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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 25 kg dog ate 4 adult iron gummy vitamins 12 hours ago and the vet gave him medication. What does recovery look like and how long should I monitor him? Recovery depends on the iron dose and how quickly treatment started. The vet likely ran blood tests to check… Cats · Emergency guide My 5 kg cat has been nibbling small pieces of corn cob from our compost for weeks. What happens if she eats it regularly? Regular nibbling is a high risk for a life-threatening blockage. Each tiny, hard piece adds up, eventually… Dogs · Emergency guide My 60 kg Great Dane ate a 2-inch piece of corn cob. Does his large size make it safer than for a small dog? No, his size does not make it safe. The cob's hard, fibrous material cannot be digested by any dog, and it… Cats · Emergency guide My 3 kg cat chewed a dried, brown tip of a snake plant leaf. Are the dried parts less toxic than fresh green leaves? No, dried parts are just as toxic. The saponins that cause burning and vomiting remain active in the plant… Cats · Food safety My 4 kg senior cat ate two raisins that were left out overnight and are now shriveled. Does spoilage change the toxicity? No, spoilage does not reduce the toxicity. Raisins are dangerous fresh or old, and even one can cause acute… Cats · Food safety My 3 kg kitten licked a small slice of raw apple with peel, but I removed the core. Should I be worried about one lick? No, one lick is not a worry. The flesh and peel of apple are safe for cats in small amounts, and a lick… Dogs · Emergency guide My dog grabbed a piece of snake plant from the party buffet table. He's 12 kg and started drooling a lot. What do I do? Yes, this is urgent. Those saponins burn his mouth and gut on contact, and the drooling means he definitely… Cats · Emergency guide My 3 kg cat licked the very tip of one snake plant leaf — is this an emergency or should I just watch her? It is not an emergency, but it is not nothing either. Saponins activate on contact, so even a lick can… Cats · Food safety My 6 kg indoor cat jumped onto the Thanksgiving buffet and ate two pieces of cooked okra — the dish had garlic in it. Should I be concerned? The okra itself is safe in small amounts, but garlic is toxic to cats and that changes everything. Even a… Dogs · Food safety My 9 kg dog with a history of pancreatitis has been getting a lick of vanilla ice cream every day for three months — is this safe? No, this is not safe for a dog with a pancreatitis history. The combination of lactose, sugar, and fat in ice… Cats · Emergency guide What if my cat ate an entire bottle of iron gummy vitamins? This is urgent. Iron can be toxic to cats. If you see vomiting, black or tarry diarrhea, pale gums, or signs… Cats · Emergency guide Can I give my senior cat a joint supplement gummy that lists iron in the ingredients? No, do not give it. Iron in any amount is a serious risk for cats, who cannot regulate it like humans can.… Dogs · Emergency guide Is it dangerous to leave a corn cob in the yard where my 8 kg dog finds small pieces every day for weeks? Yes. Even small fragments nibbled day after day add up — compacted cob fibre does not break down in a dog… Dogs · Food safety My 10 kg dog licked fennel bulb and fronds from a plate after I finished cooking a stew — is the fennel itself dangerous? The fennel itself is safe for dogs in the small amounts your 10 kg dog likely licked, but the real concern is… Cats · Emergency guide Can a 5 kg cat get sick from corn cob pieces hidden in canned dog food? Yes, absolutely. Corn cob is a dense, indigestible fibre that won't soften or break down, even when processed… Dogs · Emergency guide How do I stop my 15 kg dog from grabbing gummy vitamins off the nightstand every morning? You need to treat those gummies like a bottle of prescription pills. Dogs are drawn to the sweet, fruity… Dogs · Emergency guide How much snake plant leaf can a 30 kg dog chew before it becomes a serious emergency? There is no safe amount. The saponins in snake plant cause an immediate burning irritation upon contact with… Dogs · Emergency guide My 10 kg dog ate some dry cornbread mix—could there be corn cob grit in it that causes a blockage? Yes, that's a real risk. Some cheaper cornmeal or corn-based mixes include finely ground corn cob as a filler… Dogs · Food safety Is a small piece of cooked, sweetened rhubarb stem safe for my 12 kg dog to taste? No, it's not safe. Cooking and sugar do not remove the oxalates present in rhubarb, which are toxic to dogs… Dogs · Emergency guide My 15 kg Labrador ate a boiled snake plant leaf he found in the compost — is that less toxic? No, boiling does not make snake plants safe. The saponins that burn the mouth and gut are still present and… Cats · Emergency guide My 4 kg cat licked a corn chowder bowl that had a small cob piece in it — is that a blockage risk? Yes, even a small piece from a soup poses a serious blockage risk for a cat. The cob's hard, fibrous ridges… Dogs · Emergency guide My 30 kg dog grabbed a handful of kids' gummy vitamins off the picnic table at our BBQ — what should I do right now? Act now. A handful of gummies can contain a toxic dose of iron for a dog, and the fruit flavour makes them… Cats · Emergency guide My 3 kg cat chewed a fresh snake plant leaf 30 minutes ago — how soon will symptoms appear and how long do they last? Symptoms usually start within 15 minutes of chewing. You'll likely see heavy drooling and pawing at the mouth… Cats · Food safety My 5 kg cat ate one whole oil-packed anchovy 4 hours ago and vomited once — what should I watch for during recovery? Monitor for continued vomiting, diarrhea, or signs of salt toxicity like excessive thirst, lethargy, or… Dogs · Food safety Are plain boiled egg noodles safer for my 8 kg dog than instant ramen noodles with the seasoning packet? Yes, plain boiled egg noodles are safe, while instant ramen is not. The danger in ramen isn't the noodles but… Cats · Emergency guide My 4 kg cat ate two fruit-flavored gummy vitamins from the holiday buffet table — is this an emergency? Yes, this is an emergency. Many multivitamin gummies contain iron, and a cat that size cannot handle even a… Dogs · Emergency guide My 12 kg dog licked the tip of a fresh snake plant leaf once — should I panic and call the vet right now? Yes, call your vet. Snake plants contain saponins that burn the mouth and digestive tract on contact — even… Dogs · Emergency guide My 25 kg dog ate a beef stew that had a small piece of boiled corn cob in it — could that cause a blockage? Yes, that piece is a serious blockage risk. Cooking does not soften the cob's compacted fiber — it remains… Cats · Food safety Can a few unsalted, shelled sunflower seeds give my 4 kg cat with a sensitive stomach diarrhoea or gas? Yes, they easily can. Even shelled seeds are high in fat and fiber, which are common triggers for digestive… Dogs · Food safety My 8-week-old, 2 kg puppy lapped up a teaspoon of whipped cream — is his tiny size and young age a bigger concern? Yes, his size and age make this riskier. A puppy's digestive system is still developing and cannot handle…

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