36
votes
Accepted
Do cats know instinctively which plants are safe to eat?
Absolutely not.
Lilies, which are very common houseplants, particularly in the spring when people are likely to bring them in for Easter, are one of the most toxic plants for cats, with minimal ...
- 6,487
15
votes
My kitten ate a coffee bean
Contact your vet.
Caffeine is indeed toxic to cats. According to vetmeds.org, cats can only tolerate about 36 to 68 milligrams per pound. For a small cat, they estimate that amounts to less than .05 ...
- 16.3k
12
votes
My hamster ate a bit of chocolate ice cream
Long to short: one drop of chocolate ice cream is not enough to harm your hamster.
The dangerous thing in chocolate is called "theobromine" (look at this question for more detail: Does ...
- 6,006
11
votes
Accepted
Should I be concerned if my dog swallowed a battery?
This is a medical emergency!
A vet must make an x-ray of the stomach as soon as possible to verify whether or not the dog actually swallowed the battery. If he did indeed, the battery must be removed ...
Elmy♦
- 33.4k
7
votes
Accepted
An exterminator is coming to my apartment. Should I do anything with my bird?
(After calling an avian vet to double check)
Yes, the bird should be removed from the premises for at least 24 hours if possible. Upon returning, all surfaces that the bird regularly comes in contact ...
- 621
7
votes
Cat has acute episodes of extreme ALT levels. Vet and we are at a loss as there's no obvious toxin access, looking for weird or uncommon ideas
Given the information in your question – and I haven't evaluated the cat or seen the full lab work or diagnostics – I am less inclined to think this is an acute hepatopathy as would be caused by toxin ...
- 6,256
6
votes
Accepted
What, if any, are the risks to a cat that ingests urushiol?
As trond hansen already posted in his link:
Cats generally do not have allergic reactions to poison ivy.
But hairless cats or cats with very hort hair, as well as cats with areas of exposed skin can ...
- 2,641
5
votes
Kitten got into espresso beans
The safest course of action would be to take your cat to the vet right away if coffee beans were eaten.
Coffee is very bad for cats (and dogs as well), and severe caffeine poisoning can be life-...
- 1,607
5
votes
My kitten ate a coffee bean
This should be harmless, based on gathering the numbers in the other answer and the comments therein.
A dangerous dose for a cat is around 36 to 68 mg of caffeine per pound (79 to 150 mg per kg) of ...
- 151
5
votes
My cat had a little bit of lactose-free chocolate milk, should I be worried?
In general, you should watch for the following symptoms as indications of possible poisoning:
diarrhea
vomiting
dizziness / vertigo
signs of paralysis
dilated pupils
seizures
salivating / drooling
...
- 2,907
5
votes
Accepted
36kg labrador ate a marble-sized piece of yeast dough – how dangerous is it?
In general, eating yeast or unbaked yeast dough is considered an emergency for dogs. See the Pet Poison Helpline for more information.
The reason for that is that usually a dog that gets access to ...
Elmy♦
- 33.4k
4
votes
Chronic low-level cyanide poisoning in dogs
It's unlikely your puppy ate enough seeds, or for long enough (just 3 months) to cause problems.
According to this vet
While it’s unlikely your dog would chew up and eat enough seeds to
become ...
- 7,662
4
votes
Why do cats and dogs react different when bitten by snake
So, I'd like to answer your question as best that I can but I may not have all the answers... More like concepts that are to be considered. Where I'm from in Wilmington, NC, USA, we have pit vipers ...
- 3,027
4
votes
The curious case of the cannabis cat?
Curious cats
Your cat will be influenced by cannabis even in low doses so it is best to avoid this. Many cats are curious of what you do and that extents to when you consume cannabis.
Cannabis smoke
...
- 19.6k
4
votes
Accepted
Can a red belly black snake kill a horse? How would I know if my horse has been bitten?
Can a red belly black snake kill a horse?
Probably not. Wikipedia lists its venom as having a LD50 in mice as 2.52 mg/kg, with an average of 37mg administered in a bite. I'd expect horses to be a lot ...
- 1,793
4
votes
Accepted
What are some of the best materials that can be used to safely bite-proof the squeakers in fabric dog toys?
Without being able to reference any objective, scientific sources, I would propose wrapping the squeaker in several layers of fabric.
Kevlar is certainly extremely resistant to cuts and tears, but it ...
Elmy♦
- 33.4k
4
votes
Accepted
Salt lamps and salt poisoning in cats
It could be a genuine rocksalt lamp made of a chunk of pure halite (rocksalt). In that case it would have a slightly salty flavor, but not as salty as sticking your tongue into a jar of table salt. It ...
Elmy♦
- 33.4k
3
votes
My dog ate small beef pieces that were cooked with onions. Is he poisoned?
The question is not about how much beef he ate, but how much onion.
I found one source that lists the critical dose for a single ingestion as 0.5% of body weight, which for your dog is 25g. If you ...
- 3,099
3
votes
My rabbit survived botulism poisoning; is she now immune to it?
As you can read in the mentioned article, the vaccination there only helps against one of 8 (since 2013 one of 9) kinds of botulism bacteria.
If you are certain it was bacteria-caused botulism, you ...
- 6,006
3
votes
What OTC vitamins or supplements that people take are toxic to cats?
One of the most common vitamin overdoses in cats is Vitamin D. It can be caused by vitamin supplements or medications containing high amounts of vitamin D, but also by ingesting certain plants, rat ...
Elmy♦
- 33.4k
3
votes
Accepted
Testing for external factors contributing to a cat's loss, keeping other cat safe
I don't have any 100% answers to this, and a lot of my original question was written out of grief-related anxiety, but it's been over a year so here is the (happy) follow-up info:
Unfortunately, we ...
- 1,548
2
votes
is redwood decorative bark mulch stained black bad for dogs?
How about just waiting a bit longer with the bark and for the potential problem to solve itself? Our dog (Siberian Husky) also chewed on bark chips for a while but this pretty much disappeared once he ...
- 5,403
2
votes
Accepted
Can I use polymerisation glue for acryl in aquarium water?
Yes, you can safely use the glue you mention. UV activated glue does not give off toxins after it is fully cured.
The link you provide is dead, so here is a new one. I have no connections to the ...
- 19.6k
2
votes
Why is zinc oxide bad for dogs?
Zinc oxide is SAFE for topical use. All the concerns regarding its potential toxicity refer to the ingestion of this substance. Dermal absorption of zinc from topical ointments based on zinc oxide is ...
- 210
2
votes
Has my dog eaten fox bait?
We can't guarantee the answer is no, since we have no idea what toxins might be in that bait. If there is any chance the answer is yes: Vet. Now.
- 11.7k
2
votes
Obstipation + toxic antibiotic intake!
We have a list of What antibiotics should not be given to a rabbit? it includes Clindamycin. Addressing the treatment of infection is beyond the scope of this answer, but some suggestions about gut ...
- 29.3k
2
votes
Why do cats and dogs react different when bitten by snake
Cats are famous for having very thick skin so maybe the snake cannot puncture very deep into the flesh and the venom is only inserted into/under the skin, not into the muscles. If the venom is not ...
- 129
2
votes
My 2 week old kittens are probably ill
If the mother still takes care of the kittens, the perfume will not matter.
But, vomiting, with worms, is a problem. At the least, call the nearest vet, today! Better yet, bring your kittens to the ...
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