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Poisoning questions, answered

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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 much foxglove leaf is dangerous for my 30 kg dog — is one leaf an emergency? Yes, even one leaf is a life-threatening emergency for any dog. Foxglove contains cardiac glycosides that… Cats · Food safety How do I train my 6 kg cat to leave a bowl of ripe mulberries on the counter alone? Yes, training is a good idea. Ripe mulberries are safe for cats in small amounts, but the unripe fruit and… Dogs · Emergency guide My 15 kg terrier has been getting half a 10 mg methylphenidate pill every morning for two weeks — what damage has this done? Yes, this is an urgent situation requiring a vet visit. Repeated dosing builds the drug up in your dog's… Cats · Emergency guide My pregnant cat just ate a whole azalea leaf about an hour ago. She's a 5 kg Maine Coon and seems wobbly now. What do I do? This is an emergency. The toxins in azalea can cause a dangerously slow heart rate and low blood pressure… Dogs · Food safety My 8 kg terrier ate two overripe, mouldy plums from the compost bin. Should I be worried? Yes, watch him closely. The mould itself is the main concern, not the fruit flesh. Mould can contain… Dogs · Food safety My 12 kg Labrador ate a whole bowl of leftover cooked beef, but my 5 kg terrier didn't get any — do I need to feed the terrier too? No, you do not need to feed the terrier. Plain cooked lean beef is a safe protein source, so the Labrador… Dogs · Food safety Is plain cooked barley better or worse for a 15 kg dog's digestion than a similar amount of oatmeal? Neither is better or worse; both are safe, bland fibre sources. Cooked barley and plain oatmeal are equally… Cats · Food safety My 4 kg indoor cat is always trying to steal my food — which common human snacks or frozen meals might contain green beans as a hidden ingredient? Plain green beans themselves are safe for cats, but the hidden risk is in how they're prepared. Look for… Dogs · Food safety My 7 kg Cocker Spaniel ate about two tablespoons of plain cream cheese 3 hours ago — what signs of stomach upset should I watch for and when would they start? Watch for vomiting, diarrhea, or a reluctance to eat. Signs from rich, fatty foods like cream cheese often… Cats · Emergency guide My 5 kg cat just ate a piece of raw chicken breast that was left out on the counter overnight — is the spoilage bacteria an emergency? Yes, this is an emergency due to bacterial contamination, not just spoilage. Raw meat left out overnight… Dogs · Food safety My 10 kg terrier snatched and swallowed a whole slice of raw lemon, including the peel — is the peel worse than the juice or cooked lemon would be? The peel is the main problem. Raw lemon peel contains concentrated oils and psoralens that are more… Dogs · Emergency guide My 25 kg Labrador chewed open a standard AA alkaline battery about 30 minutes ago — is this as urgent as a button battery, and what do I look for right now? Yes, it is equally urgent. Alkaline batteries leak potassium hydroxide, a caustic substance that burns on… Dogs · Food safety Can a few slices of peeled pear cause diarrhea or itchy skin in a 6 kg dog with a known sensitive stomach, or is that just the seeds? The peeled flesh can cause issues for a sensitive dog, unrelated to the seeds' cyanide risk. The natural… Dogs · Food safety Is raw halibut steak safe for my 12 kg dog, or does it need to be cooked like salmon to kill parasites? Raw halibut is not safe — it must be cooked. Like all raw fish, halibut can carry parasites and bacteria that… Cats · Emergency guide My 4 kg cat had a lick of garlic powder sauce and now has gas and diarrhea — is this from the garlic or something else? The garlic is the likely culprit for the stomach upset, but the bigger risk is hidden anemia that can show up… Cats · Food safety My 4kg indoor cat managed to snag two raw pineapple chunks that were left on the counter for 20minutes; how can I keep her from getting pineapple in the future? No emergency, just store the pineapple where she can’t reach it. Fresh pineapple flesh is safe in tiny… Dogs · Emergency guide My 35 kg pregnant dog licked a small puddle of liquid drain cleaner 15 minutes ago and is now drooling. What should I do? Yes, this is an urgent emergency for her and her unborn puppies. Drain cleaner is highly caustic and can… Dogs · Food safety My 5 kg poodle just ate a spoonful of whole coriander seeds from the kitchen counter — what should I do in the next hour? Coriander seeds are safe for dogs, though a whole spoonful can irritate a small dog's stomach. Whole seeds… Dogs · Food safety My 15 kg dog ate a whole handful of salmon-flavoured dog treats (the kind wrapped in a resealable pouch) within 30 minutes — could those be dangerous? Cooked salmon-flavoured treats are safe. The real danger with salmon is raw fish, which can carry the… Dogs · Food safety My 10 kg Labrador ate a whole handful of parsley and vomited — how soon after eating parsley would signs appear? Parsley itself is safe, so vomiting is likely from eating too much roughage too fast. Signs like an upset… Dogs · Food safety My 8 kg cocker spaniel ate three peeled lychees and now has diarrhoea — is this a common reaction? Yes, diarrhoea is a common reaction to lychees for dogs. The fruit flesh is very high in sugar, and that… Dogs · Food safety My 6 kg Pomeranian licked half a teaspoon of strawberry jam and got diarrhoea — is the jam to blame? Yes, the jam could easily cause diarrhoea in a small dog. Half a teaspoon is a concentrated hit of sugar for… Cats · Food safety Only my 3 kg kitten ate a few plain pasta noodles off the floor — do I need to treat my other two adult cats differently? No, you don't need to treat the adult cats differently. Plain cooked pasta is safe for cats, so the main… Cats · Food safety My 4 kg, 4-month-old kitten ate one macadamia nut — is this more dangerous for a kitten than an adult cat? Yes, it is more dangerous for a kitten. While macadamia nuts are known to be toxic to dogs, their effect on… Cats · Food safety My 5 kg cat licked a small puddle of balsamic vinegar that was left out in a dish overnight — is spoiled vinegar worse? The main risk is the vinegar's acidity, not spoilage. Vinegar doesn't spoil in a way that creates harmful… Dogs · Food safety Is a thin slice of raw zucchini safe for my 10-week-old, 4 kg puppy to try? Yes, a thin slice of raw zucchini is safe for a puppy. Zucchini is non-toxic and low in calories, but you… Dogs · Emergency guide My 8 kg beagle got his paw on a glue trap and licked it clean — will this cause diarrhea or itchy skin? Yes, licking the adhesive can cause digestive upset like diarrhea or vomiting. The industrial glue is not… Dogs · Food safety My 20 lb dog just drank about half a glass of beer. How much alcohol is dangerous for a dog? Yes, this is an urgent risk. Half a glass of beer for a 20 lb dog is a significant dose of ethanol. Alcohol… Cats · Food safety Can a 500 g kitten eat a celery string? Not from a raw piece — that single string is a choking hazard for a cat that small. You can offer a tiny bit… Cats · Emergency guide My 3 kg cat ate a mothball that fell into the chicken stew — she vomited twice within an hour, what do I do? Go to the vet now. Mothballs contain naphthalene or paradichlorobenzene, which damage red blood cells and can…

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