keeps going after garlic cloves — how can I store it to keep her safe? Store whole garlic bulbs in a sealed, hard-sided container in a high cabinet, not in a hanging basket or open… Cats · Toxicity calculator For my 5 kg cat, is one 81 mg aspirin tablet more or less dangerous than a bite of ibuprofen? Both are extremely dangerous, but ibuprofen is often worse faster. A single ibuprofen pill can cause severe… Dogs · Food safety Is it safe if my 7 kg beagle snatches a sprig of fresh dill from the holiday buffet table? Yes, the dill itself is safe. The real risk at a buffet is what's mixed with it — the dill could be in a… Dogs · Food safety My 6 kg terrier gulped a 6-inch raw celery stalk whole — what signs of choking or blockage should I watch for, and when? Watch right now for immediate gagging, pawing at the mouth, or frantic swallowing. If he seems to have gotten… Dogs · Emergency guide My 10 kg dog has been getting a quarter of a 500 mg metformin pill every morning for three weeks. What happens long-term? Yes, this is an urgent risk of severe hypoglycaemia. Giving metformin daily means your dog's blood sugar has… Dogs · Food safety My 25 kg dog ate half a plate of plain cooked haddock — is that too much for one meal? That amount is safe for a dog his size. Plain, cooked haddock is just lean protein, so the main risk is a… Dogs · Emergency guide My 10 kg dog ate a fish oil capsule, but I'm worried it might have been a 5-HTP pill I left on the counter. How do I tell? Call your vet or the ASPCA poison line (888-426-4435) now. Fish oil might cause mild diarrhea, but 5-HTP can… Cats · Food safety My 4 kg cat licked raw corn syrup straight from the spoon. Is this okay? Yes, a single lick is okay. Corn syrup is just concentrated sugar; the main risk is an upset stomach from the… Dogs · Food safety Is cooked duck breast worse for my 8 kg dog than plain chicken breast, or are they equally safe to share occasionally? No, cooked duck breast is not worse for your dog than chicken breast. Both are safe to share occasionally in… Dogs · Emergency guide Only my 10 kg dog ate green tomato stems from the garden while my other two dogs stayed away — how do I monitor the one who got into it and protect the others? Focus on the one who ate the stems, because green tomato plant parts contain solanine which irritates the gut… Dogs · Food safety My 12 kg beagle snatched two slices of cooked lotus root from the dinner table 10 minutes ago — do I need to call the vet or can I just watch her at home? You can just watch her at home. Cooked plain lotus root is safe for dogs, and two slices is a tiny amount for… Dogs · Food safety My 4kg, 8‑week‑old puppy licked a single 5ml drop of beer from the kitchen rug 15 minutes ago and now seems a bit shaky, should I call the vet? Yes, this is an emergency and you need veterinary help right now. A 4‑kg puppy that licked a single 5‑ml drop… Dogs · Food safety My 40 lb dog ate a whole ripe persimmon with seeds last night and now has diarrhea — is this from the seeds? Yes, the seeds and unripe parts can absolutely cause diarrhea. Persimmon seeds are irritating to a dog's gut… Cats · Food safety My 2.2kg indoor cat ate about 5g of plain boiled pork within the last 15 minutes and now looks a bit restless—what should I do in the next hour? It’s not an emergency, just keep a close watch on her for the next hour. A 2.2kg cat that ate about 5g of… Dogs · Food safety My 8 kg dog ate two bites of mint-flavoured gummy vitamins left on the kitchen counter. Should I worry about concentrated mint oil in this hidden source? Two bites of mint gummies is unlikely to harm your dog. Those treats contain far less mint oil than a handful… Cats · Food safety My 4 kg cat scraped up beef liver pieces from a leftover beef stew plate this morning — will that hurt her? One small piece of cooked liver hidden in a leftover stew plate won't harm your cat. A single serving… Dogs · Food safety My 12 kg dog ate a whole bowl of cereal with raisins I didn't see on the ingredient list—what now? No, it's not an emergency, but you need to act now. That many raisins can be toxic to a dog his size, and the… Dogs · Emergency guide My 12 kg beagle puppy snatched a Baytril tablet from the party buffet. He ate it 15 minutes ago and seems fine. What do I do? Call your vet or the ASPCA poison line at 888-426-4435 now. For a growing puppy, even one human-strength… Dogs · Food safety My 4 kg dog licked a tablespoon of agave syrup 3 hours ago — what does aftercare look like and how long do I watch her? Watch for 24 hours. The main risk is a sugar spike and possible stomach upset, which usually shows within 4-8… Dogs · Food safety Can a single piece of salmon sushi cause diarrhea in a 10 kg dog with a sensitive stomach? Yes, it can. The rice is fine, but the raw fish and any wasabi or ginger are common triggers for stomach… Cats · Food safety My 5 kg cat licked a pile of granulated sugar that was left on the counter for a week — is mouldy sugar dangerous? No, mouldy sugar itself isn't toxic, but the mould spores can cause vomiting or diarrhoea. Plain sugar has no… Dogs · Food safety My 6 kg dog ate a 40-gram bar of 70% dark chocolate — how does his small size change the urgency? His small size makes this extremely urgent. Dark chocolate is concentrated, and for a dog under 7 kg, that… Dogs · Emergency guide My 15 kg dog ate two 25 mg diphenhydramine tablets that expired a year ago — are they still dangerous? Yes, expired tablets are still dangerous. The active ingredient may degrade slightly, but not enough to be… Dogs · Food safety My 8 kg dog ate about 15 salted cashews and now has diarrhea — is this an allergy or just fat intolerance? This is likely fat intolerance, not an allergy. Salted cashews are high in fat and salt, which can overwhelm… Cats · Food safety Are commercial dental treats that list wheat gluten safe for my 5 kg cat with no known allergies? Yes, they are safe for a cat with no known wheat sensitivity. Wheat gluten is a common binder in treats and…

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