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
Cats · Food safety Can my 3 kg cat have a thin strip of skinless, unseasoned cooked turkey breast? Yes, a small strip of plain cooked turkey breast is fine for your cat. The only things to watch are skin… Cats · Emergency guide How much vodka can a 5 kg cat drink before it's urgent? A 5 kg cat drinking a small puddle of vodka is urgent. It's absorbed quickly and can cause severe poisoning.… Cats · Emergency guide My 12-year-old cat licked the gravy off a dog treat with raisins in it. Is that dangerous? Yes, call your vet or the ASPCA poison line at 888-426-4435 now. The toxic substance in raisins isn't… Cats · Emergency guide How do I prevent my 5 kg cat from licking boric acid powder left out overnight? Boric acid is toxic. Keep it out of reach, especially overnight. Use childproof locks if needed. Train your… Dogs · Emergency guide My 15 kg dog ate 1 cup of beer, is this an emergency? Yes, it's urgent. Beer can be toxic to dogs, especially in large amounts. If your dog shows signs like… Dogs · Emergency guide What happens after vet treats 12 kg dog with chronic kidney for boric acid pellet? After vet treats, monitor for 24-48 hours for signs like vomiting, diarrhea, or weakness. Vet may run blood… Cats · Emergency guide My 3 kg cat ate a golf-ball-sized piece of raw bread dough that was rising on the counter. What do I do? This is an emergency. Raw yeast dough ferments in the stomach, producing ethanol. A 3 kg cat can absorb… Cats · Emergency guide My 4 kg cat just licked a pea-sized blob of hand sanitiser off her own paw. Is this an emergency? Yes, call your vet or the ASPCA Poison Control line at 888-426-4435. Alcohol gels are highly concentrated and… Cats · Food safety My 4 kg cat licked some mustard seeds that were left out in a bowl overnight — are they more toxic now? No, spoilage doesn't increase the toxicity of mustard seeds — they are toxic fresh or old. The seeds… Dogs · Food safety My 20 kg dog with a sensitive stomach ate two teaspoons of passion fruit pulp and now has diarrhea — what does this mean? It likely means the new fruit upset his sensitive stomach, not that he's poisoned — the pulp itself is safe… Dogs · Food safety My 6kg adult dog has been eating half a cup of raw broccoli florets every day for two weeks and now has mild gas— is that a problem? Feeding a 6kg dog half a cup of raw broccoli every day may cause gas and mild stomach irritation. The stems… Cats · Food safety My 4kg cat ate two teaspoons of poppy seeds from a bag that was left out for 20 minutes, while my 3kg kitten didn’t touch any—what should I do? It’s a mild risk, just watch your cat. The two teaspoons of poppy seeds your 4kg cat ate from the bag left… Cats · Food safety My 6kg senior cat with chronic kidney disease, on a low‑protein diet, ate two bites of fresh strawberry this morning; can I give it more? Yes, a cat with chronic kidney disease can safely have a small piece of fresh strawberry. Rinse the berry… Cats · Food safety My 6-year-old cat knocked over and ate three fresh raspberries from my counter — should I do anything right now? Nothing. The cat is fine. Just pick up the berry stems and check under the fridge — that's where the second… Dogs · Emergency guide How do I keep my 5 kg dog away from raisin bread within 30 minutes? Keep raisin bread out of reach and teach your dog 'leave it'. Store it in a high cabinet or in a sealed… Dogs · Food safety Can dogs eat cooked quinoa with the skin on, and how much is safe for a 8-week-old puppy? Yes, dogs can eat cooked quinoa with the skin on, but it's best to rinse it first to remove saponins. For an… Cats · Emergency guide My 4 kg cat licked a thick smear of zinc oxide diaper cream off a baby's foot — my other cat didn't touch it. What do I do now? Yes, this is an emergency. Zinc oxide is absorbed and destroys red blood cells, causing severe anemia, and a… Dogs · Emergency guide Could my 8 kg cocker spaniel have eaten ear cleaning solution from a hidden source in my home? Yes, it's possible. Check for chewed-up bottles under furniture, especially in bathrooms or grooming areas… Cats · Emergency guide My senior cat with kidney disease ate about an inch of pet toothpaste gel off the brush — is this more dangerous for her? The main risk is xylitol, which is less toxic to cats than dogs, but a cat with compromised kidneys is more… Cats · Emergency guide My cat licked a plate that had a few drops of ear cleaning solution mixed in with leftover gravy — should I be worried? Yes, you should be concerned. Even diluted in gravy, ingredients like acetic acid or alcohol can irritate the… Dogs · Emergency guide My 15 kg dog found and ate a half-used, expired tube of pet toothpaste left in a cupboard for over a year — is it still toxic? Yes, the toxicity depends on the ingredients, not the expiry date. Xylitol does not lose its potency over… Dogs · Emergency guide My 7 kg terrier ate a spoonful of stew that had a blob of zinc oxide sunscreen accidentally stirred into it — how urgent is this? This is urgent. Zinc is absorbed from the digestive tract, and even a small amount mixed into food can cause… Dogs · Food safety Only my 5 kg chihuahua ate two big bites of spicy guacamole off the coffee table — my bigger dog didn't get any. What's the risk? The risk is significant for a small dog. Guacamole contains avocado, onion, garlic, and chilli — each… Cats · Food safety My 4 kg cat ate a whole plain cooked chicken breast last night — what should I watch for during recovery, and when would a vet need to run tests? Plain chicken is safe, but a whole breast is a huge meal for a small cat and may cause a stomach ache or mild… Dogs · Food safety Can a few segments of pomelo give my 10 kg dog with a sensitive stomach diarrhea or gas? Yes, it easily can. The citrus oils and acidity in pomelo are irritating, and the high fiber can lead to gas… Dogs · Emergency guide My diabetic dog on insulin licked a huge smear of pet toothpaste off my finger — is this more dangerous for him? Yes, this is more dangerous. Xylitol in some pet toothpastes triggers a massive insulin release, which can… Cats · Emergency guide My nursing cat ate about an inch of pet toothpaste off the brush while I was cleaning her teeth — could this affect her 2-week-old kittens? Yes, it could affect the kittens. While cats are less sensitive to xylitol than dogs, the sweetener can still… Cats · Emergency guide My 4 kg cat licked a dab of zinc oxide cream off a scrape — is that worse for her than if she'd licked plain petroleum jelly? Yes, zinc oxide is far worse. Petroleum jelly is inert and just causes mild diarrhea if a lot is eaten. Zinc… Dogs · Emergency guide My 8 kg terrier ate a nickel-sized blob of zinc oxide diaper cream off the changing table — my 25 kg lab didn't touch it. Is the smaller dog in more danger? Yes, the smaller dog is at much greater risk. Zinc toxicity depends on the dose per kilogram of body weight… Dogs · Emergency guide My 10 kg dog chewed up and swallowed a whole raw alcohol wipe — is that worse than if he'd eaten food cooked with wine? Yes, the raw wipe is far more dangerous. Cooked wine has much less ethanol left, while the wipe is a…

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