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 10 kg dog ate rhubarb leaves 30 minutes ago and is drooling heavily — what should I expect next? The drooling is an early sign; calcium oxalate crystals irritate the mouth and gut quickly. Within the next… Cats · Food safety Can a 2 kg cat eat cooked plain bulgur every day without gaining weight? Yes, in very small amounts. Bulgur is mostly carbohydrate and low in protein, so a 2 kg cat needs only a… Dogs · Food safety My 6 kg dog just ate a handful of gooseberries — should I induce vomiting or just watch her? Do not induce vomiting unless your vet tells you to. Gooseberries are acidic but not toxic; the main risk is… Cats · Emergency guide My 9-week-old kitten chewed a rhubarb leaf and is already drooling — should I call the vet now? Yes — call your vet or the ASPCA poison line at 888-426-4435 right away. Rhubarb leaves contain calcium… Cats · Emergency guide My 3kg cat has been nibbling on cocoa mulch in the garden for weeks. Is she at risk now? Yes, this is an urgent risk. Repeated small doses over weeks let theobromine build up in her system, and her… Dogs · Food safety Is a teaspoon of ground flaxseed safer for my 5 kg dog than the same amount of chia seeds? Both are safe in that tiny amount, but flaxseed is the gentler choice for a small dog. Chia seeds absorb a… Dogs · Food safety My 15 kg dog gets a whole corn cob as a chew toy every week. Is this building up to a blockage? Yes, this is a high-risk habit that could cause a fatal blockage at any time. The cob doesn't digest and can… Cats · Emergency guide My 3 kg cat just vomited after eating a raw green potato peeling 15 minutes ago — what do I do first? Yes, this is urgent. Green potato skin contains solanine, which is toxic. The vomiting means the toxin is… Cats · Food safety My 2.5 kg Maine Coon cat licked one lick of buttery halibut off the counter — is this dangerous? One lick is almost certainly nothing to worry about. Halibut itself is safe for cats when cooked and plain… Dogs · Food safety My 3-month-old Shih Tzu puppy (1.2 kg) ate a few bites of plain cooked bulgur — could he choke or get a tummy ache? Bulgur is safe for puppies, but at 1.2 kg and only three months old, his teeth and gut are still developing… Dogs · Emergency guide My 7 kg West Highland White Terrier ate four chrysanthemum petals from a vase an hour ago — should I call the vet now? Chrysanthemums contain pyrethrins, which affect the nervous system, and even a small amount can trigger… Dogs · Emergency guide My 45 kg Labrador chewed open the child-proof cap on a paracetamol bottle — how do I store it so he can't get it next time? Yes, this is an urgent risk. Child-proof lids are not dog-proof, especially for large, determined chewers.… Cats · Food safety My 8-week-old kitten licked a single drop of maple syrup off the kitchen counter about 15 minutes ago — do I need to call the vet? No. One lick of maple syrup won't hurt your kitten. Maple syrup is mostly sugar — a single drop is far too… Cats · Food safety My 1.5 kg rescue kitten nibbled a pea-sized piece of cheddar — is her small size a bigger lactose risk than a full-grown cat's would be? Yes. A 1.5 kg cat concentrates lactose far more than a 5 kg cat — her tiny frame means less margin before the… Dogs · Food safety My 4 kg Shih Tzu ate three orange segments with the peel two hours ago and is still acting normal — how long should I keep watching him before I stop worrying? He should be fine. Orange flesh is safe in small amounts—the peel and essential oils can upset his stomach… Dogs · Food safety My 4 kg Maltese took one bite of seasoned seaweed snack — should I panic, or is that harmless? One small bite is unlikely to cause trouble in a 4 kg dog. The real concern with seaweed is the iodine and… Cats · Food safety My 5 kg cat ate a bite of plain cooked duck breast — could it get diarrhoea? It might. Even plain cooked duck breast can upset a sensitive gut — rich meats tend to do that. Watch the… Cats · Food safety My 4.5 kg indoor cat knocked over a jar of plain mayonnaise and licked it about 15 minutes ago — what should I watch for right now? It's mostly fat, so she's unlikely to have a serious reaction, but watch her closely over the next hour.… Cats · Food safety My 5 kg cat just stole a few pieces of jicama from my bagged Asian salad mix — is that safe? Yes, those peeled jicama pieces are safe for your cat. Jicama itself is non-toxic, and the small amount in a… Cats · Emergency guide My 3 kg indoor cat ate a rodent bait crumb the size of a grain of rice — does her tiny size make this an immediate emergency? Yes, for a 3 kg cat, even a crumb the size of a grain of rice is an immediate emergency. Anticoagulant… Cats · Food safety How can I train my 4 kg cat to leave orange peels alone when I'm slicing fruit? Yes, training is worthwhile because the peel's essential oils and tough fibers can cause vomiting or… Dogs · Emergency guide What are the first signs and timeline if my 12 kg dog is bitten on the leg by a pit viper? The first sign is usually two small puncture wounds, with pain and local swelling that can spread up the leg… Dogs · Food safety My 3-month-old, 2 kg puppy licked half a teaspoon of honey off my finger — is that safe for a tiny puppy? Yes, that small amount is safe for a puppy. A half teaspoon is about the size of a dime, so the sugar load is… Cats · Food safety My 4 kg cat with a sensitive stomach got diarrhea after eating two small pieces of steamed broccoli — is broccoli a common trigger for cat tummy upset? Yes, it can be. Broccoli contains isothiocyanates, which are fine in tiny amounts but can irritate a… Dogs · Food safety Are commercial dog chews that list 'green-lipped mussel' as a main ingredient safe for my 12 kg adult dog to eat daily? Yes, they are generally safe, as the mussels in these products are cooked and processed. Green-lipped mussel… Cats · Food safety My 4 kg cat licked one raw kale leaf I left on the counter — should I rush to the vet? No, you don't need to rush. A single lick or small bite of raw kale is perfectly safe for a healthy cat. The… Cats · Food safety My 3 kg cat just ate two bites of chocolate cake with frosting. What should I do first? Call your vet right away and tell them it was chocolate cake. For a small cat, even a few bites can be a… Cats · Food safety My 4 kg cat ate a small piece of pitted apricot that was left out overnight and now has a bit of mold on it — is this an emergency? No, it's not an emergency, but watch your cat closely. The small amount of flesh is still the main concern… Dogs · Food safety My 15 kg dog ate about half a cup of bison stew that had onion and red wine in the gravy — is the bison itself safe? The plain cooked bison is safe, but the stew is not. Onions are toxic to dogs and can damage their red blood… Cats · Food safety My 3-month-old, 1.5 kg kitten stole and ate a tiny piece of raw bok choy stem from my salad bowl — is that okay for such a small kitten? Yes, a tiny piece of raw bok choy is safe for a kitten. The stem is fibrous, so it might pass through…

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