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 · Food safety My 4 kg indoor kitten ate one small piece of lychee flesh this morning — what should I monitor over the next 24 to 48 hours? Lychee flesh is not toxic to cats, so the main risk is the high sugar content upsetting her stomach. Over the… Dogs · Food safety My 7 kg pregnant Labrador is about 5 weeks from whelping and licked a sugary dessert off the floor — is the sugar harmful to her or the puppies? A single lick of sugary dessert is very unlikely to harm either the mother or the puppies. Sugar provides no… Cats · Emergency guide Only one of my three 5 kg cats licked hydrocortisone cream off my arm — how do I handle the other two and prevent this happening again? Wash the cream off your skin immediately with soap and water. For the cat that licked it, call your vet … Dogs · Toxicity calculator My 10 kg terrier keeps nosing the aspirin bottle in my purse — what's the best way to train him to leave it alone and store it safely? Store all medications in a high cabinet with a child-proof latch, not in your purse or on a counter. To train… Dogs · Food safety My 8 kg dog ate about fifteen dried goji berries and the vet gave him fluids — what should I watch for during the next 48 hours of recovery? Watch for vomiting, diarrhea, or unusual lethargy. The main risk now is gastrointestinal upset from the sugar… Cats · Food safety My 5 kg cat ate a golf-ball-sized piece of raw bread dough — what are the first signs of bloat or alcohol poisoning, and how soon do they appear? The first signs — a distended belly, retching, and lethargy — can appear within 30 minutes to 2 hours as the… Cats · Food safety My 3 kg kitten ate a few strands of plain cooked pasta that were left out on the counter overnight — could bacteria from spoilage make her sick? Yes, pasta left out overnight can grow staph or bacillus bacteria that cause vomiting and diarrhea. A few… Dogs · Emergency guide My 12 kg dog ate a mushroom supplement powder mixed into his food — are those hidden sources of wild mushroom toxins? Yes, some supplements can contain concentrated mushroom extracts from wild species. While commercial powders… Cats · Emergency guide My 3.5 kg cat licked beef stew gravy that had flecks of old lead paint from the pot scraped into it — is that enough to poison her? Yes, even tiny flecks in food are dangerous. Lead binds to enzymes needed for red blood cells and nerve… Dogs · Emergency guide I accidentally put too much gentamicin ear drops in my 18 kg pregnant dog's ear — will this harm her or the puppies? Yes, an overdose can be risky for both. Aminoglycoside antibiotics like gentamicin can cause irreversible… Dogs · Emergency guide My 8 kg puppy licked just the tip of an ear cleaning solution bottle 30 minutes ago — is that tiny amount an emergency? Likely not an emergency, but watch closely. The tip often holds a concentrated drop of solution containing… Dogs · Food safety My 5 kg dog just snatched one small bite of raw cabbage from the floor — is that tiny amount safe or do I need to worry? It's safe. One small bite of raw cabbage won't hurt him. The risk with cabbage comes from eating large… Dogs · Food safety My 10 kg dog lapped up a teaspoon of vanilla extract 2 hours ago — how long should I monitor him and what should I watch for after? Monitor him closely for at least 12 hours. The main risk is the high alcohol content, which can cause… Cats · Food safety My 4 kg cat licked some spicy chili sauce off a plate and now has soft stool — is this just a tummy upset or something worse? It's likely a painful stomach irritation from the capsaicin, not just a mild upset. Capsaicin burns the mouth… Cats · Food safety My 5 kg cat ate a few cooked rutabaga cubes — is it safer or riskier than turnip, which she sometimes steals? Both are equally safe when cooked. Rutabaga and turnip are similar root vegetables, and neither is toxic to… Dogs · Toxicity calculator My 5 kg Pomeranian ate a 5000 IU vitamin D3 chewable pill — is this more dangerous for her than it would be for a 30 kg Labrador? Yes, her small size makes this an urgent emergency. Vitamin D toxicity is dose-dependent, so a tiny dog… Dogs · Emergency guide My 10 kg terrier just chewed a philodendron leaf and is drooling — what symptoms come next, and how soon after eating do they show up? The burning pain and swelling start almost immediately. After the drooling and pawing at his mouth, you may… Dogs · Emergency guide Could my 8 kg dog's new salmon skin chews or his multivitamin supplements secretly contain lead from contaminated ingredients? Yes, lead is a hidden risk in some pet products, especially those with animal parts (like bones or skin)… Dogs · Food safety My 20 kg dog just ate a few spoonfuls of blueberry muffin batter that had raw egg and flour in it — are the blueberries the main worry? No, the blueberries are the safest part. The raw eggs carry a small salmonella risk, and the raw flour can… Cats · Food safety My 3.5 kg cat stole and ate one single, cold french fry from my plate — should I panic and call the vet right now? No, one fry is not an emergency, but it's not good for her. The main risks are the salt and fat, which could… Cats · Emergency guide How much raw chicken breast is too much for my 4 kg cat? She ate about a tablespoon-sized piece from the counter. For a cat her size, that tablespoon-sized piece is already a significant amount and carries risk. Raw poultry… Dogs · Emergency guide My 25 kg pregnant dog, due in two weeks, just mouthed a cane toad and is now drooling — is this more dangerous for her and the puppies? Yes, the risk is higher. The toad's bufotoxins affect the heart and nervous system, and stress from poisoning… Dogs · Food safety My 12 kg beagle keeps trying to get into the kitchen cupboard for the cumin jar — how can I train him to leave it alone and store it safely? Cumin itself is safe in tiny amounts, but the behavior is the problem. First, move the jar to a high shelf or… Dogs · Food safety Can my 20 kg nursing dog, who just had puppies, safely lick a tiny bit of strawberry jam off my finger? A tiny lick is unlikely to harm her, but it's not recommended. The high sugar content can upset her stomach… Dogs · Food safety My 8 kg Shih Tzu keeps jumping for anchovy pizzas — how can I store them safely and train him to stop? Anchovies are extremely salty, and even a small piece can make a dog his size sick. Store leftover pizza… Cats · Emergency guide My 5 kg cat has been chewing a few yew needles from the garden every day for weeks — is this chronic exposure dangerous? Yes, this is extremely dangerous. Yew toxins don't just flush out; they accumulate with each dose, leading to… Dogs · Emergency guide How do I keep my 5 kg dog from finding and eating pecans in the backyard all season? Store nuts in airtight containers inside a cabinet, not on any counter or shelf the dog can reach. Sweep the… Dogs · Emergency guide What happens if my 6 kg dog chews on a lily of the valley plant once a week over several months? The cardiac glycosides in lily of the valley accumulate in the body — each exposure adds more to the total.… Dogs · Emergency guide My 4 kg dog licked one drop of liquid drain cleaner from the sink — do I still need to go to the emergency vet? Yes — go now. One drop on a 4 kg dog is enough to start burning the tissues of the mouth and throat. Caustic… Cats · Emergency guide My 3.5 kg cat with a sensitive stomach ate a pea-sized lump of raw bread dough — is this just an upset tummy or something worse? It could be worse than an upset tummy. Raw dough keeps expanding and producing ethanol inside the cat's…

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