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.

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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

All pets Dogs Cats

Dogs · Emergency guide My 15 kg dog drank a bowl of infant formula — what should I monitor over the next 24 hours? Watch for vomiting and diarrhea, which are the most common signs of lactose intolerance and usually show up… Dogs · Food safety How much plain cooked chicken can I give my 8 kg adult dog as a treat without upsetting his meals? Plain boneless skinless chicken is a healthy lean protein, but it should never replace his complete dog food.… Cats · Emergency guide Only my 5 kg indoor cat ate a tiny piece of bromethalin bait — how do I protect my other two cats who didn't touch it? Immediately call a vet or poison control — this is urgent even for a tiny piece. Isolate the exposed cat in a… Dogs · Emergency guide My 25 kg dog ate a bowl of beef stew that had a chunk of bromethalin rat bait mixed in — is the food masking the danger? The food does not reduce the danger — it may delay vomiting, allowing more toxin to absorb. Bromethalin… Dogs · Emergency guide My 3 kg Chihuahua licked a puddle of concentrated laundry detergent — is his small size a bigger problem? Yes, his small size means the same amount of chemical hits a much smaller body, concentrating the damage.… Dogs · Food safety I've been giving my 10 kg dog a tablespoon of plain cooked crab meat with his dinner every day for months — is that okay? Yes, that small daily amount is safe, provided it's always shell-free and unseasoned. Crab is a lean protein… Cats · Food safety My 4 kg cat just licked one single bite of fried catfish with cornmeal batter — is that a vet emergency? No, one lick is not an emergency. The danger in fried catfish is the batter — it's fatty, seasoned and hard… Dogs · Food safety Is a few chunks of cooked sweet potato safer or riskier than regular potato for my 7 kg dog with a sensitive stomach? Cooked sweet potato is generally safer for sensitive stomachs. Both are safe if plain and cooked, but sweet… Cats · Emergency guide My nursing cat licked a few flakes of lead paint off a windowsill — could it affect her kittens? Yes, this is a serious risk for both the mother cat and her kittens. Lead can pass through her milk, exposing… Cats · Emergency guide My cat keeps licking up the laundry detergent puddle by the washing machine every day — what long-term damage could this cause? This is a high-risk habit that needs to stop immediately. Repeated exposure to surfactants causes ongoing… Dogs · Emergency guide My 15 kg dog has been sneaking licks from the laundry detergent measuring cup once a week for months — is this building up to something bad? Yes, this pattern is dangerous. While a single lick might cause immediate drooling, repeated weekly exposure… Cats · Emergency guide My 4 kg cat ate a tiny green block — is bromethalin rat bait worse for her than the old red warfarin kind? Yes, bromethalin is far more dangerous and acts differently. Unlike warfarin, which causes internal bleeding… Cats · Food safety My 3 kg cat lapped up about a tablespoon of lukewarm hot chocolate — what signs of chocolate poisoning should I watch for and when? Watch for vomiting, restlessness, and a racing heart. Signs typically start 4 to 12 hours after ingestion… Dogs · Emergency guide My 9 kg dog has chronic kidney disease and ate a flake of lead paint from the windowsill — is the kidney damage making this more dangerous? Yes, it makes this far more dangerous. Lead attacks the kidneys first, and a dog whose organs are already… Dogs · Food safety Is green onion toxic to a 3 kg Japanese Chin, and does her tiny size make the anemia risk worse than it would be for a larger dog? Green onion is toxic to dogs of every size — there is no safe threshold. However, a 3 kg Japanese Chin is at… Dogs · Emergency guide My pregnant dog licked lead paint flakes off the windowsill over the weekend — is she at risk for her puppies too? Yes, this is an emergency. Lead builds up slowly over days to weeks, poisoning her blood and nervous system… Dogs · Emergency guide My 15 kg dog ate a whole block of bromethalin bait from the garage this morning, but my other two dogs didn't touch it. What do I do? Call your vet or the ASPCA poison line at 888-426-4435 now. A whole block is a massive dose for a 15 kg dog… Cats · Emergency guide My 3.5 kg cat ate a flake of old lead paint and the vet gave her activated charcoal — what tests will she need over the next week? Your vet will run a blood lead level test, likely 24-48 hours after ingestion and again in a week. They will… Cats · Emergency guide My 5 kg indoor cat ate a crumb of bromethalin bait and now has watery diarrhoea but no other signs — is this just a stomach upset? No, diarrhoea alone is not just a simple upset — it is an early sign of poisoning that requires immediate… Dogs · Emergency guide My 25 kg dog ate a paint chip and the vet gave him a chelating agent — how long do I need to watch him at home for weakness or seizures? You will need to monitor him closely for at least two weeks. Lead builds up slowly, so signs like reduced… Dogs · Emergency guide My 10 kg dog chewed open a vitamin bottle and swallowed a laundry detergent gel cap he thought was a treat — is this a hidden poisoning risk? Yes, this is a high risk — those gel caps contain concentrated surfactants that burn the mouth, throat, and… Dogs · Food safety My 20 kg dog ate a bowl of cooked clams that were left on the counter overnight — can spoiled seafood make him sick? Yes, clams left out overnight can grow bacteria that cause vomiting and diarrhoea. The risk is food… Cats · Food safety My 4 kg cat licked a spoon coated with erythritol-sweetened frosting — does her small size make a tiny amount riskier? Her small size does make her more sensitive, but a single lick is unlikely to cause more than mild diarrhoea… Cats · Emergency guide My 4 kg indoor cat found a piece of bromethalin rat bait that was left out overnight in the garage — is it still deadly even after sitting out? Yes, it is still deadly. Bromethalin does not break down or lose potency just because it sat out — the… Cats · Food safety My 8-week-old tabby kitten, about 800 grams, nibbled a piece of raw shallot — is this an emergency? Yes, this is an emergency. Red shallots are more concentrated than onions, and an 800 gram kitten is tiny… Dogs · Food safety My 20 kg Labrador ate two sugar-free cookies that listed xylitol on the label — should I be worried? Yes, xylitol is a real emergency for dogs. Even a small amount can cause a rapid drop in blood sugar and… Dogs · Food safety My 7 kg terrier swallowed a few pieces of raw bamboo shoot from my stir-fry — is the uncooked form dangerous? Yes, raw bamboo is the dangerous form. Uncooked bamboo shoots contain cyanogenic compounds that release… Cats · Emergency guide My cat weighs 3 kg, licks up laundry detergent puddle daily, what harm? Immediate harm possible, call vet now. Detergent's surfactants can harm mouth, throat, stomach. Cat's size… Cats · Emergency guide My 4 kg indoor cat is obsessed with peeling paint on the windowsill — is training 'leave it' enough to stop her eating lead paint flakes? No, training alone is not a reliable barrier against lead paint. Lead binds to enzymes needed for red blood… Cats · Emergency guide My 3.5 kg cat licked a dinner plate that had a splash of liquid laundry detergent mixed in with the leftover gravy — is that small amount dangerous? Yes, even a lick of detergent mixed with food is dangerous for a small cat. The surfactants dissolve cell…

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