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
Dogs · Emergency guide Can my 8 kg beagle's two holly berries at the Christmas party be serious? Yes, call your vet now. Holly berries contain saponins and methylxanthines that irritate the gut, and the… Dogs · Emergency guide My 6 kg dachshund chewed a spring flower this morning — when do symptoms appear? Symptoms depend on which flower, but most plant poisoning shows up within a few hours. If it was a lily… Cats · Emergency guide My 4 kg cat ate a piece of rawhide dental chew — should I worry about the other cats? Only the cat who swallowed the rawhide is at risk of a blockage. Rawhide is difficult to digest and can swell… Dogs · Emergency guide My 7 kg terrier ate cocoa mulch and vomited once — is it just stomach upset? Probably not. Cocoa mulch contains theobromine and caffeine, the same compounds found in chocolate, and those… Cats · Food safety Can a nursing 4 kg cat safely eat pitted apricot flesh? Yes, small pieces of pitted apricot flesh are safe for a nursing cat. The flesh itself contains no cyanide… Dogs · Food safety Is avocado flesh less dangerous than macadamia nuts for my 10 kg terrier? Yes, avocado flesh is far less dangerous than macadamia nuts. Macadamia nuts can cause weakness, tremors, and… Dogs · Toxicity calculator My 8-year-old 12 kg dog ate a tablespoon of espresso grounds and now has diarrhoea — is this the caffeine or just a stomach upset? Call your vet now. A tablespoon of espresso grounds is a concentrated dose of caffeine for a 12 kg dog, and… Dogs · Emergency guide Is a 20 mg fluoxetine (Prozac) pill worse for my 10 kg dog than a Benadryl tablet? Yes, fluoxetine is far more dangerous. Benadryl can cause drowsiness or agitation in dogs, but a single SSRI… Dogs · Toxicity calculator My 4 kg, 12-week-old puppy ate three macadamia nuts an hour ago — is he at higher risk because he's so small? Yes, his small size puts him at higher risk. The toxic dose is roughly 2.4 grams of nuts per kilogram of body… Dogs · Emergency guide My 12 kg dog with a heart murmur ate some powder from a torn hand warmer 30 minutes ago — does his condition make this more urgent? Yes, his heart condition makes this more urgent. The fine, abrasive powder can irritate his airways… Dogs · Food safety My 8 kg diabetic dog on insulin licked a tablespoon of chocolate hazelnut spread — does his diabetes change what I should do? Yes, his diabetes adds another layer of concern. The chocolate is toxic and the high sugar content will cause… Cats · Food safety How do I stop my 3 kg curious kitten from knocking over the open cumin jar on the counter every time I cook? Cumin itself is safe in the tiny amounts she might ingest, but a spilled jar creates a mess and a slipping… Dogs · Food safety My 7 kg dog ate a chocolate-coated protein bar with raisins in it — is the coating or the filling more dangerous? Both are dangerous, and together they create a dual emergency. The chocolate coating contains theobromine… Cats · Emergency guide Is it safe for my 4kg pregnant cat who nibbled half a levothyroxine tablet mixed in wet food 20 minutes ago? No, this is an emergency and you need veterinary help right now. A half tablet of levothyroxine can already… Dogs · Emergency guide How can I keep my 6 kg puppy from chewing a jade plant leaf that fell on the floor overnight? The best way is to keep the jade plant out of reach and teach the puppy a reliable “leave it” cue. Place the… Cats · Emergency guide My 4 kg cat has been getting one adult iron gummy vitamin daily for two weeks. What long-term damage could this cause? Yes, daily iron gummies are toxic and can cause severe organ damage over weeks. That much iron builds up in a… Cats · Emergency guide My 3.5 kg cat found a cooked chicken bone that had been left in my leftover soup bowl overnight and ate it — how urgent is this? Cooked bones splinter easily, and a 3.5 kg cat swallowing one overnight-soup bone is a genuine emergency.… Cats · Food safety My 5 kg indoor cat ate a piece of cooked trout that was left on the counter overnight — is the fish still safe, and what should I watch for? Cooked fish left out overnight is no longer safe — bacteria multiply rapidly at room temperature, and a 5 kg… Dogs · Food safety My 11 kg senior dog with heart disease ate a bowl of oatmeal made with a tablespoon of molasses — is this dangerous for his condition? Molasses is high in sugar and potassium, which can be problematic for a senior dog with heart disease. A… Cats · Emergency guide What if my 4 kg cat ate metformin left out overnight? Yes, it's urgent. Metformin can cause low blood sugar in pets. Signs like weakness or confusion within hours… Cats · Emergency guide My 3 kg cat licked a pea-sized blob of fluoride toothpaste — how soon will symptoms like drooling or vomiting appear, and how long do they last? Symptoms can start within 15 to 30 minutes. You'll typically see drooling or foaming at the mouth first… Dogs · Emergency guide Is it safe to give my 20 kg pregnant dog daily vitamin A supplements for her coat, or could it harm her and the puppies? No, daily supplements are not safe for a pregnant dog. Vitamin A is fat-soluble and accumulates in the liver… Cats · Emergency guide My 2 kg, 12-week-old kitten drank from a running kitchen tap for 15 minutes straight — is she at higher risk for water intoxication than an adult cat? Yes, her small size and immature kidneys put her at much higher risk. A kitten's body can't process that… Cats · Emergency guide At my dinner party, my 5 kg cat chewed a leaf from the peace lily centerpiece and is now pawing at her mouth — what do I tell my guests while I handle this? Tell them your cat got into a toxic plant and you need to call the vet. The immediate pawing and drooling are… Cats · Emergency guide My 4 kg cat licked a plate of leftover mashed potatoes that had green bits of skin in it — is the cooked form still toxic? Yes, the toxin solanine survives cooking. Those green bits contain higher concentrations, and even a small… Cats · Food safety My 8-week-old 1.5 kg tortoiseshell kitten licked hot chocolate off the floor and is now vomiting — is this an emergency given her age and weight? Yes, this is an emergency. An 8-week-old kitten at 1.5 kg is extremely vulnerable — the theobromine in… Dogs · Food safety My 7 kg Beagle ate jackfruit that was left out of the refrigerator overnight and has now vomited twice — is the spoilage the problem or the fruit itself? The jackfruit itself is safe for dogs, but the spoiled fruit is the problem here. Left out overnight, the… Dogs · Emergency guide My 10 kg terrier licked a plate with leftover gravy that had a phenol antiseptic wipe residue on it — is this an emergency? Yes, this is an emergency. Phenol is a corrosive chemical that burns the mouth and stomach lining on contact… Cats · Emergency guide My 5 kg cat has been stealing and eating one of my dog's flea chew tablets every week for a month — what long-term damage could this cause? Repeated weekly exposure is building a toxic load in her system. Dog flea chews often contain insecticides… Cats · Emergency guide My 4 kg indoor cat has been getting a tiny piece of avocado flesh in her bowl every morning for three months — is this causing hidden harm? Yes, feeding avocado daily is risky long-term. The toxin persin can accumulate and affect heart muscle over…

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