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

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
Dogs · Food safety Is fresh rosemary safe to use in homemade food for my 15 kg pregnant dog who is due to nurse her puppies soon? Yes, the small amount used for seasoning is safe. Rosemary extract is even a common preservative in… Cats · Emergency guide My 3-month-old, 2 kg kitten licked some green pond scum off her paw an hour ago and now seems wobbly — what do I do? Go to the vet immediately. A kitten's small size means even a tiny amount of blue-green algae toxin can be… Dogs · Emergency guide My 4 kg, 12-week-old puppy just chewed one fresh oleander leaf in the garden — is this more dangerous for a puppy? Yes, it's more dangerous. A puppy's lower body weight means the same amount of cardiac glycoside produces a… Dogs · Emergency guide My 10 kg dog just licked a single drop of fipronil spot-on medication that leaked from the tube — should I panic? Call your vet now. Even a small amount of concentrated fipronil can cause neurological signs in dogs. Watch… Dogs · Toxicity calculator My 12 kg pregnant dog ate three blue slug bait pellets from the garden bed — is metaldehyde toxic to her unborn puppies? Yes, it's toxic to her and risks the litter. Metaldehyde causes severe tremors and seizures, and the violent… Cats · Food safety How much pomelo flesh is safe for my 5 kg cat to eat — is one small segment okay? Stick to a piece the size of a pea. The citrus oils in pomelo can irritate a cat's digestive system, causing… Cats · Food safety My 5 kg cat with heart disease ate a tiny piece of plain hot dog — is the salt content dangerous for her condition? Yes, the salt is a concern. A cat with heart disease often needs a low-sodium diet to manage fluid retention… Cats · Emergency guide My 4 kg cat licked liquid organophosphate insecticide off her wet fur after a flea bath — is the liquid form more dangerous than granules? Yes, liquid concentrate is extremely dangerous. Organophosphates absorb through skin and mucous membranes, so… Dogs · Emergency guide My 40 kg Great Dane ate one birth control pill from a 20 µg estrogen pack — does his large size make it safe? No, his size does not make it safe. A single pill rarely causes immediate poisoning, but the estrogen dose… Dogs · Emergency guide My 15 kg dog grabbed a handful of blood meal fertilizer pellets from an open bag on the patio BBQ table — is holiday party food contamination an extra risk? Yes, the party setting adds risk because pellets can be mistaken for food seasoning and ingested quickly.… Cats · Emergency guide My 5 kg cat with chronic kidney disease ate a chunk of anticoagulant rat poison — does her kidney condition make treatment harder? Yes, kidney disease complicates poisoning. Her kidneys may already struggle to clear toxins, and internal… Dogs · Food safety My 8 kg dog licked raspberry dessert sauce off a dinner plate — is the sugar or any added ingredients a problem? Plain raspberries are safe, but sauce often contains sugar, xylitol, or alcohol, which are not. A few licks… Dogs · Food safety My 10 kg dog with a history of gas and soft stool ate two cooked asparagus spears — will this trigger his sensitive stomach? It might. Cooked asparagus is safe, but any new fiber can upset a sensitive stomach, causing gas, bloating… Cats · Emergency guide My 6 kg cat ate half a jade plant over two hours this morning and is vomiting. How much is too much and do I need to rush to a vet now? Call your vet or the ASPCA poison line now — half a jade plant is a serious amount for a 6 kg cat. Even a few… Dogs · Emergency guide My 2.5 kg toy poodle swallowed half a 5 mg melatonin tablet — will his small size make this an emergency? Yes, for a 2.5 kg dog even a quarter tablet matters. Human melatonin doses are calibrated for people, so a… Cats · Emergency guide My 3 kg cat licked hand sanitizer gel that was left in a hot car overnight — is this worse because the alcohol concentrated as it warmed? Heat does not concentrate the alcohol, but an open bottle left in a warm car means the gel is exposed and… Dogs · Emergency guide My 20 kg senior dog with dementia ate chrysanthemum petals from the garden — how do I keep him from finding them again? Dementia makes recall training unreliable, so physical barriers are your only real defence. Fence off the… Dogs · Food safety My 5 kg Corgi just swallowed a clementine segment along with the peel and some seeds — what should I do in the next hour? The flesh is fine, but the peel, pith and seeds can irritate the gut and, in larger amounts, cause a partial… Cats · Food safety My 4 kg senior cat ate a whole leaf of iceberg lettuce yesterday — what should I expect during the monitoring period and when do I call the vet? Lettuce is safe and mostly water, but a senior cat with slower digestion may pass through a large leaf… Dogs · Emergency guide Are dog treats containing dibutyl phthalate safe for my 5 kg Yorkshire Terrier puppy? No, avoid them entirely. Dibutyl phthalate is the bitter-tasting chemical that gives glow stick liquid its… Dogs · Emergency guide My 12 kg beagle licked psoriasis ointment off my plate after dinner — is this dangerous even though it was only a smear? Yes, this is dangerous. Calcipotriene is a vitamin D analogue ointment and pets absorb it readily through… Dogs · Emergency guide My 8 kg terrier found iron gummy vitamins hidden inside a hollow chew toy — he ate three before I noticed. Should I worry? Yes, worry and call your vet or the ASPCA poison line at 888-426-4435 now. Three chewed iron gummies can… Cats · Emergency guide My 4.5 kg female cat nibbled rhubarb leaves that were left in an open compost bin over the weekend — could she be sick from mold as well as the leaves? Both are a concern, but the rhubarb leaves are the immediate threat. The leaves contain water-soluble calcium… Cats · Emergency guide How do I keep my 3.5 kg indoor cat from reaching pear pits and seeds on the kitchen counter? Pear pits and seeds contain amygdalin, which turns into cyanide when chewed — even a few crushed seeds can be… Cats · Food safety Are dental chews with tea extract safe for my 4 kg Persian cat who knocks things off counters? No, avoid them. Caffeine is present in tea leaves and all tea-derived ingredients, and cats are especially… Cats · Food safety Is yam safer for my 5 kg cat than sweet potato, or are they equally safe when cooked plain? They are equally safe when cooked plain and served in small amounts. Yam and sweet potato are different… Dogs · Emergency guide My 12 kg Labrador ate potato plant leaves from the garden but my 5 kg Jack Russell didn't — does only the larger dog need to go to the vet? Only the dog that actually ate the leaves needs veterinary attention. Solanine toxicity depends on the amount… Dogs · Emergency guide Could raw rhubarb leaves cause diarrhea or stomach upset in my 4 kg Shih Tzu with a known sensitive stomach, even if she doesn't show classic poisoning signs? Raw rhubarb leaves are far more than a simple stomach irritant. They contain calcium oxalate crystals that… Dogs · Emergency guide After my 10 kg dog chewed a laundry detergent pod, what should I expect at the vet, and how long do I need to monitor him at home afterward? At the vet, they will assess for oral and esophageal burns, check hydration, and monitor his breathing and… Cats · Food safety Can I give my 5 kg cat a small stick of lightly steamed carrot as an occasional treat, and what size piece is safe? Yes, a small piece of lightly steamed carrot is safe for your 5 kg cat as an occasional treat. Steaming…

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