30
votes
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 ...
- 5,741
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 ...
- 15.7k
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 ...
- 5,814
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♦
- 30.5k
10
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 ...
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
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
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 ...
- 5,852
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
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 ...
- 10.1k
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-...
- 15.7k
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 ...
- 2,591
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-...
- 1,572
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
...
- 1,704
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♦
- 30.5k
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.
- 10.1k
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. ...
- 4,454
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
...
- 19.4k
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 ...
- 1,753
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♦
- 30.5k
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♦
- 30.5k
3
votes
Accepted
What makes lilies toxic to cats?
The webmind says "What makes lilies poisonous is still unknown, but it is known that the toxin is soluble in water and deadly. Cats suffer from kidney failure after ingesting even tiny amounts of this ...
- 10.1k
3
votes
Accepted
Is indirect exposure to non-alcoholic beer dangerous for cats?
De-alcoholized beer isn't actually zero alcohol, but it's very, very low (typically 0.5% ABV). That may be low enough to be harmless to a cat, but bear in mind that there's a major weight difference ...
- 20.3k
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♦
- 30.5k
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 ...
- 1,528
Only top scored, non community-wiki answers of a minimum length are eligible