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

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

All pets Dogs Cats

Cats · Emergency guide My 4 kg cat licked a kerosene-soaked rag I used to clean a spill. Is licking it worse than drinking liquid kerosene from a puddle? Licking a soaked rag can be just as dangerous because the kerosene is concentrated on the fibers, and she may… Dogs · Food safety At a party, my 7 kg dog snatched a few bites of brie and cheddar from the cheese board. Will the rich dairy cause problems later tonight? Rich, fatty cheeses like those are very likely to cause diarrhea or vomiting, often within 6-12 hours. The… Dogs · Food safety Are commercial 'natural' dog treats that list agave syrup as a sweetener safe for my 12 kg dog? He gets one a day. Treats with agave syrup are not toxic, but they add unnecessary sugar to his diet. Think of it like giving… Dogs · Emergency guide My 12 kg dog just ate some cocoa mulch that's been sitting wet in the yard for a week — could the mould make it worse? Yes, mouldy cocoa mulch is a double emergency. The theobromine in the mulch is toxic on its own, and mould… Cats · Emergency guide My 4 kg cat nibbled a kalanchoe leaf but often chews my echeveria — is kalanchoe more dangerous? Yes, kalanchoe is far more dangerous than echeveria. Echeveria might cause a mild tummy upset, but kalanchoe… Cats · Emergency guide My 5 kg senior cat is on other meds — how do I store my Baclofen pills so she can't get them? Store Baclofen in a locked cabinet, never in a weekly pill organizer or on a nightstand. A senior cat on… Cats · Emergency guide My 4 kg diabetic cat on insulin therapy chewed a metformin tablet — is this a double emergency? Yes, this is a high-risk situation. Your cat's blood sugar is already managed with insulin, and metformin… Cats · Emergency guide My 3 kg cat swallowed a whole stick of sugar-free gum with the wrapper on — is the wrapper or the sorbitol worse? Both are serious problems together. The sorbitol will cause explosive, watery diarrhea within hours, which… Dogs · Emergency guide My 8 kg terrier licked a green bromethalin rat bait block once — is a single lick dangerous for a small dog? Yes, even a lick can be dangerous because bromethalin is highly concentrated. For an 8 kg dog, ingesting a… Cats · Food safety My 4 kg cat with early kidney disease ate one raisin from the floor — is this extra dangerous for her kidneys? Yes, this is especially dangerous. Even one raisin can cause acute kidney failure in a healthy cat, and a cat… Cats · Food safety My 3 kg cat licked some spicy salsa with raw onions and tomatoes — are the raw onions worse than cooked ones? Raw onions are more concentrated and therefore more dangerous than cooked ones. For a 3 kg cat, even a small… Dogs · Emergency guide Is a few licks of spilled beer more or less dangerous than a few licks of red wine for my 12 kg terrier? Both are equally dangerous because the toxicity comes from the ethanol, not the type of drink. A dog's small… Cats · Emergency guide Is it safer for my 5 kg cat to eat a cooked piece of chicken from my plate or a raw chunk from the dog's food patty? The cooked chicken is far safer. Raw dog food carries a high risk of Salmonella or E. coli contamination… Cats · Emergency guide Are the pink petals from an azalea bouquet less toxic than the green leaves for my 4 kg indoor cat? No, all parts of the azalea plant are equally toxic, including petals, leaves, and even the nectar. The… Cats · Food safety My 3.5 kg cat jumped on the holiday buffet table and licked a few whole mustard seeds off a ham glaze — is this toxic? Yes, mustard seeds are toxic to cats and can cause gastroenteritis, with vomiting and diarrhea appearing… Cats · Food safety Is it okay for my 4 kg nursing queen to have one crushed hazelnut as an occasional treat while she's feeding her kittens? It's best to avoid hazelnuts while she's nursing. Although not toxic, the high fat content in a single nut… Dogs · Emergency guide My 5 kg small-breed dog licked a tiny crumb of THC brownie off the floor — should I call the vet right now? Yes, call your vet or the ASPCA poison line at 888-426-4435 now. Dogs have many more cannabinoid receptors… Dogs · Emergency guide Could a teaspoon of spilled rubbing alcohol give my 15 kg dog with a sensitive stomach diarrhoea or an allergic reaction? Yes, it can cause diarrhoea and vomiting within two hours — but that's poisoning, not just a sensitive… Cats · Emergency guide My 4 kg cat groomed a surface I cleaned with a 70% isopropyl alcohol wipe that was left out overnight — is the dried residue still toxic? Yes, the dried residue is still toxic and you should call your vet now. Cats are exposed through grooming… Dogs · Food safety Is a single lick of ketchup off a plate riskier for my 4 kg Yorkie than for my 25 kg Beagle? Yes, the tiny Yorkie is at greater risk from even a lick. Ketchup packs sugar, salt, and often onion powder… Cats · Food safety Could three pomegranate arils give my 4 kg cat with a history of diarrhoea an upset stomach? Yes, they could — the arils are safe in theory, but a sensitive cat might react with diarrhoea or vomiting.… Cats · Emergency guide My 4 kg cat licked a beef-flavored heartworm chew meant for a large dog — is that tiny amount an emergency? Yes, call your vet or the ASPCA Poison Control line at 888-426-4435 right now. Even a lick can deliver a… Cats · Emergency guide What happens if I give my 3 kg cat a spoonful of sugar-free yogurt with sorbitol every morning for a week? That repeated feeding will likely cause persistent, watery diarrhea and abdominal discomfort. Sorbitol draws… Dogs · Emergency guide My 12 kg dog with kidney disease ate a tablespoon of laundry detergent powder — does his condition change what I should do? Yes, his kidney disease makes this more critical. The detergent's chemicals can cause electrolyte imbalances… Dogs · Food safety My 7 kg dog ate two moldy raisins from old raisin bread left out overnight — is the mold an extra danger? Yes, the mold adds another layer of risk, but the raisins themselves are the immediate emergency. Even two… Cats · Food safety My 4 kg cat ate some vanilla ice cream cake frosting that was left on a plate — is the frosting worse than plain ice cream? Yes, frosting is often more concentrated in sugar and fat than the ice cream itself, raising the risk of… Cats · Emergency guide My 2.5 kg cat licked paracetamol powder from a broken tablet 30 minutes ago — how soon will I see the first signs? This is an immediate emergency, not a wait-and-see situation. The first signs—labored breathing, blue or… Dogs · Emergency guide My 20 kg dog has been eating a quarter of an avocado's flesh daily for weeks — what long-term damage could that cause? Yes, this repeated feeding is dangerous and can cause cumulative harm. The toxin persin builds up over time… Cats · Emergency guide My 4 kg cat keeps finding and chewing tiny fragments of dried hyacinth bulb in the potting shed — what happens if she does this regularly? Repeated exposure is extremely dangerous. The calcium oxalate crystals cause immediate oral pain with each… Cats · Emergency guide My 5 kg cat licked hydrocortisone cream from the first aid kit — is this more dangerous for her than the pet-specific antibiotic ointment I also have? Yes, the human hydrocortisone cream is significantly more dangerous. It's dosed for a much larger body and…

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