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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 · Toxicity calculator My 4 kg Chihuahua only chewed and swallowed half of one raw macadamia nut — will she show any weakness or wobbliness in her hind legs? She might, but it is unlikely to be severe. Clinical signs from macadamia nuts are typically reported at… Dogs · Food safety My 12 kg golden retriever licked three plain cooked shrimp tails right off the kitchen counter while I was preparing dinner — is that dangerous? Probably not dangerous, but not risk-free either. Plain, fully cooked, shelled shrimp is an okay occasional… Dogs · Food safety Can a 2 kg pug safely eat two pitted cherries from the fruit bowl, or is the small body size a problem here? Two pitted cherries are unlikely to harm a 2 kg pug, but the small body size does matter. The flesh itself is… Cats · Emergency guide My 5 kg cat chewed a small AA battery about 30 minutes ago and has no symptoms yet — how soon should I see signs? Go to the vet now. First signs like drooling or pawing at the mouth can start within minutes if the casing is… Cats · Emergency guide My 5 kg nursing queen cat ate a piece of raw chicken off the kitchen counter two hours ago — is this dangerous for her and her kittens? Raw chicken can carry Salmonella, E. coli, and Listeria, which may cause severe vomiting and diarrhoea in the… Dogs · Toxicity calculator My 15 kg dog ate 50 g of dark chocolate four hours ago and started vomiting two hours later — what signs should I watch for now? You are already past the earliest warning signs, so now watch for a racing heart, trembling, restlessness, or… Cats · Emergency guide My 4.5 kg cat licked about a teaspoon of xylitol-based dental gel from an open tube this morning — what should I do in the next hour? Find the product tube and check the ingredient list for xylitol right now — even a small amount can be… Cats · Food safety My 8-year-old diabetic cat ate a small crust of plain white bread after a vet visit — what monitoring should I do at home? The bread itself is not toxic, but the carbs will affect her blood sugar, so check her glucose levels more… Dogs · Food safety My 12 kg senior dog with a history of sensitive stomach ate a commercial lactose-free yogurt treat — is this safe for him? Lactose-free yogurt treats are generally better tolerated than regular dairy, but his sensitive stomach may… Dogs · Food safety My 8 kg dog stole a handful of steamed plain mustard greens from the family dinner plate — is that amount safe? Yes, steamed plain mustard greens are safe for dogs in small amounts like this. A handful for an 8 kg dog is… Cats · Food safety My 3 kg cat ate five blackcurrants from the counter while my other 6 kg cat watched — is the smaller cat at higher risk? Blackcurrants are safe for cats, but the 3 kg cat ate a relatively larger proportion of fruit by body weight… Cats · Emergency guide My 4 kg cat walked across a floor mopped with ammonia cleaner, not bleach — is the risk the same? No, the risk is different and ammonia is still an emergency. Ammonia is a corrosive alkali that burns the… Cats · Emergency guide What happens if my 5 kg cat is regularly exposed to low levels of permethrin from a dog in the same house? Repeated exposure is extremely dangerous and can lead to a toxic crisis. Cats lack the enzyme to break down… Cats · Emergency guide My 3 kg cat licked a beef stew that had a cyclamen bulb cooked in it — is that less dangerous than chewing the raw plant? No, it is still highly toxic and requires immediate action. Cooking does not destroy the saponins in cyclamen… Dogs · Emergency guide My 12 kg dog with chronic kidney disease ate one silica gel packet — is the risk higher for him? The primary risk from a single silica gel packet is physical — choking or intestinal blockage, which is the… Dogs · Emergency guide My 15 kg dog licked a spill of tea tree oil 2 hours ago — what signs should appear by now, and how long will they last? Signs of tea tree oil poisoning typically begin within 30 minutes to 4 hours. By the 2-hour mark, you might… Dogs · Food safety For my 12 kg dog, are shelled sunflower seeds safer or more dangerous than pumpkin seeds as an occasional treat? Both are safe in tiny, shelled, unsalted amounts, but sunflower seeds carry a slightly higher risk of causing… Cats · Food safety How can I stop my 5 kg counter-surfing cat from stealing plain cooked herring fillets while I'm preparing dinner? Prevention is straightforward but requires consistency. Always prepare the herring on a plate at the back of… Dogs · Food safety My 10 kg dog just ate two pieces of salmon sushi that were left out on the coffee table overnight — what's the risk? The main risk is food poisoning from bacteria on the spoiled raw fish and rice, not the typical sushi… Dogs · Emergency guide My 6 kg pregnant dachshund just ate half a peace lily leaf and is drooling. Is this a risk to her and the puppies? Yes, the oxalate crystals in the leaf are irritating her mouth, which is the immediate concern. For a… Dogs · Emergency guide My 8 kg crossbreed dog licked Voltaren gel left on the sofa cushion overnight — is this dangerous? Yes, this is dangerous. Voltaren contains diclofenac, an NSAID that can cause acute kidney failure in dogs… Cats · Emergency guide Only my 4 kg indoor cat ate cocoa mulch in the garden — the other cat didn't touch it. Is she still at risk? Yes, she is at risk regardless of what the other cat did. Cocoa mulch contains theobromine and caffeine, and… Dogs · Toxicity calculator My 7 kg dog ate espresso grounds mixed into leftover risotto — is this dangerous? Yes, this is dangerous. Espresso grounds are far more concentrated in caffeine than brewed coffee, and your 7… Dogs · Food safety My 12 kg dog gets one slice of pepperoni every day for months — what long-term problems could this cause? Daily pepperoni will quietly build up problems over time. The salt content alone can strain your dog's… Cats · Food safety My 5 kg cat ate a tablespoon of plain cooked butternut squash that fell on the kitchen floor — what should I do now? You do not need to worry about the squash itself — cooked plain butternut squash is safe and gentle on a… Cats · Emergency guide What happens if my 5 kg cat eats a tablespoon of raw bread dough regularly, say every few days for weeks? Repeated exposure is dangerous. Each time, the dough expands in her warm stomach, risking bloat or a rupture.… Cats · Emergency guide My 4 kg cat ate several wilted chrysanthemum petals that had been in a vase for a week — is mould making them more toxic? The mould itself adds risk, but the chrysanthemums are already toxic. Wilted petals still contain pyrethrins… Cats · Food safety My 4 kg cat licked a plate with leftover rice that had mild curry sauce on it — is the sauce or spice the danger? The plain rice is safe, but the curry sauce is the concern. Onions and garlic are common in sauces and are… Cats · Food safety My 5 kg cat found and ate one piece of sugar-free hard candy that was left out for months — is expired xylitol more dangerous? Xylitol remains toxic even when old. For cats, the immediate risk is less about rapid hypoglycaemia than for… Cats · Food safety Is it safe for my 1 kg, 10-week-old kitten to eat a few coriander seeds she found on the kitchen floor? A few seeds are safe, but her tiny size means even small amounts can cause more upset. Watch for gentle…

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