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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
Cats · Emergency guide My 4 kg curious cat keeps trying to drink from baby bottles — how do I stop her getting infant formula? Store prepared bottles in the refrigerator with a secure lid, and never leave a half-finished bottle on the… Cats · Food safety Is a few leaves of raw watercress safer for my 4 kg cat than the same amount of raw spinach? Yes, a few leaves of raw watercress are safer. Raw spinach contains oxalates, which can contribute to kidney… Dogs · Food safety My 10 kg dog ate two whole cardamom pods that were old and mouldy from the back of the spice drawer — is the mould the main worry? Yes, the mould is the main worry, not the cardamom itself. Fresh cardamom in tiny amounts is safe, but mould… Cats · Emergency guide My 3 kg cat gets a cooked chicken wing tip every week as a treat — what long-term damage am I risking? You are risking a sudden, life-threatening emergency every single time. Cooked bones splinter easily, and a… Dogs · Emergency guide My 10 kg dog lapped up a bowl of chicken soup that had a dose of pseudoephedrine liquid stirred into it — is this an emergency? Yes, treat this as an emergency. Pseudoephedrine is a powerful stimulant, and the liquid form in soup means… Dogs · Food safety My 12 kg dog ate about five kumquats that were fermenting on the ground under the tree — should I be worried? Yes, watch him closely. The fermentation adds alcohol to the risks. Citrus oils from the peel can cause… Dogs · Food safety I've been sprinkling garlic powder on my 8 kg dog's food daily for months for flea control — what damage have I done? You have likely caused cumulative, serious damage to his red blood cells. Garlic powder is concentrated, and… Cats · Food safety My 4.5 kg cat gets soft stool every time she eats a few plain boiled noodles — is this an allergy or just a tummy upset? It's most likely a simple intolerance, not a true allergy. Her system may struggle with the high carbohydrate… Cats · Emergency guide My 5 kg cat chewed a raw pothos leaf — does cooking or drying the plant make it safer? No, cooking or drying does not make pothos safe. The insoluble calcium oxalate crystals remain in the plant… Cats · Emergency guide My 4 kg cat licked a tiny bit of ammonia cleaner and now has diarrhoea and drooling — is this just a tummy upset or poisoning? This is poisoning, not a simple tummy upset. Ammonia is a corrosive alkaline that burns the mouth and… Cats · Emergency guide My 4 kg cat's paw was stuck on a glue trap for 30 minutes before we got it off — what should I watch for over the next 48 hours of recovery? Watch the paw closely for swelling, redness, or any open sores — the skin can be damaged from both the… Dogs · Emergency guide My 8 kg dog took one small bite of a 3 mg melatonin gummy 20 minutes ago — is that tiny amount an emergency? Yes, you should call your vet now. For a dog that size, even a partial dose of a human melatonin gummy can… Dogs · Toxicity calculator Besides cigarettes, what everyday items like gum or patches secretly contain nicotine and are dangerous for my 12 kg dog? Nicotine gum, lozenges, and transdermal patches are common hidden sources, often left in handbags or on… Dogs · Food safety My 10 kg dog has a sensitive stomach — are wheat-based dog biscuits and training treats safe for him? They might not be the best choice. While plain wheat is safe for most dogs, the gluten in wheat can be a… Dogs · Emergency guide My 12 kg dog ate a 10 mg baclofen pill that expired 2 years ago — is a spoiled muscle relaxant still toxic? Yes, it's still toxic. Expired baclofen doesn't lose its potency in a way that makes it safe; the chemical is… Cats · Emergency guide My 5 kg indoor cat ate a dried poinsettia leaf that fell behind the sofa months ago — is old, dried leaf sap still irritating? Yes, the sap can still cause irritation even when dry. The milky latex contains compounds that trigger… Cats · Toxicity calculator My 4 kg cat ate one metaldehyde slug bait pellet 6 hours ago and now has diarrhea but no tremors — is this just a stomach upset? Diarrhea alone is unusual as the first sign of metaldehyde poisoning, which typically causes tremors or… Dogs · Food safety My 15 kg dog is obsessed with stealing whole oranges with peel — how do I train him to leave them alone during meal prep? Start by storing oranges in a closed cupboard or the refrigerator, never on the counter. During meal prep… Dogs · Food safety Are limited-ingredient dog treats that list dehydrated okra as the third ingredient safe for my 7 kg dog with food sensitivities? Yes, dehydrated okra is typically safe. Okra itself is a low-risk vegetable, and dehydration just removes… Cats · Emergency guide Only one of my two 4 kg indoor cats got into the kitchen trash and ate a moldy bread crust — how do I handle her and keep the other safe? Isolate the cat that ate it and call your vet now. Moldy bread can produce toxins that cause sudden… Dogs · Emergency guide My 12 kg dog with chronic kidney disease licked a dab of Voltaren gel off my arm — does his condition make this more dangerous? Yes, his kidney disease makes this significantly more dangerous. The NSAID in the gel is processed by the… Dogs · Emergency guide My 10 kg dog on heart medication chewed a Dieffenbachia leaf and is now drooling heavily — should I be extra worried because of his pills? The immediate danger is the plant, not a direct interaction with his heart meds. The calcium oxalate crystals… Cats · Emergency guide My 4 kg indoor-outdoor cat keeps bringing castor beans into the house — how can I train her to leave them alone and make the yard safe? Remove the source — find and dig up any castor plants in your yard, as even one chewed seed can be fatal. For… Dogs · Food safety My 25 kg dog ate a large bowl of leftover rabbit stew with onions and gravy last night — is the rabbit or the seasoning the problem? The rabbit meat itself is safe. The danger comes from the onions and likely high salt content in the gravy.… Dogs · Food safety My 15 kg dog's new kibble lists "ground corn cob" in the ingredients — is that as dangerous as a whole cob for causing a blockage? Ground corn cob is not the same emergency risk as a solid piece. In processed kibble, it's finely milled and… Dogs · Food safety Can my 8 kg dog eat a handful of raw snap peas, pods and all, as a treat, or should I cook them first? Yes, a handful of raw snap peas with pods is safe. Cooking doesn't change the safety, it just softens them.… Cats · Emergency guide My 3.5 kg indoor cat drank from the running kitchen tap for about ten minutes and is now drooling slightly — what should I do first? Get her to the vet now — those signs point toward water intoxication, not a tummy ache. She swelled enough… Cats · Emergency guide My 4.5 kg senior cat with kidney disease has a tremor and I think she chewed a corner of my cyclobenzaprine tablet — is this an emergency? Yes — take her to a vet immediately. Cyclobenzaprine is a central nervous system depressant that causes deep… Dogs · Emergency guide My 7 kg Jack Russell fetched a ball from the lake for an hour and then drank directly from the water — should I worry about water intoxication? You should, yes — a 7 kg dog drinking lake water after an hour of active fetch is exactly the scenario this… Cats · Emergency guide My 4 kg British Shorthair just ate three Easter lily petals and started vomiting — what should I do right now? This is a life-threatening emergency — take her to the vet immediately. Easter lily is one of the most deadly…

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