Suspect poisoning? US: ASPCA Poison Control (888) 426-4435 · UK: 01202 509 000 · Severe symptoms → nearest emergency vet now.
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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
Cats · Emergency guide My 4 kg outdoor cat licked dried, crusty green algae off some pond rocks yesterday — is the toxin still active when it's dry? Yes, the toxins remain active even when the algae dries into a crust. Microcystins and anatoxin-a are stable… Cats · Emergency guide My 3 kg cat managed to eat half a hot cross bun with raisins — does her tiny size make a small amount more dangerous? Yes, her small size significantly increases the risk. The toxic dose for raisins is unknown and… Dogs · Emergency guide My 12 kg dog has been chewing on the same snake plant leaf a little bit every day for a week — what long-term damage does this cause? Repeated chewing causes cumulative irritation. Each bite releases saponins that burn the mouth and gut… Dogs · Food safety Only my 7 kg dachshund ate a whole grilled sausage at the picnic, while my two bigger dogs didn't — how do I handle just him? Focus on your dachshund. A whole sausage for a small dog is a large dose of fat, salt, and likely onion or… Cats · Food safety My 5 kg cat licked one spent, wet hop pellet from my homebrewing equipment — is even that tiny contact an emergency? Yes, treat it as an emergency. Hops can trigger malignant hyperthermia, where body temperature rises rapidly… Dogs · Emergency guide My 12 kg dog was treated for eating three 25 mg diphenhydramine pills. What should I expect during his recovery at home? Watch him closely for 24-48 hours after he comes home. The vet likely ran bloodwork to check his liver and… Dogs · Emergency guide At a backyard BBQ, my 8 kg dog licked a big smear of zinc oxide sunscreen off a guest's leg. What's the risk? Yes, that's a significant risk for a dog his size. Zinc oxide is absorbed and attacks red blood cells, which… Dogs · Emergency guide Could homemade rhubarb jam or pie filling still harm my 15 kg dog if the leaves were cooked in it? Yes, cooking does not destroy the oxalate crystals in rhubarb leaves. If leaves were boiled into the jam or… Cats · Emergency guide My 5 kg cat ate one jade plant leaf and was treated for wobbliness. How long do I monitor her at home, and what does recovery look like? Keep her confined and watch for 48 hours after she's home. The vet likely gave fluids and anti-nausea… Dogs · Emergency guide Every winter, my 20 kg dog gets diarrhea after walking on salted sidewalks and licking his paws. Is this an allergy or poisoning? It's likely mild salt poisoning, not an allergy. The ice melt is caustic and irritates his gut when he… Cats · Food safety Are cat calming treats that contain 'pomelo essential oil' safe for my anxious 4 kg senior cat? No, avoid treats with any citrus essential oil. The oils are highly concentrated and can cause drooling… Dogs · Food safety My 7 kg dog with grain allergies—are commercial gluten-free dog foods that list 'millet' as a main ingredient safe for him? Yes, plain cooked millet is a safe, gluten-free grain alternative for dogs with wheat or corn sensitivities.… Dogs · Food safety My 6 kg dog with a sensitive stomach gets diarrhea every time he eats even a small slice of banana. Why does this happen? Bananas are high in sugar and fiber, which can overwhelm a sensitive digestive system and draw water into the… Dogs · Emergency guide My 15 kg Collie just ate a whole bag of joint chews that list ivermectin as an ingredient. Is this a heartworm preventative overdose? Yes, this is a serious overdose risk, especially for a Collie. Those chews are not a standard preventive; the… Dogs · Emergency guide My 5 kg dog ate half a mothball — is that worse than licking a camphor chest? Yes, chewing and swallowing a mothball is far more dangerous than licking a camphor chest. Mothballs contain… Cats · Emergency guide My 3 kg cat licked a laundry pod that had been left out overnight and is now vomiting — is the pod more dangerous because it's old? No, the pod's danger comes from its concentrated detergent, which doesn't become more toxic with age. The gel… Dogs · Toxicity calculator My 10 kg dog ate one low-dose aspirin that expired two years ago — is an old pill less toxic? No, an expired aspirin pill is not less toxic — the active ingredient remains and can still ulcerate the… Dogs · Emergency guide Only my 7 kg terrier ate expanding glue from a tube — my 30 kg Lab didn't touch it. How do I handle both dogs and clean up? Take the 7 kg terrier to the vet immediately — expanding glue can form a solid mass in the stomach, and small… Cats · Emergency guide My 6 kg cat chewed into a bottle of 25 mcg levothyroxine that expired last month — are expired pills still dangerous? Yes, expired thyroid pills are still dangerous — the hormone remains active enough to cause acute… Dogs · Toxicity calculator My 8 kg dog just ate five macadamia nuts from the coffee table — what should I do in the next hour? First, check if the nuts were chocolate-covered — if so, you need to triage for chocolate toxicity too. For… Cats · Food safety My 4 kg cat licked a piece of already-chewed sugar-free gum off the floor — is the xylitol in used gum still risky? The risk is very low for cats, even if the gum was chewed. Cats are far less sensitive to xylitol than dogs… Dogs · Emergency guide My 9 kg terrier chews through phenol antiseptic wipes from the first aid kit every day — what long-term damage could this cause? Daily exposure to phenol is cumulative and harmful. Repeated ingestion irritates and burns the mouth and gut… Cats · Emergency guide My 4 kg cat licked one pump of gel hand sanitizer 20 minutes ago — what should I do right now before calling the vet? Wipe away any remaining gel from her fur and face with a damp cloth right now — do not let her lick it off… Cats · Emergency guide My 3 kg cat licked a pea-sized smear of fluoride toothpaste off the bathroom sink — is this an emergency or should I wait and watch? Treat this as an emergency and call your vet or a pet poison helpline now. Even a pea-sized amount of human… Cats · Food safety My 4 kg indoor cat nibbled on a handful of fresh redcurrants this morning — what signs should I watch for and how soon? Redcurrants are safe for cats in small amounts, so there is no toxin to worry about here. Remove any stems… Dogs · Food safety My 7 kg schnauzer eats carrot sticks from a commercial dog treat bag every day — is that safe or could it upset his stomach? Carrots are safe for dogs and are a common ingredient in commercial pet treats. A 7 kg schnauzer eating… Dogs · Food safety My 15 kg dog slipped raw bison meat off the counter while my 4 kg rescue cat watched — is the bison itself safe, and what should I do about the cat? Plain cooked bison is safe for both dogs and cats — it is nutritionally similar to lean beef and not toxic in… Dogs · Emergency guide My 12 kg dachshund ate two small rum balls from a holiday tin. He's wobbly now — is the alcohol in them dangerous? Yes, this is an urgent situation. The sugar and chocolate in rum balls are secondary concerns — the ethanol… Dogs · Emergency guide My 10 kg dog was treated for licking two teaspoons of liquid laundry detergent yesterday — what should I watch for over the next 48 hours? Watch for delayed signs of internal injury for at least two days. The detergent’s surfactants can continue to… Dogs · Toxicity calculator Is the blue metaldehyde slug bait in my garden more dangerous for my 6 kg terrier than the pet-safe beer slug traps? Yes, metaldehyde bait is far more dangerous. The blue pellets contain a neurotoxin that can trigger severe…

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