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Poisoning questions, answered

Every question has a direct answer, a symptom checklist and clear next steps — plus a matching tool that estimates the real risk.

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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
Cats · Food safety My 5 kg nursing cat chewed a tomato stem from my garden — will the toxins affect her kittens through her milk? The immediate risk is to the mother cat. Tomato stems contain solanine and tomatine, which can cause… Cats · Food safety My 4 kg cat licked about two teaspoons of sugar-free energy drink off the table — is that small amount dangerous? Yes, even two teaspoons can be dangerous for a cat. Sugar-free versions still contain caffeine, and the… Dogs · Food safety What happens if I give my 15 kg dog a tiny piece of milk chocolate as a daily treat for a year? This is a terrible idea. Theobromine builds up in the system over time, stressing the heart and nervous… Dogs · Emergency guide Could my 25 lb dog’s new joint supplement secretly contain sago palm extract, and would that explain his sudden vomiting? It's possible, and yes, that could explain the vomiting. Sago palm extract is sometimes marketed in human… Dogs · Emergency guide My 40 lb dog took one small bite of a white mushroom in the park 20 minutes ago — is that bite enough to be an emergency? Yes, treat it as an emergency. One bite of an unidentified white mushroom can be enough if it's a toxic… Cats · Emergency guide My 2-month-old, 1.5 kg kitten just ate half a crushed alprazolam pill that fell on the carpet — how urgent is this for a tiny kitten? Extremely urgent. A kitten's tiny body and immature liver make even half a pill a high overdose.… Cats · Emergency guide My 4 kg pregnant cat dug in the compost bin and ate some moldy coffee grounds — is this more dangerous for her and her unborn kittens? Yes, it's more dangerous. The tremorgenic mycotoxins in moldy compost can cause seizures, which risk oxygen… Cats · Food safety My 5 kg cat ate a few pieces of buttered popcorn that were left out overnight and now seems lethargic — is the spoilage or the butter the problem? It's likely both. Butter turns rancid and can cause gastrointestinal upset, leading to lethargy and possibly… Cats · Food safety My 3 kg senior cat just licked a tiny bit of balsamic dressing off a radicchio leaf — is that safe or should I be worried? The radicchio itself is safe, but the dressing is the concern. Balsamic vinegar and oil are not toxic, but… Cats · Emergency guide My cat ate a pear core and an apple core — is the pear one more toxic to her? She's a 4 kg adult with no symptoms yet. Yes, a pear core is more concerning than an apple core for a cat. Both contain cyanide-releasing compounds in… Cats · Emergency guide Is one lick of xylitol-based pet dental gel dangerous for a 4 kg cat? Yes, take it seriously. Even a single lick of xylitol-based gel is enough to trigger concern because xylitol… Cats · Emergency guide Can a 4 kg nursing cat safely drink half a cup of infant formula? It's not safe. Most adult cats are lactose intolerant, and infant formula is loaded with lactose, sugar, and… Cats · Emergency guide My 4 kg cat swallowed a single birth control pill — should I worry? Yes, contact your vet. Most oral contraceptives contain oestrogen and progestogen, and even a single tablet… Dogs · Emergency guide My 30 kg Labrador chewed a few lily petals this morning — is that dangerous for a dog that size? It depends on the lily species, but the risk is far lower for dogs than for cats. Lilies are famously fatal… Cats · Food safety My 5 kg diabetic cat eats a small piece of lychee flesh every day — will this affect her blood sugar? Yes, it will. Lychee flesh is very high in natural sugar, and for a diabetic cat that means her blood glucose… Dogs · Food safety My 6 kg Shih Tzu ate hazelnuts left out overnight and now has vomiting and diarrhoea — could the mould be making it worse? Yes, likely. Hazelnuts themselves are not toxic to dogs, but the high fat content can irritate the gut and… Cats · Emergency guide My 3 kg cat licked raw hand sanitizer gel directly off my palm — is this dangerous? Yes, this is an immediate risk for a cat that small. A single lick can deliver a concentrated dose of… Dogs · Emergency guide My 30 kg dog once got into a bag of THC gummies left on a low shelf. How can I prevent this and train 'leave it'? Yes, you need a prevention plan because dogs are far more sensitive to THC than people. Store all cannabis… Cats · Emergency guide My 4 kg indoor cat licked liquid enrofloxacin syrup that was left uncapped on the kitchen counter for 30 minutes — she's vomiting now. How urgent is this? Very urgent — this needs same-day emergency veterinary care. A 4 kg cat has likely ingested more than enough… Dogs · Emergency guide My 9 kg arthritic dog swallowed a whole paracetamol tablet two hours ago and is now vomiting — is this an emergency? Yes, this is a time-critical emergency. Paracetamol is dangerously toxic to dogs: it destroys red blood cells… Dogs · Emergency guide My 11 kg dog with a known heart condition chewed and ate half of a human amlodipine tablet — his gums are pale and he seems wobbly. What should I do? This is an emergency — go to the nearest animal hospital now. Amlodipine lowers blood pressure and heart… Dogs · Food safety My 10 kg Beagle ate about 15 unripe green mulberries from our backyard tree and now has loose stools. Is this dangerous or just a tummy upset? Unripe mulberries and the leaves are not safe for dogs, and your Beagle is already showing signs — the loose… Dogs · Food safety My 12 kg golden retriever ate a lime wedge with peel and seeds while eating leftover Chinese takeaway — should I worry about the peel oils or just the acidity? The peel oils are the bigger concern. Lime peel contains essential oils that irritate the gastrointestinal… Cats · Food safety My 3.5 kg indoor cat ate about 30 g of plain boiled pork that I left on the counter overnight — what signs should I watch for and when do they appear? Plain cooked pork is safe in small amounts for cats, but 30 g is a fair portion for a 3.5 kg cat and leaving… Cats · Food safety My 5 kg cat with diabetes licked a teaspoon of granulated sugar off the kitchen counter — is this dangerous given his condition? A single teaspoon of sugar is not acutely toxic, but for a diabetic cat it is exactly the kind of thing that… Dogs · Toxicity calculator My 5 kg dog just ate two bites of a sugar-free chocolate bar that lists caffeine as an ingredient — is this a hidden source of caffeine poisoning? Yes, that's a hidden and dangerous source. Sugar-free chocolate bars often contain added caffeine for an… Dogs · Emergency guide Could my 7 kg dog get iron poisoning from licking a bowl of fortified breakfast cereal that contains 18 mg of iron per serving? It's unlikely from just licking a bowl, but fortified cereals are a hidden source of iron. The iron in cereal… Dogs · Emergency guide Is the sorbitol in a cup of sugar-free yogurt more dangerous for my 6 kg dog if it's flavored versus plain? The danger comes from the sorbitol amount, not the flavor. A whole cup of any sugar-free yogurt is a large… Dogs · Emergency guide My 2 kg, 3-month-old puppy was bitten on the paw by a small pit viper — is this more urgent because of his tiny size and young age? Yes, this is critically urgent. A puppy's small body means the same venom dose is concentrated, causing… Cats · Emergency guide My 4 kg cat just licked boric acid powder from a broken roach bait station 10 minutes ago — what are the absolute first steps I should take in the next hour? First, move your cat away from the powder and brush any visible residue off her fur with a dry paper towel.…

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