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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 6-week-old kitten weighed only 600 g and chewed three yew needles from the neighbor's garden an hour ago — she's drooling and looks weak. What should I do? This is an emergency. Yew contains taxine alkaloids that attack the heart directly, and at 600 g a single… Cats · Emergency guide My 3 kg cat swallowed two birth control pills this morning — what delayed risks should I watch for over the next few weeks? Even two pills in a 3 kg cat warrants a call to the vet now. A single tablet usually causes only mild… Dogs · Emergency guide My 12 kg senior dog ate a commercial probiotic chew treat made from fermented compost ingredients and is now trembling — is this worse for an older dog? Yes, this is worse for a senior dog. The trembling points to tremorgenic mycotoxins from mold growing on… Cats · Food safety My 7 kg Maine Coon cat ate plain cooked yam off the counter while my 2 kg Siamese cat watched but did not eat — do I need to worry about the Siamese? No, there is nothing to worry about for the Siamese cat. Yam is safe for cats when cooked plain, and since… Cats · Food safety My 4 kg indoor cat found a piece of plain cooked beef that had been left out overnight on the kitchen floor — should I be worried about bacteria? Yes, you should be worried. Cooked beef left out overnight is a breeding ground for bacteria such as… Dogs · Food safety My 10 kg pregnant corgi ate four fresh figs from the garden tree this afternoon — is that too much for her and her puppies? Four fresh figs is a lot for a 10 kg dog, and the risk comes from the milky sap and the natural sugars in the… Cats · Emergency guide My 4 kg cat was treated for vitamin A toxicity from cod liver oil. What blood tests will the vet run now? Yes, bloodwork is a critical part of aftercare. The vet will run a full chemistry panel to check liver… Dogs · Emergency guide I bought calming chews for my 15 kg dog's itching, but the label lists diphenhydramine — are these treats safe for daily use? No, you should not give these treats without your vet's specific dosing instructions. Diphenhydramine in… Cats · Emergency guide My 4 kg cat lapped a teaspoon of spilled vodka but ignored the raw bread dough on the counter — which is more dangerous for a cat her size? Both are extremely dangerous, but the raw dough presents a double threat for a cat. The dough continues to… Dogs · Emergency guide I saw a 'natural calming' supplement for my 8 kg anxious dog that contains English ivy leaf extract — is this safe to give him daily? No, do not give this supplement. English ivy contains saponins that irritate the mouth and digestive tract… Dogs · Emergency guide My 20 kg dog ate a bowl of beef stew where I later found a few small, softened rawhide chunks — could this cause a blockage for a dog his size? Yes, even softened rawhide poses a real blockage risk, especially if he swallowed several pieces. In the… Dogs · Food safety My 5 kg Chihuahua ate three large pieces of raw green bell pepper and now has soft stool and seems lethargic — what should I do for the next 12 hours? First, withhold food for 6-8 hours but keep fresh water available. The pepper's fibrous skin can be hard for… Cats · Food safety I'm considering an herbal sleep aid for my 4 kg senior cat that lists dried oregano — is this supplement safe for an older cat with arthritis? Skip it. While the tiny amount of culinary oregano in your cooking is safe, concentrated supplements are… Dogs · Toxicity calculator My 6 kg pregnant terrier ate two half tablets of low-dose aspirin that fell on the floor 20 minutes ago—should I be worried? Yes, this is an emergency and you should call your vet right now. Two half tablets of low-dose aspirin can… Dogs · Emergency guide My 14 kg German Shepherd nursing 8 puppies lapped up lighter fluid from a spill in the garage — is she at risk besides her litter? Yes, this is an emergency. Lighter fluid is a thin petroleum distillate with a very high aspiration risk — if… Cats · Emergency guide My 5 kg indoor cat chewed a commercial dental chew that lists jade plant extract as an ingredient — is this the same risk as chewing the actual plant? It is a risk, just likely a lower one. The plant's toxicity is reliable — it causes vomiting, drooling… Dogs · Emergency guide I buy raw chicken for my 15 kg Labrador every week — how do I store it safely and train him to leave it alone without risking salmonella exposure? Store raw meat in a double-sealed container placed on the highest shelf of your pantry or in a locked cabinet… Dogs · Food safety My 7 kg dog just licked a bit of yolk off a plate of plain scrambled eggs — do I need to rush her to the vet? No, you do not need to rush. A lick of plain cooked egg yolk with no salt or butter is well within safe… Dogs · Food safety Do I need to worry about my 6 kg Pug getting raspberry poisoning from those freeze-dried strawberry-raspberry training treats I buy? You generally do not need to worry. Plain raspberries are safe for dogs, and the trace amounts of… Cats · Emergency guide My 9 kg cat got into a potted daffodil and ate the bulb — does his larger size mean he's safer than a smaller cat? No. The alkaloids in daffodil bulbs don't care about body weight — a 9 kg cat can still get severely sick… Dogs · Emergency guide My 30 kg Labrador ate three raw egg whites — will his big size protect him from biotin deficiency? No. Avidin in raw egg whites blocks biotin absorption no matter how heavy your dog is. The danger comes from… Dogs · Emergency guide My 20 kg dog licked about a quarter cup of liquid drain cleaner off the garage floor — is that amount enough to be an emergency? Yes, that amount is a serious emergency. A quarter cup is a significant volume of a corrosive substance that… Dogs · Emergency guide My 15 kg pregnant dog ate five chrysanthemum petals from a vase — could this harm her or her unborn puppies? Yes, it could. Chrysanthemums contain pyrethrins, which are nerve toxins. While a few petals may only cause… Dogs · Emergency guide Only my 8 kg terrier licked a large blob of alcohol hand sanitizer gel off the counter — my other dog didn't touch it. How do I keep the second dog safe now? First, secure the exposed dog. Alcohol gel clings to fur and muzzle, so wipe his mouth and face thoroughly… Cats · Emergency guide My 5 kg cat just licked a thin smear of zinc oxide diaper cream off my finger — is one lick enough to cause zinc poisoning? One lick is unlikely to cause full poisoning, but it's not zero risk. Cats are small, and zinc oxide is… Cats · Food safety My 4 kg cat with a sensitive stomach had diarrhoea after eating two cooked asparagus tips last night — is asparagus a common trigger? Asparagus itself isn't a common allergen, but any new food can upset a sensitive stomach. The fibre in cooked… Cats · Food safety My 3 kg cat seems itchy and is grooming more after eating a few bites of plain, cooked bison yesterday — could this be a food allergy? Yes, it's possible. While bison is a safe protein, any novel meat can trigger an allergic reaction in… Dogs · Food safety Only my 12 kg Labrador ate a large piece of plain, cooked salmon skin from my plate — my other dog didn't get any. Do I need to watch both dogs? Focus on the Labrador. Cooked salmon skin is fatty and rich, which can cause pancreatitis or diarrhoea in… Dogs · Food safety My 10 kg dog ate about ten brine-cured olives and the vet induced vomiting. What should I watch for during his recovery at home over the next two days? Watch for signs of sodium ion poisoning, which can appear even after vomiting. Check for increased thirst and… Dogs · Emergency guide My 8 kg dog ate a birth control pill 48 hours ago and seems fine now — could delayed symptoms still appear weeks later? Yes, delayed symptoms are a real risk with hormone pills. The immediate vomiting or lethargy might be mild or…

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