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

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.

Prefer to run the tool?

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
Cats · Food safety My 3 kg kitten ate a thin slice of raw bamboo shoot 30 minutes ago — what symptoms should I look for and when will they start? Watch closely for drooling, vomiting, or diarrhea within the next few hours. Raw bamboo contains cyanogenic… Cats · Food safety My 4.5 kg cat ate a whole strawberry, including the green leafy top — are the leaves and stem safe, or should I be worried? The leaves and stem are not toxic, but they are fibrous and can cause mild stomach upset or even a choking… Cats · Emergency guide How do I stop my 3 kg indoor cat from chewing through the plastic bag of ice melt I store in the garage? Get it out of the garage now. Cats love to chew crinkly plastic, and a single puncture can release enough… Dogs · Emergency guide My 15 kg Labrador keeps finding my baclofen pills — how can I train him to leave the pill bottle alone? Training 'leave it' is essential, but with a drug this dangerous, you cannot rely on training alone. A 10 mg… Cats · Emergency guide My 4 kg cat ate a tramadol pill that fell out of a guest's purse during our New Year's Eve party — what do I do? Go to the vet now. Tramadol is a potent opioid that depresses breathing and causes profound sedation; a whole… Cats · Food safety Can I give a pinch of ground flaxseed to my pregnant 4.5 kg cat for extra fiber? Yes, a tiny pinch mixed into her regular food is safe. Ground flaxseed adds fiber, which can be helpful… Cats · Food safety My 6 kg cat stole a piece of pickled herring from the Christmas buffet table — is this dangerous? Yes, pickled herring is dangerous. The vinegar, salt, sugar and spices in the brine can cause severe stomach… Cats · Emergency guide My 4 kg cat's new 'natural' treats list 'xylitol' — could a few treats cause poisoning? Yes, even a few treats with xylitol are a risk. While cats are less sensitive than dogs, the ingredient is… Dogs · Emergency guide My 7 kg dog gets a pea-sized smear of xylitol pet toothpaste on his brush every day for a month — what damage could this do? This repeated exposure is extremely dangerous. Each small dose adds up, risking cumulative liver damage and… Cats · Emergency guide My 4 kg cat ate about 5 fertilizer pellets from a spilled bag — is that amount toxic? Yes, even five pellets can be toxic, depending on the fertilizer type. Blood meal or iron-based products are… Dogs · Emergency guide How do I keep my 15 kg curious dog from eating green tomato stems in our backyard garden? Physical barriers are your best bet. Install a low wire fence or chicken wire around the vegetable patch … Cats · Food safety Is plain cooked millet safer for my 5 kg cat than raw millet or other grains like quinoa? Yes, plain cooked millet is safe, while raw millet and other uncooked grains are hard to digest and can cause… Cats · Food safety What's the best way to keep my 5 kg cat out of a bowl of fresh plums on the dining table? Use a covered fruit bowl or simply keep plums in the refrigerator until you're ready to eat them. Cats are… Cats · Food safety For my 4 kg cat's mild upset stomach, is plain cooked white rice better than a piece of plain bread? Yes, plain cooked white rice is usually the better choice. It's more easily digestible and is a classic part… Dogs · Emergency guide My 12 kg puppy keeps sniffing the paint thinner can in the garage — is 'leave it' training enough to keep him safe? No, training alone is not safe enough for a liquid this dangerous. Paint thinner is a thin petroleum… Cats · Emergency guide My pregnant 4.5 kg cat ate one prenatal vitamin tablet 30 minutes ago — is the iron risk higher for her and her unborn kittens? Yes, the iron risk is significant for her and potentially for the kittens. A prenatal vitamin contains 27–65… Dogs · Emergency guide My 12 kg dog ate three raw egg white paste treats from a tube — are these hidden raw egg sources dangerous for biotin deficiency? Yes, raw egg white paste is a hidden source of avidin, the protein that binds biotin. Three treats in one… Dogs · Emergency guide My 12 kg dog ate two expired fluoxetine pills that were left out on the counter overnight — does spoilage change the poisoning risk? Expired pills are still dangerous — the active ingredient doesn't vanish, it just may be less potent. Two… Dogs · Emergency guide My 25 kg dog has a swollen paw and is in pain after our hike — how can I tell if it's a snake bite or just a bee sting? Look for two small puncture wounds close together — that's the classic snake bite mark a bee sting usually… Dogs · Food safety My 7 kg dog ate some mouldy paprika-seasoned chicken leftovers that were left out overnight — is the mould or the spice the bigger problem? The mould is the bigger immediate risk. Mould can contain toxins that cause vomiting, tremors, or even… Cats · Food safety My 3 kg cat licked a spoon coated in hot chocolate mix — does her small size make even that tiny amount an emergency? For a 3 kg cat, even a lick of hot chocolate mix can be dangerous. The theobromine in chocolate is toxic, and… Dogs · Food safety My 6 kg dog with a sensitive gut ate about ten pomegranate seeds — could these cause diarrhea or an allergic reaction? Ten seeds are unlikely to cause an allergic reaction, but they could definitely trigger diarrhea in a dog… Dogs · Food safety My 15 kg dog just snatched a raw lamb chop with the bone. What should I do in the next hour? First, check if he swallowed any bone fragments — raw bones can splinter and puncture the gut. Look in his… Dogs · Emergency guide My 8 kg terrier chewed a kerosene-soaked rag from the shed 2 hours ago and is now drooling. Should I make him vomit or is that dangerous? No, never make him vomit. Kerosene soaked in a rag is thick and stays in the stomach — forcing vomit risks… Cats · Emergency guide My 4 kg cat chewed a tulip bulb 12 hours ago and seems okay now — could she still get sick? Yes, she could still get sick. Signs from bulb poisoning can be delayed up to 12 hours, and sometimes longer… Dogs · Emergency guide My 25 kg dog was treated for eating five crushed pear pits — what tests will the vet run during monitoring? The vet will likely run blood tests to check his oxygen-carrying capacity and organ function. They'll monitor… Dogs · Emergency guide My 12 kg diabetic dog with a heart murmur chewed his insulin pen — is the low blood sugar risk worse for him? Yes, the risk is higher. A heart murmur means his cardiovascular system is already under strain, and a sudden… Cats · Emergency guide Is a cooked or boiled castor bean less dangerous for my 5 kg cat than a raw one she might find in the garden? No, cooking does not destroy the ricin toxin. The danger comes from whether the seed is chewed or crushed… Dogs · Emergency guide How many English ivy leaves would make my 8 kg dog sick, and is a single leaf chewed during a walk a concern? Even one or two leaves can cause mouth irritation and vomiting in a dog that size. The saponins are… Dogs · Food safety My 3-month-old, 2 kg puppy stole and ate a small piece of cooked mackerel — is the high oil content a problem for his tiny stomach? A single small piece is likely fine, but watch him closely. Puppies have sensitive digestive systems, and the…

Page 307 of 337

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