Suspect poisoning? US: ASPCA Poison Control (888) 426-4435 · UK: 01202 509 000 · Severe symptoms → nearest emergency vet now.

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.

Prefer to run the tool?

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

All pets Dogs Cats

Dogs · Food safety My 20 kg dog snatched a raw lamb chop with the bone and fatty edge — what's the biggest risk here? The bone is the immediate danger. Raw lamb bones can splinter and cause choking, mouth injuries, or a… Dogs · Food safety My 10 kg dog keeps trying to nibble the leaves of my passion fruit vine — how do I train him to leave it alone? Training 'leave it' is crucial, as passion fruit leaves contain cyanide precursors and are toxic. Start by… Cats · Emergency guide My 2.5 kg domestic shorthair cat just chewed a poinsettia leaf and I can see white sap on her fur — does her small size make this more serious? Her small size does matter — a 2.5 kg cat has far less body mass to dilute whatever she ingested compared… Cats · Emergency guide My 5 kg cat ate a piece of cheese that had been left out overnight and is now acting unusually lethargic — should I call poison control right away? Don't wait — call your vet or the ASPCA poison control line at 888-426-4435 now. Moldy or fermented foods can… Dogs · Emergency guide My 12 kg terrier digs up and chews a piece of cyclamen root every week in the garden — what long-term damage could this do to him? Weekly exposure adds up. Cyclamen roots contain the highest concentration of toxic saponins, and repeated… Dogs · Food safety Is butter more dangerous for my 15 kg dog than margarine, and what should I watch for if he eats either one? Butter is the riskier option. It's high in saturated fat and dairy, both of which can trigger vomiting… Cats · Emergency guide My 5 kg cat just chewed and swallowed a piece of a leaking AA battery 10 minutes ago — what are the very first things I should do before the vet? Go to the vet immediately — do not wait. The leaking potassium hydroxide is a strong alkali that causes deep… Dogs · Emergency guide My 8-week-old, 2 kg puppy ate one small kalanchoe flower from a potted plant — is the cardiac toxin risk higher for a puppy this young? Yes, the risk is significantly higher for a very young, small puppy. Their bodies are less able to process… Dogs · Food safety My 15 kg dog ate about a handful of salted cashews that were left out on the coffee table overnight — are stale, salty nuts a problem? The main issues are the high salt and fat content, not the staleness. A handful of salted cashews can deliver… Dogs · Emergency guide My 8-week-old, 2.5 kg puppy licked hydrocortisone cream from my first aid kit. Is this an emergency? Yes, this is an emergency for a puppy that small. Their developing liver and kidneys are much less able to… Dogs · Emergency guide My 10 kg beagle ate a whole slice of raisin bread 30 minutes ago. What should I do right now before the vet? Call your vet or an emergency clinic immediately. Time is critical with raisin toxicity, and a whole slice is… Dogs · Emergency guide Only one of my three dogs, a 15 kg mix, ate two crushed pear pits from the compost. How do I handle the other dogs who didn't eat any? Focus on the dog that ate the pits—this is an emergency. The cyanide risk is real from crushed pits, and two… Cats · Food safety My 4 kg cat with a sensitive stomach had diarrhea after eating a few small pieces of plain, cooked pheasant last night. Was it the pheasant? It likely was the pheasant, even though the meat itself is safe. Any new protein, especially a game meat, can… Cats · Food safety My 5 kg cat ate one peeled mandarin segment yesterday and seems fine. How long should I monitor her, and what would the vet check? Monitor her for 24 hours after eating it. For a single segment of flesh, the main risk is an upset stomach… Cats · Food safety My 4 kg cat ate a few walnut pieces and was treated at the vet. What happens now during recovery, and how long will she be monitored? Recovery depends on what she was treated for. If she had vomiting induced, she'll be tired and may have a… Cats · Food safety My curious 3 kg kitten licked one whole clove from an open spice jar. Do I need to rush to the vet for one lick? Probably not an immediate rush, but watch her closely. One lick of a whole clove is more likely to cause… Cats · Emergency guide Is a laundry detergent pod more dangerous for my 4 kg cat than a lick of liquid laundry detergent? Yes, a pod is far more dangerous. Liquid detergent is diluted, while a pod's gel is a concentrated paste that… Dogs · Emergency guide Are dog joint chews with spirulina or blue-green algae extract safe for my 15 kg senior dog? No, avoid them. The 'blue-green algae' in supplements is usually a controlled strain of spirulina, but the… Cats · Emergency guide Are there any cat skin supplements with gasoline or diesel derivatives that are safe for my 3 kg indoor cat? No, absolutely not. Gasoline and its derivatives like benzene are poisonous solvents, never safe ingredients… Dogs · Emergency guide My 8-week-old, 2 kg puppy just chewed a whole aloe vera leaf — is this more dangerous for a puppy than an adult dog? Yes, far more dangerous. A puppy's tiny body cannot handle the same volume of aloin, the strong laxative in… Dogs · Emergency guide What happens if my 12 kg dog licks up a teaspoon of spilled rubbing alcohol from the floor every day for a week? Repeated small doses are still toxic. Isopropyl alcohol depresses the nervous system and metabolizes into… Cats · Food safety How can I train my 4 kg curious cat to leave a plate of Cajun crawfish alone during a backyard boil? Prevention is easier than training in the moment. Keep her indoors with a closed door or in a separate room… Dogs · Food safety What are the first signs and timeline if my 7 kg terrier eats two raw chopped shallots? Signs often start 24-48 hours later. First, you might see vomiting, diarrhoea, and abdominal pain. The real… Cats · Food safety Is it safe for my pregnant 4 kg cat to nibble a few arugula leaves from my salad plate? Yes, a few plain arugula leaves are safe. The greens themselves are not toxic. The risk comes from what's on… Cats · Emergency guide My 3 kg senior cat licked ibuprofen gel off my arm 40 minutes ago and is already vomiting — what should I do right now? This is an emergency — call your vet or the ASPCA Poison Control Line (888-426-4435) now. Topical ibuprofen… Dogs · Emergency guide My 6 kg Chihuahua and my 35 kg Golden both ate raw rhubarb leaves — is the danger the same for tiny and large dogs? No, the danger is not the same — the small dog is at far greater immediate risk. The toxic dose is relative… Dogs · Emergency guide My 18 kg dog ate a few spoonfuls of beef stew that had ammonia-based cleaner accidentally splashed into it — is this an emergency? Yes, this is an urgent situation. Ammonia is a strong corrosive, and being mixed into food doesn't lessen its… Cats · Emergency guide Could my 5 kg indoor cat be exposed to cyclamen from a store-bought floral arrangement or a decorative potted plant mix? Yes, absolutely — cyclamen is a common decorative plant in mixed floral arrangements and holiday pot… Cats · Emergency guide My 4 kg cat ate about ten azalea leaves two hours ago and the vet treated her — how long should I monitor her at home and what signs mean I should go back? Monitor your cat for at least 24 to 48 hours after leaving the clinic. Grayanotoxins lock open sodium… Dogs · Emergency guide My 5 kg terrier licked half a pump of hand sanitizer off the kitchen counter — is that amount enough to make him wobbly? Yes, that amount can definitely cause problems. A typical pump holds about one to two milliliters of pure…

Page 224 of 337

The library keeps growing. Can’t find your situation? Open the matching toxicity calculator and enter weight plus amount for an instant risk level.