Suspect poisoning? US: ASPCA Poison Control (888) 426-4435 · UK: 01202 509 000 · Severe symptoms → nearest emergency vet now.

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

All pets Dogs Cats

Cats · Emergency guide My 4 kg cat licked undiluted ear cleaning solution straight from the bottle — is that worse than if it was diluted with water? Yes, undiluted solution is far more concentrated and irritating. Acids like acetic acid or alcohols can cause… Cats · Emergency guide Only one of my two 4 kg cats ate a golf-ball-sized lump of raw bread dough — how do I keep the other cat safe while dealing with the sick one? Isolate the cat who ate the dough immediately in a carrier or small room — dough expands and ferments… Cats · Emergency guide Are bee pollen or propolis supplements in cat treats safe for my 5 kg cat with seasonal allergies? No, avoid them. Bee products carry a risk of triggering an allergic reaction, especially in a cat already… Cats · Food safety Can my 4 kg pregnant cat have a few bites of plain sushi rice with cooked shrimp, or should I avoid all sushi during her pregnancy? A few bites of plain rice and fully cooked shrimp are low risk, but it's smarter to avoid sushi altogether… Dogs · Food safety How much mild tomato salsa is too much for my 15 kg dog — is a quarter cup dangerous because of the onion and garlic? A quarter cup of mild salsa for a 15 kg dog is pushing into the risky zone. Onion and garlic damage red blood… Cats · Emergency guide My 4 kg cat ate green tomato plant leaves and the vet sent her home — what tests were done and how long do I monitor? The vet likely ran bloodwork to check kidney and liver function, and possibly an ECG to monitor heart rate… Cats · Emergency guide My 5 kg cat swiped a lotus leaf from the Thanksgiving table centerpiece — is this a holiday emergency? Yes, call your vet. Sacred lotus leaves contain irritating alkaloids, and cats are especially sensitive. The… Dogs · Emergency guide Could a 15 kg dog just get diarrhoea and gas from licking a crushed 10 mg Adderall tablet, not full poisoning? No, stimulant poisoning is the primary and urgent risk. While gastrointestinal upset can occur, the… Cats · Emergency guide My 3.5 kg cat inhaled paint thinner fumes 3 hours ago and the vet stabilized her — what's the recovery plan at home? Recovery hinges on preventing chemical pneumonitis, which can develop up to 24 hours later. The vet likely… Cats · Emergency guide My 2.8 kg kitten ate an oxygen absorber packet from a beef jerky bag yesterday and vomited this morning — is this an emergency? Yes, this is an emergency. Oxygen absorbers contain iron powder, not silica gel, and ingested iron causes… Cats · Food safety My 3.5 kg indoor cat ate a small piece of fresh peach flesh yesterday — how long should I monitor her and what should I check for during recovery? Watch her for 24 to 48 hours. Peach flesh is safe in small amounts, but the natural sugars can upset a cat's… Dogs · Emergency guide My 20 kg dog ate kerosene at a party. How urgent is this? This is urgent. Kerosene is toxic to dogs. Watch for signs like coughing, vomiting, or difficulty breathing.… Cats · Emergency guide My 8-week-old kitten ate a 2 mg melatonin gummy — should I call the vet right away? Yes, call your vet or the ASPCA poison line (888-426-4435) now. A kitten's tiny body weight means even a… Dogs · Emergency guide My 5 kg Chihuahua just ate a large chip of old lead paint from the baseboard. Is the risk worse because she's so small? Yes, the risk is significantly higher for a small dog. Lead poisoning is a dose-dependent toxicity, meaning… Dogs · Emergency guide My 15 kg dog licked a single 500 mg paracetamol tablet I dropped. He didn't swallow it whole. Is this an emergency? Yes, treat this as an emergency. Even licking can transfer a dangerous dose, especially if the tablet was… Cats · Emergency guide My 5 kg senior cat with early kidney disease got a double dose of his gentamicin ear drops by accident. Is kidney damage more likely for him? Yes, the existing kidney disease puts him at greater risk. Aminoglycoside antibiotics like gentamicin are… Dogs · Emergency guide My 12 kg dog ate a green block of rat poison. Is this more dangerous than the mouse poison pellets my neighbor uses? The danger depends entirely on the active ingredient, not the form. Green blocks often contain bromethalin or… Cats · Emergency guide How much kerosene is dangerous for a 4 kg cat? She lapped a few drops from a spill on the garage floor. Even a few laps can be dangerous. The primary risk isn't just stomach upset—it's aspiration pneumonia if she… Dogs · Food safety My 8 kg terrier keeps stealing blackberries from the garden bush. How can I train him to leave them alone? Blackberries themselves are safe, but training 'leave it' is wise to prevent him from grabbing unsafe berries… Cats · Food safety My 4 kg cat swallowed a whole regular marshmallow 2 hours ago. What should I watch for over the next day, and when can I stop worrying? Watch for two things over the next 24 hours. First, choking or blockage from the sticky shape—signs are… Dogs · Emergency guide My 12 kg dog licked a spoonful of curry sauce with aloe vera gel in it — is the cooked gel in sauce still toxic? The clear inner gel is far less irritating than the yellow latex under the leaf skin, but it's still a mild… Cats · Emergency guide My 3 kg cat licked a drop of thick gel drain cleaner, not the liquid kind — is the gel form less dangerous? No, gel formulas are just as corrosive as liquid ones. The thick consistency means it can stick to the tongue… Cats · Emergency guide My 5 kg cat keeps licking boric acid powder I put under the fridge for roaches every few weeks — what happens with repeated small exposures? Repeated small licks are dangerous because boric acid accumulates in the body, damaging the kidneys and liver… Cats · Toxicity calculator My 4 kg senior cat with early kidney disease ate one metaldehyde slug bait pellet — does her condition make the tremors worse? Yes, her kidney disease makes this more urgent. Metaldehyde is processed by the kidneys, and impaired… Dogs · Food safety My 25 kg pregnant dog gets a half-cup of cooked peas with her dinner every night — is this safe and beneficial for her and the puppies? Yes, that amount of plain cooked peas is safe and can be a good low-calorie source of fiber and vitamins for… Dogs · Food safety My 10 kg dog snatched a slice of nectarine flesh from the holiday buffet table — is the plain flesh safe at a party with other risky foods around? A single slice of plain nectarine flesh is safe for a dog that size. The immediate concern at a party is what… Cats · Emergency guide My 4 kg cat ate half a piece of sugar-free gum — is that small amount enough to cause the sorbitol laxative effect? A half piece is a small amount, but the sorbitol can still cause diarrhea in a 4 kg cat. The sugar alcohol… Dogs · Emergency guide My 8 kg mixed breed dog got into my cooking pot and chewed on a snake plant leaf that fell in — should I worry? Yes, worry. Snake plant contains saponins — soap-like compounds that burn the mouth and irritate the gut.… Cats · Emergency guide My 3 kg cat licked about a teaspoon of xylitol dental gel off the kitchen counter this morning — is that dangerous? Yes, dangerous — even though cats are less sensitive to xylitol than dogs, a teaspoon in a 3 kg cat is still… Dogs · Toxicity calculator My 10 kg dog swallowed a half acetaminophen pill that had fallen into my dinner soup — when do symptoms appear? Yes, this is an emergency. Acetaminophen takes time to overwhelm the liver and damage red blood cells, so…

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