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 a dime-sized spot of wet organophosphate insecticide off her front paw — is that enough to cause poisoning? Yes, even that small amount is enough. These chemicals are potent nerve agents absorbed rapidly through… Cats · Emergency guide Are joint supplement chews for cats safe if they list 'capsaicin' or 'diclofenac' in the ingredients for a 5 kg senior cat? No, they are not safe—avoid any treat listing those ingredients. Diclofenac is an NSAID extremely toxic to… Cats · Emergency guide My 4 kg cat with stage 2 kidney disease licked a dab of dried Gorilla Glue off the floor — does her condition make this more dangerous? Yes, her kidney disease significantly raises the risk. Polyurethane glue expands in the stomach, potentially… Dogs · Food safety How can I keep my 12 kg counter-surfing dog from getting into soy sauce bottles left out after cooking? Store soy sauce and all cooking sauces in a high, closed cabinet immediately after use—never leave them on… Dogs · Food safety Only my 10 kg dog with a sensitive stomach ate a tablespoon of sour cream off a dropped plate; my other two dogs didn't. How should I handle them all? Focus on the dog who ate it. The fat and lactose often cause diarrhea, especially in a sensitive stomach… Cats · Food safety My 5 kg diabetic cat on insulin ate one small piece of sugar-free hard candy — is the xylitol risk different for a diabetic cat? Yes, the risk is compounded. Xylitol can cause a rapid, severe drop in blood sugar (hypoglycemia) in pets.… Dogs · Toxicity calculator My 10 kg dog ate a 2 mg nicotine gum piece 30 minutes ago — is that worse than finding and chewing an old cigarette butt? Yes, the gum is often more dangerous. A single 2 mg gum piece contains a concentrated, predictable dose of… Dogs · Emergency guide My 12 kg dog found and ate a moldy sago palm seed that was left outside overnight. Is the mold an extra risk? The mold is not the main concern — the seed itself is deadly. Sago palm contains cycasin, a toxin that causes… Dogs · Toxicity calculator My 5 kg dog ate three macadamia nuts from the table. Will her small size make the weakness and wobbliness worse? Yes, her small size increases the risk. The toxic dose is roughly 2.4 grams per kilogram, so three nuts for a… Dogs · Food safety My 7 kg dog ate a large slice of chocolate cake 4 hours ago and is now vomiting. How long will these signs last? Vomiting from chocolate toxicity can last 6 to 12 hours, but the bigger concern is the theobromine still in… Cats · Food safety My 5 kg cat ate half a can of water-packed sardines 2 hours ago. What should I watch for during recovery, and how long? Watch for vomiting, diarrhea, or a loss of appetite over the next 24 hours. Half a can is a large, rich meal… Cats · Emergency guide My 3 kg cat drank an entire bowl of water after playing with the hose for 20 minutes — is her small size a bigger risk for water intoxication? Yes, her small size dramatically increases the risk. A tiny cat's kidneys can't process a large water volume… Dogs · Emergency guide My pregnant 25 kg dog ate a palmful of grey powder from a torn hand warmer 2 hours ago — does this risk her unborn puppies? Yes, this is an urgent risk for her and the puppies. The main danger isn't the iron powder itself, but the… Dogs · Emergency guide My 5 kg Chihuahua ate half a sugar-free brownie with sorbitol 30 minutes ago — does his tiny size make the explosive diarrhea and dehydration more likely? Yes, his small size makes severe consequences far more likely. That half a brownie represents a much larger… Cats · Emergency guide My 4 kg cat chewed and swallowed one whole castor bean from the garden — is a single bean enough to cause ricin poisoning? Yes, one chewed bean is enough to be lethal for a cat. Ricin is an extremely potent toxin that attacks the… Cats · Emergency guide My 3.5 kg cat ate a wilted, yellowing cyclamen leaf that fell off the plant a week ago — does the leaf being old and dry change the risk? No, a dried or wilted leaf is still toxic. The irritating saponins in cyclamen do not break down… Dogs · Emergency guide My 15 kg dog swallowed a whole pack of sugar-free gum, wrappers and all — does the amount of sorbitol plus the wrappers make this a double emergency? Yes, this is a high-risk situation for two separate reasons. The sorbitol will cause severe, watery diarrhea… Cats · Food safety My 4 kg cat licked a plate that had red wine and mushroom sauce from a quail stew on it — are the alcohol and mushrooms in the sauce a problem? The quail meat itself is fine, but the sauce is the worry. Even a small amount of alcohol from cooked-down… Cats · Food safety One of my two 5 kg cats licked a big smear of pesto off a pasta plate, but the other didn't — do I need to monitor them both, or just the one who ate it? Focus on the cat who ate it, but keep the pesto away from both. The garlic in pesto is toxic, and a big lick… Cats · Food safety My 6 kg cat ate a piece of pepperoni pizza that was left in the box on the counter overnight — is the spoilage or the garlic powder the bigger concern? The spoilage is the more immediate concern. Overnight, bacteria like staphylococcus can multiply on the fatty… Cats · Emergency guide My 4 kg cat ate half a tube of a dog hairball remedy I left out — is the petroleum jelly or the flavoring the problem? The entire product is the problem. Dog formulas often contain ingredients or doses that are toxic to cats… Cats · Emergency guide My 3 kg cat just licked a single drop of ear cleaning solution off my finger — is that tiny amount dangerous for her small size? A single drop is unlikely to cause poisoning, but it can still sting. Watch for immediate signs like head… Cats · Emergency guide Could my 4 kg cat get ibuprofen poisoning from licking a joint supplement gel labeled 'natural' that I use for my arthritis? Yes, absolutely. Many 'natural' pain relief gels secretly contain NSAIDs like ibuprofen or diclofenac, which… Cats · Emergency guide My 2.5 kg kitten ate one small lily petal — does her tiny size make even that minimal amount a fatal risk? Yes, for cats, any part of a lily is a fatal risk regardless of size. A 2.5 kg kitten is in extreme danger… Dogs · Food safety My 12 kg dog with a sensitive stomach ate a whole cooked sweet potato — will this cause gas and diarrhoea overnight? Very likely, yes. A whole sweet potato is a large, fibrous meal for a sensitive stomach, often leading to… Cats · Food safety How can I stop my 4 kg curious cat from stealing raw bell pepper strips while I'm chopping vegetables for dinner? Use a high-sided bowl for scraps and keep your cutting board at the back of the counter. Cats jump for moving… Dogs · Emergency guide My 12 kg dog grabbed a large English ivy leaf off the holiday buffet table — should I call the vet now? Yes, call your vet or the ASPCA Poison Control line (888-426-4435) now. The saponins in ivy cause immediate… Dogs · Toxicity calculator Is it harmful to give my 5 kg terrier a piece of xylitol gum as a treat every afternoon? Yes, that's a deadly habit. Xylitol triggers a massive insulin release in dogs, causing a blood sugar crash… Cats · Emergency guide How can I prevent my 4 kg cat from getting stuck on a glue trap at an outdoor BBQ where food is left out overnight? Remove all glue traps from the area before the party starts. The strong adhesive mats fur instantly, and a… Cats · Emergency guide My 3 kg cat ate a crumb of anticoagulant rodenticide and now has bloody diarrhea 8 hours later — is this just a tummy upset? No, bloody diarrhea is a sign of internal bleeding, not a simple upset. These poisons block vitamin K, so the…

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The library keeps growing. Can’t find your situation? Open the matching toxicity calculator and enter weight plus amount for an instant risk level.