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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 · Food safety My 10kg dog just ate a handful of raw mustard greens — what's my first step? Your dog will be fine. Raw mustard greens are safe in small amounts, so a handful for a medium-sized dog is… Dogs · Food safety My 30 kg dog ate a whole raw lotus root I left out. Should I watch for anything? Yes, monitor for 24 hours. Raw lotus root is fibrous and can cause stomach upset or a mild blockage in large… Cats · Food safety My 3-year-old cat stole two erythritol-sweetened cookies from the buffet table. Should I worry? Mild risk, but watch for diarrhea. Erythritol isn't toxic like xylitol, but may cause stomach upset in cats.… Dogs · Food safety My dog ate a small chocolate bar weighing 100g — how much is too much? 100g of chocolate is too much for a dog. Call your vet immediately. Chocolate is toxic, especially dark and… Dogs · Food safety My 4-month-old puppy ate a tablespoon of ground flaxseed. Is this safe? Yes, that small amount is generally safe for a puppy. Ground flaxseed adds fibre, but a puppy's small size… Cats · Food safety My cat always tries to steal watermelon slices left out on the counter — how can I prevent this? Watermelon flesh is safe for cats, but prevention is wise to avoid a messy surprise. Store cut watermelon in… Cats · Food safety Is it safe for my pregnant cat to be around used hops from home brewing, or could a lick harm her? No, it is not safe — hops are highly toxic to all cats, and pregnancy does not change that risk. Even a small… Dogs · Emergency guide Is a Dieffenbachia plant more dangerous for a small 3 kg puppy than for an adult dog? Yes, the risk is higher for a small puppy. While the plant's calcium oxalate crystals cause immediate mouth… Cats · Food safety Can my pregnant cat safely eat a few raw or cooked snap peas as a treat? Yes, a few snap peas are safe for a pregnant cat, whether raw or cooked, as long as they are plain. They… Dogs · Emergency guide Is a single bee sting on the paw more dangerous for my 2 kg Chihuahua than for a 30 kg Labrador? Yes, the risk of a severe reaction is significantly higher for a tiny 2 kg dog. The same dose of venom is… Dogs · Toxicity calculator My dog is on heart medication — does that make him more sensitive to eating a small piece of cooked onion? Yes, a dog with a heart condition on medication is at greater risk. Onion toxicity damages red blood cells… Cats · Food safety How much plain, cooked quinoa is too much for my 4 kg cat to eat in one sitting? For a 4 kg cat, a teaspoon or two of rinsed, cooked quinoa is a safe maximum portion. Quinoa is not a natural… Cats · Food safety Can cooked octopus cause diarrhea or itchy skin in my 4 kg sensitive cat? Yes, it can. Octopus is very rubbery and even cooked, it can irritate a sensitive stomach, leading to gas… Cats · Food safety My 4‑year‑old cat snatched a raw turnip chunk I left on the counter. What should I do? Raw turnip is safe for cats in small amounts, but it’s harder to digest and may cause mild stomach upset.… Dogs · Food safety For my 12-year-old dog, are strawberries or blueberries a safer occasional treat? Both strawberries and blueberries are safe for dogs in small amounts. They are similar in being low-calorie… Cats · Food safety My 12-week-old kitten ate about ten unsalted shelled sunflower seeds — is that okay? It should be fine, but keep it to a tiny amount for a kitten. The seeds themselves are not poisonous, and… Dogs · Food safety Is it safe for my 20 kg Labrador to eat a chunk of raw rutabaga peel I dropped? Yes, a single chunk of raw rutabaga peel is unlikely to harm a large dog like a Lab. The whole vegetable is… Dogs · Food safety My 4 kg Chihuahua licked half a teaspoon of grape jam off a spoon — is that dangerous? Yes, that is a concern because grape jam adds the risk of grape toxicity on top of the usual sugar load.… Cats · Emergency guide My indoor-outdoor cat has been nibbling a few fertilizer pellets from my potted plants every day for a week — what's the long-term risk? This is an urgent situation requiring immediate action. Repeated daily exposure to fertilizer, even in small… Cats · Food safety My 3-month-old, 1.5 kg kitten stole and ate one salted almond — what should I do? Monitor your kitten closely, as this is riskier for a very young, small cat. Almonds are hard to digest and a… Dogs · Food safety Is it okay if my 30 kg dog eats a couple of fresh basil leaves from my garden every day with his dinner? Yes, that's perfectly safe. A few fresh basil leaves daily are a harmless addition for a dog of that size.… Cats · Toxicity calculator My cat ate an unknown amount of slug bait about 30 minutes ago and is now drooling — what's the first thing I should do right now? Call your veterinarian or an emergency animal hospital immediately — this is an emergency. Metaldehyde in… Cats · Food safety My cat ate a few small pieces of cooked red bell pepper from my chicken stir-fry that had soy sauce and garlic — is that a problem? The bell pepper itself is safe, but the dish it came from is the concern. Garlic and onions are toxic to… Cats · Emergency guide Could my cat be poisoned by licking a small amount of liquid cold medicine that contains diphenhydramine and acetaminophen? Yes, this is extremely dangerous and requires immediate veterinary attention. Diphenhydramine alone can cause… Cats · Food safety My 2-month-old kitten gagged and coughed after swallowing a pea-sized piece of hot dog — is she okay now, and what should I watch for? If she is breathing normally now and not continuing to gag, she likely passed the piece, but stay vigilant.… Dogs · Food safety My 10 kg dog ate a pinch of nutmeg from a spice jar, but would it be worse for my neighbor's 30 kg dog? Yes, nutmeg is toxic to all dogs, but a smaller body weight means a lower toxic dose. The compound myristicin… Dogs · Food safety My dog ate a few bites of leftover herring in a creamy dill sauce — is the sauce a problem? The main concern is the sauce, not the plain herring. Creamy sauces often contain ingredients like onions… Cats · Food safety My senior cat is obsessed with cooked pork — how should I store leftovers and train her to stay off the counter? Plain cooked pork is okay in tiny amounts, but it's best to keep it out of reach. Store leftovers in sealed… Cats · Food safety Only one of my two cats licked a bit of grapefruit pulp — do I need to separate them or check the other cat? No need to separate them, but do check that the other cat didn't ingest any peel or seeds. A small lick of… Dogs · Food safety My 4-month-old puppy snatched and swallowed one whole blackcurrant berry — is that a single bite cause for panic? No need to panic — a single blackcurrant is safe for dogs. These berries are non-toxic, though their sugar…

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