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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 3.5 kg curious cat gets into everything — where should I store glue traps to keep her completely away from them? Do not store them in your home at all. Glue traps use industrial adhesives that can matte her fur down to the… Cats · Emergency guide My 5 kg cat loves catnip treats — are lotus petal or leaf extracts in herbal blends safe for her? No, avoid treats containing lotus. Cats are sensitive to the alkaloids in sacred lotus, which can cause oral… Cats · Emergency guide My 4 kg pregnant cat licked a broken cod liver oil supplement capsule — could this vitamin A hurt her unborn kittens? Yes, vitamin A from cod liver oil is a risk for both her and the kittens. Excess vitamin A is stored in the… Cats · Emergency guide We're having a backyard BBQ with kerosene lanterns — how do I stop my 4 kg cat from brushing against them or licking spills? Keep your cat indoors during the party. Kerosene vapors alone can irritate her nose and throat, and licking… Dogs · Food safety My 15 kg dog ate a blueberry yogurt cup and a granola bar — are these hidden sources of blueberries safe for him? The blueberries themselves are safe, but the other ingredients are the problem. Yogurt often contains… Dogs · Food safety My 3 kg Pomeranian loves crunchy veggies — can a whole celery stalk be a choking hazard for her tiny throat? Yes, a whole stalk is a serious choking and blockage risk for a dog her size. The stringy fibres can wrap… Cats · Food safety My 5 kg cat ate a large spoonful of cooked spaghetti squash — if it upsets her stomach, how soon would she vomit? If the squash disagrees with her, vomiting would typically occur within 2 to 6 hours. Spaghetti squash is… Cats · Food safety At our holiday buffet, my 4 kg cat stole a bite of lemon-herb baked tilapia — are the seasonings dangerous for her? The tilapia itself is safe, but lemon, garlic, onions, and certain herbs can be toxic. A single small bite is… Dogs · Emergency guide My dog bit a glow stick at a party — what symptoms start first and how long do they last? The first signs start immediately and are a reaction to the awful taste, not systemic poisoning. Your dog… Cats · Emergency guide My cat ate sugar-free mints from my purse — do they contain the same dangerous sorbitol as gum? Yes, many sugar-free mints and candies use sorbitol as a sweetener, posing the same high risk. Sorbitol draws… Cats · Emergency guide My 3-month-old kitten chewed a glow stick — are kittens more at risk than adult cats? The risk from the liquid itself is the same for kittens and adults—it's a bitter irritant, not a systemic… Dogs · Emergency guide What happens if my dog eats a piece of sugar-free gum every day for a week? This repeated feeding is dangerous and will cause ongoing gastrointestinal distress. The sorbitol in the gum… Cats · Emergency guide How much psoriasis cream is toxic to a cat — is licking a tiny dab off a pillowcase dangerous? Yes, even a tiny dab is dangerously toxic to a cat. These creams contain concentrated vitamin D analogs, and… Dogs · Food safety My 10 kg dog ate green beans cooked in a garlic and onion stew — should I induce vomiting? The green beans themselves are safe, but the garlic and onion in the stew are the real problem. That much… Cats · Food safety My 2-month-old kitten licked a teaspoon of spilled beer — is alcohol more dangerous for kittens? Yes, alcohol is far more dangerous for a tiny kitten. Their liver is underdeveloped and cannot process toxins… Dogs · Emergency guide My 3-month-old, 2 kg puppy chewed a Halloween glow stick necklace and is foaming at the mouth — what do I do? The foaming is a reaction to the bitter liquid, not true poisoning. For a puppy this small, the main risk is… Cats · Emergency guide My 5 kg cat ate a piece of sugar-free gum that was stuck in leftover chicken gravy — will she get sick? Yes, she is at risk. The sorbitol in the gum pulls water into the intestines, causing explosive diarrhea… Dogs · Emergency guide My 25 kg dog ate a whole protein bar that lists sorbitol as the third ingredient — is that dangerous? Yes, it can be. Sorbitol is a common hidden sweetener in protein bars, sugar-free snacks, and some… Cats · Emergency guide My 4 kg cat licked psoriasis cream directly off my raw, untreated elbow skin — is that worse than licking dried cream? Yes, licking it directly from raw skin means she ingested a more concentrated, fresh dose. The vitamin D… Cats · Emergency guide My 3.5 kg small breed cat bit a glow bracelet and is drooling heavily — does her tiny size make this more serious? Her small size means the same amount of irritating liquid affects a smaller body, but the main issue is still… Dogs · Food safety My 10 kg dog just lapped up a puddle of maple syrup from the kitchen floor 15 minutes ago — what should I do first? First, take the bottle away and wipe his muzzle with a damp cloth to remove any sticky residue. A puddle’s… Dogs · Food safety My 20 kg dog with a sensitive stomach ate a large piece of plain cooked trout and now has loose stools — is that an allergy or just rich food? It’s likely the rich, oily fish upset his stomach, not an allergy. Trout is safe, but a large piece can be… Cats · Food safety My 5 kg cat ate one whole medium-sized strawberry, including the green top — is a whole strawberry too much for her? One whole strawberry is fine, but the green top is fibrous and could cause mild stomach upset or a… Dogs · Emergency guide My dog licked psoriasis cream off a guest's plate at a BBQ. It was about a teaspoon, and he's a 16 kg beagle. What now? Yes, this is an immediate emergency. That much vitamin D cream will cause a dangerous spike in blood calcium… Cats · Emergency guide My 3 kg cat licked a pea-sized dried dab of psoriasis cream off her sleeping pillow — is this small an amount still worth an emergency call? A pea-sized dried dab on a pillow is low risk, but not zero risk. Your 3 kg cat is small enough that even a… Dogs · Food safety My 12 kg dog ate a bowl of steamed yam mixed into a vegetable stew with carrots and peas — is yam safe for him in that kind of dish? Yes, yam itself is safe for dogs in that kind of dish. Plain cooked yam is an equally safe alternative to… Dogs · Emergency guide Is glow stick liquid more dangerous for my 3 kg Chihuahua than my 30 kg Lab who both chewed bracelets? No, the danger is about the same for both sizes. The liquid is an irritant, not a systemic poison, so body… Dogs · Food safety My 12 kg dog just swallowed a whole raw halibut steak I left on the counter to thaw — what should I do in the next 60 minutes? Stay calm. Plain halibut is safe for dogs, but raw fish carries a small risk of parasites or bacteria. In the… Dogs · Food safety How many salty french fries can my 10 kg dog safely eat before pancreatitis becomes a real risk? For a 10 kg dog, even 2-3 salty fries push into risky territory. The high fat and salt content are hard on… Cats · Emergency guide My 4 kg indoor cat keeps finding and chewing broken glow stick pieces weekly — what happens with repeated exposure? Repeated exposure is low-risk for systemic poisoning but means weekly misery for your cat. The bitter liquid…

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