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 · Toxicity calculator Is cocoa powder safer than chocolate for a 5 kg cat? No — cocoa powder is far worse. It has roughly 2–3× more theobromine per gram than milk chocolate, and up to… Cats · Emergency guide My 3.5 kg indoor cat got into a bowl of risotto I made with lily of the valley leaves in it overnight — should I rush her to the ER now? Yes, go now. Lily of the Valley is not a slow poison — cardiac glycosides can begin affecting heart rhythm… Cats · Emergency guide My 4 kg domestic shorthair cat licked drain cleaner from the sink rim four hours ago and hasn't shown any symptoms — is she still in danger? She is still in danger. Drain cleaner causes immediate tissue destruction on contact — drooling… Cats · Emergency guide My 0.8 kg, seven-week-old kitten licked a smear of ground nutmeg off a baking spoon — is her tiny size making this more dangerous? Yes, her size makes this significantly more dangerous. Myristicin in nutmeg is a potent neurotoxin, and at… Dogs · Food safety My 7 kg Pembroke Corgi at eight weeks pregnant ate three peeled lychee pieces an hour ago — is the sugar going to hurt her or the puppies? Three peeled lychee pieces are unlikely to harm her or the puppies, but they are not something to make a… Cats · Food safety My 13-year-old, 3.8 kg senior cat found and ate a piece of cooked bison that sat on the kitchen counter overnight — should I be concerned? You should watch her, but the risk is low if the meat was simply left out and not mouldy. Cooked bison is… Dogs · Emergency guide My 12 kg dog ate two silica gel packets from a shoe box — is that dangerous for a medium-size dog? It depends on what's written on the packets. If they say only "silica gel" or "silica gel beads," the risk is… Dogs · Emergency guide My dog was stung inside his mouth while eating barbecue, is it urgent? Yes, it's urgent. Bee or wasp venom can cause swelling that blocks the airway. If your 15 kg dog is vomiting… Cats · Emergency guide My 4 kg cat walked across a patio where insecticide spray was used and licked her paw — what should I do first? This is urgent — organophosphate insecticides are absorbed through the skin and paws, and even a brief… Cats · Emergency guide My 5 kg indoor cat dug in the compost and ate some moldy coffee grounds — should I go straight to the emergency vet or try something at home first? Moldy compost is not the same as a tummy ache from a spoiled treat — tremorgenic mycotoxins from mold growing… Cats · Food safety My 4 kg indoor cat snatched a piece of seasoned grilled chicken with skin from my plate — what should I do right now? Plain cooked chicken breast without skin or seasoning is safe for cats, but grilled chicken with skin and… Dogs · Emergency guide My 5 kg Jack Russell licked ibuprofen gel off my knee two hours ago — my 15 kg Great Dane hasn't touched it. Do I need to worry about the big dog too? Yes, worry about both dogs. Ibuprofen gel is highly concentrated NSAID pain relief, and a 5 kg dog can absorb… Dogs · Toxicity calculator My 8 kg pregnant dog ate about eight seedless grapes six hours ago — is this dangerous for her and her unborn puppies? Yes, this is dangerous for both her and the puppies. Grapes and raisins cause acute kidney failure in dogs… Cats · Food safety My 5 kg senior cat stole a piece of roasted goose skin with gravy from the holiday table. What should I do in the next hour? Remove any remaining goose and clean up the area so she cannot eat more. Watch her closely for the next few… Dogs · Food safety My 8 kg dog licked a single shelled hemp heart off the counter this morning and seems completely fine. Do I need to do anything at all? Nothing urgent. One shelled hemp heart is far below any concerning amount for an 8 kg dog — the safe… Dogs · Food safety My 3 kg Chihuahua knocked over the agave syrup bottle at a family dinner and drank about a teaspoon. What should I do right now? Move her away from the bottle and secure it out of reach immediately. Agave syrup is essentially fructose … Dogs · Emergency guide My 15 kg dog once found a half-used ibuprofen bottle I left on the kitchen counter — how can I prevent this from happening again? Store every human medication in a locked cabinet or a high shelf the dog can't reach, period. Keep the bottle… Dogs · Emergency guide My 12 kg dog licked a tiny bit of liquid laundry detergent off the floor this morning — is this an emergency for a dog his size? It can be, because surfactants in detergent dissolve cell membranes and get absorbed quickly. For a 12 kg dog… Cats · Food safety My 10 kg dog just ate an entire sheet of seasoned nori seaweed 15 minutes ago — is the iodine a bigger concern than the salt for a dog his size? Both are concerns, but for a 10 kg dog the iodine is the more serious issue. Seaweed is extremely high in… Cats · Food safety My 4 kg indoor cat ate one pecan that had been sitting out in the sun for two days — is the mold risk real for a cat her size? The mold risk is real and worth taking seriously. Pecans that sit out in warm, sunny conditions are very… Dogs · Emergency guide My 10 kg dog has been eating a brand-name dental chew that lists pear powder on the label — could crushed pits hidden in that powder be harming him? Yes, that is a real concern. Pear pits, seeds, and stems contain amygdalin, which converts to hydrogen… Dogs · Emergency guide My 8 kg dog licked a few cooked chives off my plate — how many chives would it take before the organosulfur compounds start damaging his red blood cells? Even small amounts matter with allium plants. The organosulfur compounds oxidize red blood cell membranes… Cats · Emergency guide My 3 kg cat chewed open a hand warmer at a holiday dinner party with six guests around — what should I do right now before calling the vet? Move the cat away from the open wrapper and any scattered powder immediately. Do not induce vomiting … Dogs · Food safety My 12 kg dog got into a protein bar that lists pine nuts among the ingredients �� could those nuts be hidden in ordinary snacks and upsetting his liver? Yes, pine nuts hide in unexpected places: pesto, trail mixes, certain energy bars, and some Asian dishes you… Dogs · Food safety My 9-week-old 2.5 kg terrier puppy just swallowed a small piece of peeled, cooked turnip — is this safe for a puppy his size and age? Yes, peeled and cooked turnip in small pieces is safe for puppies. Their developing digestive systems handle… Dogs · Emergency guide My 20 kg dog licked concentrated floor bleach off a spill yesterday, but my other dog never touched it — does the second dog need to be watched too? The licking dog is the one you must act on now. Rinse his mouth gently with water and wipe any bleach from… Dogs · Food safety My 8 kg spaniel is eight weeks pregnant and ate a small piece of pear including the core and seeds — is the seed cyanide a danger to her developing puppies? The amount is unlikely to cause harm. A few pear seeds contain trace cyanide compounds, but the quantity in a… Dogs · Emergency guide Is a pregnant dog safe if she ate a pseudoephedrine tablet by accident? Yes, it's an emergency. Pseudoephedrine can cause high blood pressure and overheating in pregnant pets. Call… Dogs · Emergency guide My 10 kg beagle ate a handful of blood meal fertilizer pellets left in an open bag in the garage — what should I expect and what do I do right now? Yes, this is a toxic exposure. Blood meal is rendered animal tissue ground into a powder and pressed into… Dogs · Emergency guide At a backyard BBQ, my 12 kg border collie slipped outside and lapped paint thinner from an open can — what's the immediate risk? This is a life-threatening emergency. Paint thinner is a thin petroleum distillate that coats the lungs on…

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