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 5 kg puppy just ate a small piece of bromethalin bait—is it worse for him than a square of chocolate? Yes, bromethalin is a severe emergency, while a tiny bit of chocolate often isn't. That bait is designed to… Cats · Emergency guide I saw 'lead' listed on a cat chew toy ingredient label — is it safe for my 4 kg indoor cat to chew on? No, any product containing lead is unsafe. Lead is a cumulative metal poison that damages red blood cells and… Dogs · Emergency guide My 12 kg dog keeps trying to lick peeling paint off the windowsill — is training 'leave it' enough to stop him eating lead paint? No, training alone is not enough. Lead paint is highly toxic, and ingestion can cause anemia, neurological… Cats · Emergency guide Only one of my three cats licked a puddle of laundry detergent — how do I handle my other two 4 kg cats who didn't touch it? Focus on the exposed cat first. Laundry detergent causes immediate mouth pain, drooling and can lead to… Cats · Emergency guide My 5 kg cat with chronic kidney disease ate a tiny piece of bromethalin rat bait — is her kidney condition making this more dangerous? Yes, her kidney disease significantly increases the risk. Bromethalin is metabolized by the liver and… Cats · Food safety My 4 kg outdoor cat brings home and nibbles wild mushrooms from the garden every day — what long-term damage could this cause? This is extremely dangerous and can cause sudden liver failure or death. Many wild mushroom species contain… Cats · Food safety Only my 6 kg cat ate a few pieces of plain cooked rabbit from my plate — should I offer any to my other two cats who didn't get any? Cooked rabbit is safe for cats, so sharing small, boneless pieces with the others is fine as an occasional… Cats · Emergency guide Is liquid laundry detergent worse for my 4 kg cat than bar soap if she licks a puddle? Yes, laundry detergent is significantly worse. Its surfactants are designed to dissolve oils and can rapidly… Cats · Emergency guide How do I stop my 5 kg indoor cat from chewing peeling lead paint on the windowsill during a party? You need to physically block access before guests arrive. Lead is a cumulative poison that builds up over… Cats · Emergency guide My 4 kg nursing cat ate a crumb of bromethalin rat bait — could it affect her kittens? Yes, it could affect her kittens. Bromethalin is a potent neurotoxin that concentrates in the liver and can… Dogs · Food safety Is a slice of cheese pizza worse for my 12 kg dog than plain bread? Yes, pizza is worse. Plain bread is mostly empty carbs, but pizza brings salt, fat, and usually onion and… Dogs · Food safety How soon after eating a handful of raw gooseberries would my 6 kg dog start vomiting? If vomiting occurs, it usually starts within 2 to 6 hours. The acidity of raw gooseberries can irritate the… Dogs · Emergency guide My 12-week-old puppy ate a crumb of bromethalin bait and had diarrhea within an hour. Could this just be a sensitive stomach? No, this is an emergency—call your vet or the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center at 888-426-4435 now. That’s… Dogs · Emergency guide I saw 'lead-based pigment' on the label of a chew toy for my 10 kg dog — are treats with that ingredient safe? No, they are not safe. Any product containing lead pigment poses a poisoning risk if your dog chews and… Cats · Emergency guide How many flakes of lead paint from my old windowsill would be dangerous for my 3.5 kg indoor cat to eat? Any amount is dangerous — there is no safe portion. Lead is a cumulative poison, so even one small flake can… Cats · Emergency guide My 5 kg cat ate a crumb of bromethalin bait and the vet gave her activated charcoal — what monitoring does she need at home for the next 48 hours? Watch her closely for any neurological signs, as the toxin causes brain swelling. The critical window is the… Dogs · Food safety My 12 kg dog ate a large piece of grapefruit including the white pith two hours ago — what should I watch for and for how long? Watch for stomach upset, primarily vomiting or diarrhea. The oils and compounds in the pith and peel are… Dogs · Food safety Is a teaspoon of smoked paprika worse for my 7 kg dog's stomach than the same amount of mild sweet paprika? Yes, smoked paprika is more likely to cause irritation. While sweet paprika is usually tolerated in tiny… Cats · Food safety Is it okay to give my 4 kg cat a few small pieces of steamed zucchini mixed into her food every day for extra fiber? Yes, that's generally fine as a regular addition. Plain steamed zucchini is safe and low in calories, which… Dogs · Emergency guide My 8 kg dog just licked liquid laundry detergent from the bottom of his dinner bowl — how dangerous is this? This is an emergency — liquid laundry detergent is toxic to dogs. Surfactants in the detergent dissolve cell… Cats · Emergency guide My 5 kg indoor cat has been actively chewing on old flaky lead paint from our 1970s windowsill — is crumbly, crumbling paint more dangerous than intact paint? Yes — loose, crumbling paint chips are far more bioavailable than paint that is still sealed under a layer.… Cats · Emergency guide My 4 kg indoor cat slips outside through the cat flap — how can I stop her from finding bromethalin rat bait that neighbors are using? Bromethalin bait is deadly even in tiny pieces, so prevention is your only real option. Store the cat flap… Cats · Food safety My 3.5 kg cat grabbed and chewed part of a chocolate-coated protein bar I left on the kitchen counter — should I worry about xylitol or chocolate? Worry about both — a chocolate-coated protein bar is a double threat for a 3.5 kg cat. Xylitol causes a rapid… Dogs · Food safety Is plain cooked quinoa safe for my 2 kg Yorkie who snatched a few bites from my dinner plate? Yes, plain cooked quinoa is safe for dogs in small amounts. Rinsing it well before cooking removes saponins… Dogs · Emergency guide My 12 kg dog just ate a piece of bromethalin bait that was left outside and looks mouldy. He seems fine now, but is it still toxic? Yes, mould does not reduce the toxicity of bromethalin. The bait itself is a high-risk poison, and even a… Dogs · Emergency guide My 10 kg terrier licked a teaspoon of liquid laundry detergent 20 minutes ago — the other two dogs didn't touch it. What do I do for him and them? Call your vet or the ASPCA poison line (888-426-4435) now about the exposed dog. The surfactants cause… Cats · Emergency guide My 4 kg cat with a sensitive stomach licked a drop of laundry detergent — will this just give her diarrhoea or is it poisoning? This is poisoning, not just a stomach upset. The surfactants cause chemical burns, not simple irritation.… Cats · Emergency guide My 3.5 kg indoor cat licked a single flake of lead paint dust from the windowsill 10 minutes ago — is one lick an emergency? Yes, it is an emergency for a cat that small. Lead builds up in the body over days, and a single flake… Cats · Emergency guide I saw 'rodenticide' listed as an inactive ingredient on a cat treat label — is that safe for my 5 kg cat? No, that is not safe and you should not give that treat. 'Rodenticide' is a category that includes deadly… Dogs · Food safety Is it harmful to sprinkle a little black pepper on my 10 kg dog's dinner every night for flavour? A tiny pinch each night is unlikely to cause immediate harm, but it's not recommended. Over weeks, the…

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