24
votes
Accepted
What happens if cats drink coffee?
According to petpoisonhelpline.com, caffeine poisoning is "[g]enerally moderate to severe/life-threatening", but while "[...] cats appear to be more sensitive to the effects of caffeine than people", "...
- 738
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 ...
- 15k
11
votes
What happens if cats drink coffee?
Caffeine is very bad for cats and dogs. Don't let your cats have any coffee, soda, tea, etc.
One tiny dose won't kill them, but you could be racking up organ damage each time. The HCCUA health ...
- 4,667
11
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 ...
- 5,598
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♦
- 28.4k
9
votes
Cat may have consumed some garlic - will he be alright?
It takes less than 1g of garlic per kg of body weight to harm a cat (it's about 5 times as potent as onion, which is a problem past 5g per kg). Your cat's 3 licks shouldn't have been enough -- you ...
9
votes
Accepted
Can dogs differentiate edible fungi?
Well, as you noted, dogs can eat a lot of things that would kill a human and, given that they're scavengers by nature, will find them to eat. However, mushroom poisoning in dogs is a very frequent ...
- 20.3k
8
votes
Accepted
Cat always tries to eat chives
According to the ASPCA, chives are toxic to cats. Perhaps you can put them in a hanging basket to keep them out of reach of your cats.
The ASPCA also has a list of toxic and non-toxic plants that you ...
- 7,492
8
votes
Accepted
Why is zinc oxide bad for dogs?
The primary reason for concern would be zinc toxicosis. This is basically the formation of zinc salts in the stomach acid which are toxic and can lead to diarrhea, lethargy, seizures, and more. It's ...
- 20.3k
8
votes
Accepted
How do I make sure my fish tank is safe after my apartment has been fumigated?
This is a tough one, because you haven't been given a lot of time. Most likely, the bug bombs will be using some combination of pyrethrins or pyrhethroids, which are some of the most common ...
- 3,853
8
votes
Accepted
What is the recovery profile for botulism?
Blackwell's Five-Minute Veterinary Consult for small mammals doesn't cover botulism, but it does for the canine/feline version. Being a neurotoxin, I would expect mammals would generally respond to ...
- 20.3k
7
votes
Accepted
What should I do if I catch my cat eating a poisonous plant?
My first-aid manual1 has a few tips for immediate aid:
Immediately call your vet or an emergency veterinary hospital depending on time of day. This is a medical emergency and needs swift resolution.
...
- 20.3k
7
votes
Accepted
Are cashew nuts harmful to cats
Last month I bought big bag of cashews that I left on the counter. When I wasn't watching my Cornish Rex decided to help himself to the bag, eating at least half a dozen of them. I searched the ...
- 186
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 ...
- 5,510
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
6
votes
Accepted
What are safe materials for repairing a scratching post?
Glues made diphenylmethane diisocyanate can greatly expand in your pet's stomach, causing dangerous blockages. See http://tsawwassenanimalhospital.com/learning-centre/pet-poison-alert-accidental-wood-...
- 15k
6
votes
Accepted
Is it safe for a dog to eat poisonous bugs?
The key aspect of the answer to this question is the distinction between the words poisonous and venomous:
A poisonous creature (or plant, for that matter) delivers its toxin when ingested, that is, ...
- 1,245
6
votes
What happens if cats drink coffee?
Websearch says that LD50 (the overdose that will kill half the animals in the study) for caffeine is around 70 mg per 1 lb body weight (150 mg / kg body weight). As an example, instant coffee ...
- 9,995
6
votes
Can trace amounts of onions, or other foods poisonous to dogs, be harmful?
There are a variety of factors that influence this:
The size and breed of dog will have an impact on how much of a toxic substance a dog needs to ingest before the effects become visible.
In many ...
- 2,333
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 ...
- 2,594
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-...
- 1,552
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
...
- 1,144
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♦
- 28.4k
4
votes
Is PVA glue safe to use in my leopard gecko's enclosure?
I've done some reading and PVA glue is generally recommended as a safe non-toxic glue for children to use. This page says it has little fumes whereas this one says it does not emit any harmful fumes.
...
- 3,754
4
votes
What should I do if I catch my cat eating a poisonous plant?
The are veterinary poison control centers. Keep the number for one handy, and call them before either panicking or doing anything that might make matters worse. Or call your vet.
- 9,995
4
votes
Are bamboo leaves nutritious or poisonous to rabbits?
No, your rabbits shouldn't be allowed to eat bamboo shoots, they are toxic to rabbits. There is a site which lists what a rabbit's diet should consist of, including what they shouldn't be allowed to ...
- 141
4
votes
Is there any ant killer which is safe for my pets?
If you have a bad ant infestation, you need to call an exterminator to come out and treat the inside and outside of your house. Most of the chemicals will be pet safe after a certain amount of time. ...
- 4,476
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 ...
- 3,017
Only top scored, non community-wiki answers of a minimum length are eligible