← Symptoms
Suspected poisoning in a dog or cat
If you suspect your animal has eaten poison, rat bait, medicine or a toxic food, every minute counts. Take it to a vet right away, even if it seems fine: some poisons only cause symptoms after hours or days.
See a vet now if:
- Seizures, trembling or wobbliness
- Heavy drooling, vomiting or diarrhoea that started suddenly
- Difficulty breathing
- Bleeding from the nose or gums, or bruising (possible rat bait: it can show days later)
- Any suspicion that it ate something from the list below
In the meantime
- Don’t make it vomit yourself and don’t give it milk or oil
- Bring the packaging or a sample of what it ate
- Note the time you think it ate it
- Keep other animals away from the spot
Common poisons
- Rat bait and pesticides
- Chocolate, especially dark
- Grapes and raisins
- Xylitol (in chewing gum and “sugar-free” products)
- Onion and garlic
- Human medicines such as painkillers (paracetamol is very toxic to cats)
- Car antifreeze
- Lilies, for cats (even the pollen)