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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 7-year-old cat chewed a dumb cane leaf and the vet rinsed his mouth — what tests will they run and how long do I watch him at home? The vet will check his mouth for swelling and listen to his breathing — they rarely need blood tests unless… Dogs · Emergency guide My 25 kg dog keeps chewing lotus leaves left out by the pond — is training 'leave it' enough to keep him safe? No, training alone is not enough — you need to physically block access. Lotus plants contain alkaloids that… Cats · Emergency guide My 4 kg cat licked her new flea collar that says 'organophosphate-based' — is this like eating insecticide from a treat? Yes, licking an organophosphate flea collar is just as dangerous as ingesting liquid insecticide. These… Cats · Emergency guide My 5 kg pregnant cat ate two small green tomato plant leaves from the garden — is this riskier for her and the unborn kittens? Yes, pregnant cats are at higher risk because the solanine in green leaves can affect both the mother and the… Cats · Food safety My 6 kg cat ate a tablespoon of uncooked, seasoned couscous mix that had onion powder — is raw worse than cooked? The main danger is the onion powder, not whether the couscous is raw or cooked. Onion is toxic to cats and… Cats · Food safety Can my 5 kg cat with diabetes and early kidney disease have a small piece of ripe jackfruit as a treat? A tiny piece of ripe flesh is likely safe, but it is not recommended. Jackfruit is high in natural sugars… Dogs · Emergency guide My 15 kg dog is obsessed with the laundry room — how can I train him to leave liquid detergent pods alone and where should I store them? Store liquid detergent pods in a high, locked cabinet your dog cannot access, never on the floor or a low… Dogs · Toxicity calculator Which everyday human snacks or pain relief products for dogs secretly contain ibuprofen that could harm my 10 kg terrier? Ibuprofen is never a hidden ingredient in approved dog snacks—it's a human medication. The real hidden danger… Cats · Emergency guide My 3 kg kitten ate one adult iron gummy vitamin — is the risk higher for her tiny size compared to a larger cat? Yes, the risk is significantly higher. Toxicity depends on dose per kilogram of body weight, so a small… Cats · Food safety Can my 12-week-old, 1.5 kg kitten safely nibble on a couple of fresh redcurrants I dropped while baking? Yes, a couple of redcurrants are safe for a kitten. The fruit itself is non-toxic, but always remove any… Cats · Food safety How much plain cooked okra is too much for my 4 kg cat, and what happens if she eats a whole one? For a 4 kg cat, a few small pieces of plain cooked okra—about the size of a thumbnail each—is a safe treat. A… Dogs · Food safety What are the long-term risks if I give my 20 kg dog a spoonful of garlic hummus as a daily treat for weeks? Giving garlic hummus daily is a bad idea. While a 20 kg dog might not show immediate signs from a single… Dogs · Emergency guide My 4 kg, 12-week-old puppy ate three chewed-up iron gummy vitamins off the floor — is this more dangerous for a puppy? Yes, it's much more dangerous for a puppy. His small body can't handle the iron load from even a few gummies… Dogs · Emergency guide My 20 kg, highly curious dog keeps trying to get into the shed where I store organophosphate insecticide granules — how do I train him to leave it alone? Training "leave it" is essential, but physical prevention comes first. These granules often smell interesting… Dogs · Emergency guide Could a few licks of ammonia floor cleaner cause diarrhoea and gas in my 25 kg dog with a sensitive stomach, rather than poisoning? No, ammonia is a corrosive poison, not a simple stomach irritant. A few licks will burn his mouth and throat… Cats · Toxicity calculator My 4 kg pregnant cat chewed half a 81mg aspirin tablet 2 hours ago — will this hurt her unborn kittens? Yes, this is dangerous for her and the kittens. Cats lack the enzyme to process aspirin safely, and pregnancy… Cats · Emergency guide For my 5 kg cat, is one pseudoephedrine decongestant tablet more dangerous than a Benadryl (antihistamine) tablet? Yes, pseudoephedrine is far more dangerous. Antihistamines like Benadryl can cause drowsiness or agitation at… Dogs · Food safety My 10 kg dog ate a slice of mouldy bread left out overnight and the vet induced vomiting — what happens now and how long do I monitor him? Now you watch for tremors, vomiting, or agitation over the next 12-24 hours. Some moulds produce toxins that… Dogs · Food safety My 18 kg dog ate about a cup of cooked beets that were left in a sealed container on the counter for 5 days — are fermented beets dangerous? The bigger risk is bacterial spoilage, not the beets themselves. Fermenting vegetables can grow mould or… Dogs · Emergency guide My 3-month-old, 2 kg puppy licked a tablespoon of raw egg white from a mixing bowl — is that dangerous for a puppy? Yes, it's a concern for a puppy that small. Raw egg whites contain avidin, which can block the absorption of… Dogs · Emergency guide I've been giving my 14 kg beagle two cooked chicken drumstick bones a day for six months — what will this do to him over time? It won't stay one problem — repeated splintering builds up. Every time those brittle fragments break off… Dogs · Toxicity calculator My 15 kg senior dog ate a whole zinc joint chew that was left out overnight — is this dangerous? Yes, this is a poisoning risk. Zinc is a heavy metal, and a whole supplement chew contains a concentrated… Dogs · Emergency guide Only my 8 kg terrier dug up and ate a cyclamen corm — my other two dogs didn't touch it. What's the risk for him? High risk for the terrier. Cyclamen corms contain toxic saponins that cause intense oral pain, drooling, and… Dogs · Emergency guide My 20 kg dog ate a few cooked rhubarb leaves from a beef stew last night — is this an emergency? Yes, treat this as an emergency. Cooking doesn't destroy the toxic calcium oxalate crystals in rhubarb… Dogs · Emergency guide Only my 5 kg Shih Tzu licked psoriasis cream off my arm — my other dog didn't. What's the immediate danger for her? Extremely dangerous for the Shih Tzu. These creams contain potent vitamin D analogs that cause a rapid… Cats · Food safety Could my 4 kg cat's joint supplement contain wild mushrooms as a hidden ingredient? It's very unlikely in commercial supplements, but you must check the label. Some human herbal blends use… Dogs · Food safety Is a quarter cup of plain cornmeal safe for my 25 kg pregnant dog in her third trimester? Yes, plain cornmeal is safe in that amount. It's a carbohydrate that can provide energy, but it doesn't offer… Cats · Emergency guide My 6 kg cat licked half a paracetamol tablet — is that an emergency even though she seems normal? Yes, treat it as an emergency. Cats lack the liver enzyme needed to break down paracetamol, so even a partial… Dogs · Emergency guide My 12 kg dog with chronic kidney disease accidentally ate one 10 mg baclofen pill — is this more dangerous for him than a healthy dog? Yes, kidney disease makes baclofen poisoning significantly more dangerous. Baclofen is eliminated partly… Cats · Emergency guide My 4.5 kg cat ate two rhubarb leaves from the garden today, but my other two cats didn't get near them — do the others need any check-up or monitoring? The two cats who did not eat rhubarb leaves do not need any testing or monitoring — rhubarb toxicity is only…

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