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

Cats · Emergency guide My 5 kg cat loves batting at dangling lotus leaves from a tabletop vase — how do I prevent her from eating them? Move the vase off the table entirely — even a low shelf is too reachable for a determined cat. Her favorite… Cats · Food safety Are those cucumber-flavored dental chew treats safe for my 3 kg nervous tummy cat? The cucumber itself is fine — it is safe, low-calorie, and hydrating for cats. The problem with commercial… Dogs · Food safety My 5 kg Shih Tzu and my 15 kg Border Collie both ate a tablespoon of pine nuts — does the smaller dog face a higher risk? Yes — the 5 kg Shih Tzu absorbed a significantly larger dose per kilogram of body weight, so her risk of… Dogs · Food safety Is cooked eel any safer for my 8 kg dog than cooked salmon, or are they in the same risk category? They are not in the same category — eel is considerably riskier because its fat content is far higher and raw… Dogs · Food safety My 6 kg Dachshund just licked a whole spoonful of peanut butter from the counter — what do I do first? Check the label immediately for xylitol, which may be listed as birch sugar, xylose, or simply xylitol — it… Cats · Emergency guide My 2.5 kg cat slipped a decongestant tablet meant for my 8 kg dog — she's pawing at her face and panting. Should I still take her in knowing the dog is fine? Yes, take her in immediately. Her smaller size means the dose per kilogram is far more dangerous for her, and… Dogs · Emergency guide My 12 kg dog lapped up what looked like a few sips of pea-soup green scum from a garden pond yesterday. Is that small amount likely to be dangerous? Even a few sips can be dangerous. Anatoxin-a is a potent neurotoxin, and pets are exposed not only by… Dogs · Food safety My 8 kg Shih Tzu with a known sensitive stomach ate two spoonfuls of onion gravy at dinner and has had loose stools ever since. Is the gravy the culprit? It very likely is. Onion and garlic stock is the base for almost all gravy, and alliums can irritate a… Cats · Food safety My 12-year-old cat with chronic kidney disease ate three rye-based dental chews from a supplement tin. Are commercial rye treats safe for her condition? Plain cooked rye is safe in small amounts for cats, including seniors with kidney disease. The dental chew… Dogs · Food safety My 10 kg diabetic dog on insulin ate about five washed blackberries yesterday. What should I monitor over the next 48 hours and do I need any follow-up tests? Blackberries are safe and full of antioxidants, but the natural sugars in five berries can cause a small… Cats · Emergency guide My 4 kg cat found an open box of heartworm pills on the Christmas table and ate one — should I call the vet now? Yes, call the vet now. Heartworm preventatives contain drugs like ivermectin, milbemycin or selamectin, which… Dogs · Emergency guide My 6 kg Chihuahua just licked a raw egg white off the kitchen floor — how soon would symptoms of biotin deficiency show? A single lick is unlikely to cause immediate problems. Raw egg whites contain avidin, which binds to biotin… Cats · Emergency guide My 3 kg indoor cat was stung on the nose by a wasp and the vet treated her yesterday — what does recovery look like and when should I follow up? Recovery from a wasp sting usually takes a few days. The vet likely cleaned the area and may have given pain… Cats · Emergency guide My 5 kg cat ate raw chicken from my dinner plate last night — how long should I monitor her and what tests might the vet run? Monitor for at least 48 hours. Raw chicken can carry Salmonella, E. coli or Listeria, and symptoms like… Cats · Food safety My pregnant tabby cat nibbled a few small pieces of pitted plum flesh — is the flesh safe and what about the pit? The flesh of a pitted plum is fine in small amounts for a pregnant cat. The real danger is the pit — it poses… Dogs · Emergency guide My 18 kg dog received anticholinergic treatment for organophosphate exposure yesterday — what should I watch for at home over the next 48 hours? Watch closely for any return of muscle tremors, drooling, or weakness. The vet likely ran a cholinesterase… Cats · Emergency guide My 5 kg indoor cat is obsessed with chewing houseplants — how can I train her to leave English ivy alone and keep it out of reach? Train a solid "leave it" using high-value treats like chicken, and immediately reward her for looking away… Dogs · Emergency guide My 15 kg dog steals a bite of raw bread dough from the counter every time I bake — what happens if he eats it regularly over weeks? Repeated ingestion risks chronic bloat, alcohol poisoning, and weight gain from the extra calories. Each bite… Cats · Emergency guide My 4 kg indoor cat loves hunting bugs — how can I prevent her from being bitten by a spider in our apartment? Seal cracks around windows and doors with weather stripping, and vacuum corners and under furniture weekly to… Cats · Emergency guide My 2 kg, 12-week-old kitten licked a tiny smear of clear ibuprofen gel off my wrist — is one lick an emergency for her tiny size? Yes, call your vet or the ASPCA poison line (888-426-4435) immediately. Kittens have immature kidneys and a… Dogs · Food safety For my 8 kg dog, is a small piece of deli ham worse than an equal amount of plain roasted turkey breast? Yes, ham is significantly saltier and fattier. That extra sodium can push a small dog toward salt poisoning… Cats · Food safety I found mustard seeds listed in the ingredients of my dog's joint supplement chews — is it safe for my 4 kg cat if she steals one? No, keep these chews away from your cat entirely. Mustard seeds are toxic to cats and can cause vomiting… Dogs · Food safety My 22 kg, 7-week-pregnant dog ate one grape that rolled under the table — is this dangerous for her and her unborn puppies? Yes, any grape ingestion is an emergency for a dog, pregnant or not. The toxin can cause sudden kidney… Dogs · Emergency guide My 12 kg dog chewed several holly leaves from the Christmas wreath I left on the coffee table — how can I prevent this next year? Yes, holly is toxic and the spiny leaves can cut the mouth. Prevention means keeping the plant physically out… Dogs · Emergency guide My 25 kg dog ate a wild mushroom in the park about 6 hours ago and now seems tired — how long do symptoms take to show and what’s the timeline? Symptoms can start anywhere from 30 minutes to 12 hours after ingestion, so 6 hours is within the danger… Dogs · Toxicity calculator My 10 kg terrier just lapped up a few spoonfuls of onion soup from my bowl 30 minutes ago — what are the first three things I should do right now? First, move the bowl out of reach and check how much soup is actually missing—dogs often lick the surface and… Dogs · Emergency guide My 15 kg dog chewed two castor beans, the vet induced vomiting and gave activated charcoal — what monitoring and tests happen over the next 48 hours? The vet will likely hospitalize your dog for at least 24 hours to watch for delayed signs. They’ll run blood… Cats · Food safety My 4 kg cat ate one thin slice of packaged deli turkey meant for sandwiches — are these commercial lunch meats safe as an occasional treat? One thin slice as a rare treat is usually okay, but don’t make it a habit. Packaged deli meats are high in… Dogs · Emergency guide My 8-week-old 3 kg puppy stole and ate half a raisin scone and is now vomiting. What do I do? Yes, this is a veterinary emergency. Even a few raisins can cause sudden kidney failure in a puppy this… Dogs · Emergency guide My 15 kg dog dug up and ate a few old, shriveled autumn crocus bulbs from last year's garden bed — how urgent is this? Extremely urgent — call a vet or poison helpline now. Autumn crocus bulbs are the most toxic part of the…

Page 249 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.