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 13-year-old 28 lb dog ate a few bites of cooked kohlrabi seasoned with garlic and butter that I dropped on the floor — what should I do right now? The kohlrabi itself is safe for dogs, but the garlic and butter are the real concern — garlic is toxic to… Dogs · Food safety My 9 kg dog with heart disease ate a piece of cooked duck breast with skin and fat — is this dangerous for his condition? The duck breast itself is safe for dogs, but the skin and fat are problematic — rich fatty food can trigger… Cats · Emergency guide My 4 kg nursing mother cat groomed a counter I cleaned with 70% isopropyl alcohol wipe — is the residue dangerous to her or her kittens? Yes, this is a genuine poison risk. Isopropyl alcohol is metabolized into acetone, which can cause metabolic… Dogs · Food safety My 20 kg dog swallowed a whole raw catfish bone about 20 minutes ago and is acting normal — should I make him throw it up or just wait it out? Do not try to make him throw it up. A raw catfish bone is sharp enough to tear the esophagus on the way back… Cats · Food safety My 4 kg cat nibbled on fresh parsley that was used as a garnish on my cooked chicken — is this a toxic exposure or just a minor stomach irritant? Fresh parsley in the amount a 4 kg cat would nibble is not considered toxic. Cats do not have the same… Cats · Food safety My 5 kg cat ate cooked asparagus that was left out on the counter overnight — is the spoiled vegetable dangerous for her kidneys or digestion? Cooked asparagus itself is safe for cats, but left out overnight it can harbor bacterial growth that may… Cats · Toxicity calculator My 3.8 kg female cat chewed one 81 mg aspirin tablet that fell off a paper plate at a potluck — what should I do right now and how fast do symptoms show? Do this now: wipe her mouth with a damp cloth to remove any residue, gather the aspirin bottle so the vet… Dogs · Food safety My 6 kg Beagle ate a bowl of prepared Knorr side dish that lists bulgur wheat among the ingredients — is the processed bulgur in that packet still safe for him? Yes, plain cooked bulgur is safe for dogs, including the processed kind found in ready-made side dishes. The… Cats · Emergency guide What happens if my 5 kg cat ate cocoa mulch and is now vomiting? Yes, it's urgent. If your cat vomited after eating cocoa mulch, watch for signs like rapid breathing… Dogs · Emergency guide My 12 kg dog ate avocado from a chicken and avocado salad on the dining table 45 minutes ago — what should I watch for? Avocado flesh contains persin, a toxin that irritates the gastrointestinal tract and can affect the heart.… Dogs · Emergency guide Is metformin safe for a 22 kg pregnant dog at eight weeks gestation, and what risks does it pose to the developing puppies? Metformin crosses the placenta and can lower blood glucose in both the mother and her developing puppies… Cats · Emergency guide My 5 kg rescue cat ate a few pieces of salmon sushi with wasabi two hours ago — what should I monitor at home over the next 48 hours? Wasabi and raw fish are the two risk factors here. Wasabi can irritate the stomach lining, and raw fish may… Cats · Food safety Is fennel safer for my 8 kg dog with a sensitive stomach than anise, and how much of each is acceptable? Fennel and anise belong to the same plant family and share similar compounds, but fennel bulb contains higher… Dogs · Food safety How do I prevent my 10 kg beagle from getting into the brine-cured olives I keep in the pantry, and what happens if he does? Brine-cured olives are extremely high in salt, and a 10 kg beagle who chews through a jar can easily consume… Cats · Food safety My 3.5 kg cat ate apricot pits yesterday and is now lethargic with heavy breathing — is this cyanide poisoning and what should I do? This could be cyanide poisoning, and it needs urgent veterinary care. Apricot pits, leaves, and stems all… Cats · Emergency guide Is tea tree essential oil more dangerous for my 3 kg cat than cooking olive oil, and why? Much more dangerous. Tea tree oil is a concentrated essential oil that can cause skin burns, drooling… Dogs · Emergency guide My 10 kg dog licked liquid organophosphate insecticide sprayed on our patio stones — what should I do first? This is an emergency. Organophosphates block a key nerve enzyme, and even brief skin contact or licking can… Dogs · Food safety My 15 kg dog just finished two plain scrambled eggs 20 minutes ago — what should I do in the next hour? Nothing urgent. Plain cooked eggs without salt, butter, or seasoning are safe and actually a good protein… Dogs · Food safety My 6 kg puppy knocked over half a cup of cow's milk — is that much dairy likely to make him sick? It might. Most adult dogs are lactose-intolerant, and half a cup is a substantial amount for a 6 kg puppy. He… Dogs · Food safety My 10 kg dog ate peeled raw jicama cubes while my 2 kg chihuahua stayed away — do I need to worry about him too? No need to worry about either of them. Jicama is safe for dogs and cats when peeled and cut into small pieces… Dogs · Emergency guide My 22 kg golden retriever snatched two grilled scallions off the BBQ platter during our July 4th cookout — what should I do right now? It's urgent — call your vet or the ASPCA Poison Control line (888-426-4435) now, even if he seems fine.… Cats · Emergency guide My cat drank from a bottle of ear cleaning solution 6 hours ago and just started drooling now — is that too late to worry? No, it's not too late. Drooling and pawing at the mouth can take several hours to appear because the acid and… Dogs · Emergency guide My 8 kg beagle keeps sneaking crushed pear seeds left on the kitchen counter overnight — how do I prevent this? Keep pear cores in a lidded bin your dog can't nudge open. "Leave it" training works best when you practice… Cats · Emergency guide Does a 2 kg cat face a worse paracetamol emergency than a 5 kg cat who ate the same 500 mg tablet? Yes — body weight changes everything with paracetamol. A 500 mg tablet that might stagger a large dog is a… Dogs · Emergency guide I've been sprinkling a quarter teaspoon of ground cinnamon on my 7 kg dog's food every day for three months — is this doing damage? Daily exposure adds up. Coumarin and cinnamon essential oils accumulate in the liver, and repeated irritation… Dogs · Food safety My 5 kg maltese found and ate a piece of spiced beef jerky hidden under the couch cushion — how do I prevent this? Store beef jerky in an airtight container on a high shelf or in a locked cabinet — dogs will root under… Cats · Food safety My 3 kg cat licked honey off my plate after I drizzled it over roasted vegetables — is that a problem? A few licks from a plate is unlikely to cause harm. Honey is pure sugar, and while cats don't taste… Cats · Emergency guide My 4.5 kg indoor cat got into my garden salad bowl and ate a chunk of daffodil bulb that was mixed in with the lettuce — what should I do in the first hour? This is an emergency — get her to a vet immediately. Daffodil bulbs are the most toxic part of the plant… Cats · Food safety My 3 kg indoor cat jumped on the counter and ate a handful of plain cooked quinoa directly from my rice cooker this afternoon — is this safe? Yes, plain cooked quinoa is safe for your cat in this amount. A handful is a small quantity, and quinoa… Dogs · Emergency guide My 5 kg dog licked raw dog food off my kitchen floor — do I need to call the vet? For one lick, skip the emergency call. A 5 kg dog absorbing raw bacteria from a single puddle on the floor is…

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