Suspect poisoning? US: ASPCA Poison Control (888) 426-4435 · UK: 01202 509 000 · Severe symptoms → nearest emergency vet now.

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

All pets Dogs Cats

Cats · Food safety Only one of my two 5 kg cats ate a few slices of peeled water chestnut from my stir-fry — do I need to monitor the other cat who didn't eat any? No, you only need to monitor the cat who actually ate them. Plain, peeled water chestnuts are safe for cats… Dogs · Toxicity calculator My 5 kg dog ate a tablespoon of wet espresso grounds from the sink strainer, but my other dog didn't — what do I do for both? Call your vet or the ASPCA poison line at 888-426-4435 right away for the dog that ate the grounds.… Cats · Emergency guide How much of a 5 mg amlodipine pill is toxic for a 5 kg cat — is one lick or a quarter pill dangerous? Any amount is dangerous and requires an emergency vet. A single 5 mg pill is a full human dose; for a 5 kg… Dogs · Emergency guide My 12 kg diabetic dog chewed and swallowed part of his insulin pen, but my other healthy dog didn't — what's the risk for each? This is an emergency for the diabetic dog — call your vet now. A chewed pen means he likely got a double or… Dogs · Emergency guide My 8 kg dog ate one 10 mg Adderall pill about 20 minutes ago and is already restless, but my other dog ate none — what's the plan for both? Take the restless dog to an emergency vet immediately. Stimulants like Adderall escalate fast in small dogs… Dogs · Food safety My 5 kg, 12-week-old puppy just licked a tiny bit of plain cooked halibut off my plate — is this an emergency or can I relax? You can relax. Plain cooked halibut is safe for dogs, and a single lick is a trivial amount. The main risk… Cats · Food safety My 5 kg cat ate two small, mouldy cooked beet cubes that fell behind the fridge — what should I watch for? Watch for vomiting, diarrhoea, or loss of appetite over the next 24 hours. The mould itself is the problem… Dogs · Emergency guide My 15 kg dog ate a piece of cooked cyclamen root that was in a beef stew — is this a poisoning emergency? Yes, this is an emergency — call your vet immediately. The toxic saponins in cyclamen roots are not destroyed… Cats · Emergency guide Is a prenatal vitamin more dangerous for my 5 kg cat than a regular iron supplement if she ate two tablets? Yes, a prenatal vitamin is often worse because it packs a higher dose of elemental iron — sometimes 65 mg per… Dogs · Emergency guide My 8 kg dog licked one birth control pill I dropped — should I panic over this tiny amount? No, don't panic, but do call your vet for advice. A single lick of one pill is unlikely to deliver a full… Dogs · Emergency guide Could a few crushed pear pits cause diarrhea or an allergic reaction in my 12 kg dog with a sensitive stomach? The bigger danger is cyanide poisoning, not allergy or simple diarrhea. A few crushed pits release amygdalin… Cats · Food safety My 6 kg cat just ate about a cup of plain cooked couscous — is that too much for her size? Yes, a full cup is far too much for a cat and will likely cause stomach upset or vomiting. Couscous is safe… Cats · Food safety My 4 kg cat ate a large handful of cooked celeriac two hours ago — what should I watch for during recovery, and what would the vet check? Watch for vomiting, diarrhea, or a loss of appetite over the next 24 hours — that's the main risk with a… Dogs · Emergency guide My 8 kg dog nibbles a poinsettia leaf every day from the holiday plant on the floor — will this repeated small amount cause harm over weeks? Repeated daily nibbling is a problem. The milky sap causes mouth irritation each time, which can lead to a… Cats · Food safety How do I keep my 4 kg cat from stealing grapefruit slices I leave on the counter for 15 minutes while I cook? Store the slices in a sealed container or a bowl with a tight lid the moment you finish cutting. Cats are… Cats · Food safety Can a few small bites of plain hot dog give my 5 kg cat with a sensitive stomach diarrhoea or gas within a few hours? Yes, the high salt and fat in a hot dog often cause loose stools or gas in a sensitive cat within 2 to 6… Cats · Food safety For my 4 kg cat, is licking a teaspoon of plain avocado flesh worse than licking the same amount of store-bought guacamole? The guacamole is riskier. Plain avocado flesh is just high in fat, which can cause mild stomach upset.… Cats · Food safety How do I stop my 5 kg cat from grabbing nectarine slices off the summer BBQ buffet table when guests are distracted? Place the fruit platter in the centre of the table, far from the edge, and cover it with a mesh food dome or… Dogs · Food safety My 8 kg dog licked a single drop of maple syrup off the floor — is that tiny amount harmful for his size? No, a single drop is harmless for an 8 kg dog. Maple syrup is essentially sugar, and that tiny quantity won't… Cats · Emergency guide My 5 kg diabetic cat just ate half a pecan — does her condition make this more dangerous? Yes, the risk is greater for a diabetic cat. The high fat in pecans can trigger pancreatitis, a painful… Cats · Emergency guide My 4 kg cat chewed a cyclamen leaf 30 minutes ago and is drooling, but my other cat only sniffed it — how do I handle them both? Focus on the cat that chewed the leaf. Cyclamen contains saponins that cause intense oral irritation, leading… Dogs · Emergency guide How can I train my 12 kg adult dog to 'leave it' and stay away from kerosene spills in the garage? Start with a solid 'leave it' command using high-value treats in a safe, clean room. Practice until he… Cats · Emergency guide My 5 kg cat licked his ear after I applied his infection drops, and now he has soft stools — is this just a sensitive stomach reaction? It could be a gastrointestinal upset from ingesting the medication, which often contains antibiotics and… Dogs · Food safety My 7 kg dog licked a spoonful of chocolate hazelnut spread that had a bit of white mold on the jar's rim — is the mold or the chocolate the bigger worry? The chocolate is the immediate emergency. Even a small amount contains theobromine, which is toxic to dogs… Dogs · Food safety My 10 kg dog ate a few slices of water chestnut from my chicken stir-fry that had soy sauce and ginger — is the seasoning a problem? The water chestnuts themselves are safe. The concern is the other ingredients. Soy sauce is very high in… Dogs · Emergency guide My 12 kg dog with heart disease just ate a 100 mg 5-HTP capsule — is this extra dangerous for him? Yes, this is extremely dangerous. 5-HTP directly raises serotonin and can cause tremors, seizures, and… Cats · Toxicity calculator Is a 5 kg cat at significant risk from eating two squares of milk chocolate? A 5 kg cat weighing nearly 11 pounds is larger than most household cats, which lowers the immediate risk from… Cats · Emergency guide My 3-month-old, 1.2 kg kitten has been chewing peeling lead paint from the windowsill for two days — how worried should I be? A 1.2 kg kitten is tiny and far more vulnerable than an adult cat — lead builds up faster in small bodies and… Cats · Emergency guide My 4 kg senior cat ate a 10 mg melatonin tablet an hour ago and is already wobbling — what should I do in the next hour before getting to the vet? Keep her on the floor — no sofas, no chairs, nothing she could fall from while unsteady. Place a soft towel… Cats · Emergency guide Are commercial cat calming supplements containing azalea extract safe for my 6 kg senior cat with a heart murmur? No — azalea contains grayanotoxins that slow the heart and drop blood pressure, which is exactly the opposite…

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The library keeps growing. Can’t find your situation? Open the matching toxicity calculator and enter weight plus amount for an instant risk level.