Suspect poisoning? US: ASPCA Poison Control (888) 426-4435 · UK: 01202 509 000 · Severe symptoms → nearest emergency vet now.
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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
Dogs · Food safety My 10 kg dog ate a handful of sugar-free candies that were left in a bowl overnight — does spoilage change the xylitol risk? No, spoilage doesn't reduce the xylitol risk — it remains a severe, immediate emergency. Xylitol causes a… Dogs · Emergency guide My 12 kg dog ate raw rhubarb leaves from the garden, not cooked spinach. Is that worse for him? Yes, raw rhubarb leaves are far more dangerous than spinach. The oxalate crystals in the leaves bind calcium… Dogs · Emergency guide My 25 kg pregnant Labrador ate three crushed pear pits from a pie. Is the cyanide risk worse for her and her puppies? Yes, the risk is higher for a pregnant dog. The cyanide released from crushed pits interferes with oxygen… Dogs · Emergency guide My 4 kg Yorkie and my 30 kg Lab both dug up and ate a raw daffodil bulb. Is the danger the same for tiny and large dogs? No, the danger is not the same — it's much higher for your 4 kg Yorkie. The toxic alkaloids are… Dogs · Emergency guide My 8 kg dog keeps finding and chewing on boric acid roach bait pellets every day for a week. What long-term damage could this cause? Repeated daily exposure to boric acid is extremely dangerous and can lead to cumulative poisoning. The… Dogs · Emergency guide At a backyard BBQ, my 15 kg dog lapped up some spilled liquid organophosphate insecticide from a patio tile. He's now drooling heavily. What do I do? Get him away from the area and call a vet or poison control immediately — this is an emergency. The heavy… Cats · Food safety My 5 kg senior cat has early kidney disease. Can she have a few bites of plain cooked duck breast as an occasional treat? Yes, a few bites of plain, skinless cooked duck breast occasionally is generally safe, but check with your… Dogs · Emergency guide My 7 kg dog just ate a dental chew that lists 'hormone gel' on the ingredient list — is this a hidden source of steroid cream poisoning? Yes, that's a hidden source of risk. Hormone gels like testosterone or estrogen are sometimes added to human… Cats · Emergency guide Are those 'calming' cat treats with tramadol and acetaminophen safe for my 4 kg cat with arthritis? No, they are extremely dangerous. Human combination painkillers that mix an opioid with acetaminophen are… Dogs · Emergency guide My 5 kg dog ate a 'natural' chew that lists 'jade plant extract' — is this in commercial treats? Yes, it can be a hidden ingredient. Some 'botanical' or 'herbal' pet products quietly include extracts from… Cats · Food safety My 4 kg cat just licked a few wet, used hops from my homebrewing bowl — what's the first step in the next hour? Call your vet or an emergency clinic immediately. Hops can trigger malignant hyperthermia in cats, causing a… Cats · Food safety My 5 kg cat ate about six dried goji berries — what should I watch for and how long does monitoring last? Watch for vomiting, diarrhea, or loss of appetite over the next 24 hours. The sugar and fiber can upset a… Dogs · Food safety Only my 8 kg dog ate a chunk of raw fennel bulb — my 15 kg dog didn't touch it. How do I handle this in a multi-dog house? Fennel is safe, so no emergency. Check the piece he ate for any seasoning, garlic powder, or sauces that… Dogs · Emergency guide What happens if I feed my 20 kg dog a raw egg white in his breakfast every morning for a month? That's enough to cause a biotin deficiency. The avidin in raw egg whites binds to biotin in his gut, blocking… Cats · Food safety My 3 kg kitten licked a few shelled hemp hearts off the counter — is this an emergency? No, it's not an emergency. Shelled hemp hearts are safe for cats in small amounts, and a few licks is a tiny… Cats · Food safety My 5 kg cat ate some plain boiled noodles that were left out on the stove overnight — is she going to get sick? Probably not, but watch her. Plain noodles themselves are safe, but leaving them out allows bacteria to grow.… Cats · Emergency guide My 4 kg indoor cat snatched a raw chicken skewer from the BBQ buffet table. She ate about two bites before I got it away — what's the risk at a party? Yes, there's a high risk. Raw chicken from a buffet often sits out, letting bacteria like Salmonella… Cats · Emergency guide How much liquid laundry detergent is dangerous for a 4 kg cat? She licked a quarter-sized puddle off the laundry room floor. For a 4 kg cat, even a quarter-sized puddle is a significant dose. The surfactants cause immediate chemical… Dogs · Emergency guide My 10 kg dog with a history of food sensitivities ate a piece of moldy bread from the trash. Could this just give him diarrhea, or is it more serious? This is far more serious than routine diarrhea. Moldy bread contains tremorgenic mycotoxins that attack the… Dogs · Food safety My 25 kg dog licked a single, used hop pellet that fell on the patio during our home-brewing session. He seems fine now — is one lick an emergency? Yes, even one lick requires immediate action. Hops can trigger malignant hyperthermia, where a dog's… Cats · Food safety My 5 kg cat's new 'grain-free' wet food lists 'quinoa flour' in the ingredients. Is this a hidden source that's safe for her long-term diet? Yes, quinoa flour in commercial cat food is safe. Manufacturers rinse the quinoa thoroughly to remove… Dogs · Food safety I've been giving my 15 kg dog a few pine nuts as a daily training treat for weeks. Could this regular, small amount cause problems over time? Yes, daily feeding can cause problems. Pine nuts are very high in fat, and even a few each day adds up… Cats · Emergency guide My 4 kg cat has been eating a small piece of raw daffodil bulb from the garden every day for a week — what damage has this done? Yes, this is a serious risk and you should call your vet or the ASPCA poison line at 888-426-4435 now.… Cats · Emergency guide My 4 kg cat chewed a poinsettia leaf but ignores the Christmas cactus next to it — which plant is actually dangerous? Poinsettia is the risky one, but it's not as lethal as the old myth claims. The white sap in its leaves and… Dogs · Emergency guide Only my 15 kg Labrador ate a whole aloe leaf an hour ago; my other dog didn't touch it. How do I handle the exposed dog and keep the second one safe? Focus on the Labrador first. Expect vomiting and profuse diarrhea within the next few hours — the yellow… Dogs · Food safety How can I train my 12 kg curious puppy to leave my potted oregano plant alone and store it safely? Start by placing the pot on a high windowsill or shelf he cannot reach — puppies jump. For training, use the… Cats · Food safety Is it okay to feed my 3.5 kg indoor cat a small piece of raw bok choy every day as a treat, or could that cause problems over time? A small piece of raw bok choy occasionally is fine for a 3.5 kg cat, but feeding it daily is not advisable.… Cats · Emergency guide My 3 kg cat just licked a puddle of drain cleaner from under the sink 20 minutes ago — is that dangerous? Yes, this is an emergency even though she only licked a tiny puddle. Drain cleaner contains highly alkaline… Dogs · Emergency guide My 11 kg cat with chronic kidney disease just licked about a teaspoon of gentamicin ear infection drops — will her kidneys take more damage? Yes, that is a real concern. Aminoglycoside antibiotics like gentamicin are toxic to the kidneys, and an… Dogs · Emergency guide My 20 kg Labrador has been eating small amounts of unknown wild mushrooms every walk for two weeks — is there cumulative liver damage? It is possible, and you should not wait for symptoms to appear. A single Amanita mushroom can cause…

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