DeadlyHousehold products
Antifreeze (ethylene glycol)
Symptoms to watch for
- Stumbling and apparent drunkenness within an hour
- Heavy thirst and urination
- Seeming recovery, then kidney failure over 1 to 3 days
What to do
- Minutes matter: the antidote works best within a few hours.
- Go to an emergency vet now; do not wait for symptoms.
- Clean up garage and driveway spills immediately; the taste is sweet and attractive.
For dogs: A few tablespoons can kill a medium dog.
DeadlyPlants
Autumn crocus
Symptoms to watch for
- Severe vomiting, sometimes with blood
- Bloody diarrhea
- Weakness and organ damage over days
What to do
- Not the same as spring crocus: autumn crocus contains colchicine and is a true emergency.
- Go to a vet now if chewing is suspected.
- Call your vet, ASPCA Animal Poison Control (888-426-4435), or Pet Poison Helpline (855-764-7661).
For dogs: Signs can be delayed; do not wait for symptoms.
DeadlyFoods
Grapes and raisins
Symptoms to watch for
- Vomiting within hours
- Lethargy and loss of appetite
- Drinking or urinating less than normal
What to do
- Treat any amount as serious; there is no established safe dose.
- Call your vet, ASPCA Animal Poison Control (888-426-4435), or Pet Poison Helpline (855-764-7661).
- Kidney damage can start before symptoms show, so call even if your pet seems fine.
For dogs: Can cause acute kidney failure in dogs, even from small amounts.
DeadlyFoods
Hops (home brewing)
Symptoms to watch for
- Rapidly rising body temperature
- Heavy panting
- Racing heart
- Restlessness
What to do
- This is an emergency: malignant hyperthermia can develop within hours.
- Go to an emergency vet now; call ahead on the way.
For dogs: Spent hops from home brewing are the classic exposure. Some breeds, like greyhounds, are especially at risk.
DeadlyPlants
Oleander
Symptoms to watch for
- Drooling and vomiting
- Slow or irregular heartbeat
- Weakness or collapse
What to do
- Oleander affects the heart. Treat any chewing as an emergency.
- Go to a vet now; bring a piece of the plant for identification.
- Call your vet, ASPCA Animal Poison Control (888-426-4435), or Pet Poison Helpline (855-764-7661).
For dogs: Common in California landscaping; even dried clippings are toxic.
DeadlyHousehold products
Rodenticide (rat and mouse bait)
Symptoms to watch for
- Often none for the first 1 to 5 days
- Bruising, pale gums, or bleeding (anticoagulant baits)
- Tremors or seizures (bromethalin baits)
- Heavy thirst (cholecalciferol baits)
What to do
- Find the package: the active ingredient completely changes the treatment.
- Call immediately even if your pet seems fine; the dangerous window is before symptoms.
- Call your vet, ASPCA Animal Poison Control (888-426-4435), or Pet Poison Helpline (855-764-7661).
For dogs: Dogs eat bait directly and also get exposed by eating poisoned rodents.
DeadlyPlants
Sago palm
Symptoms to watch for
- Vomiting within hours
- Black, tarry stool
- Yellow gums or eyes as the liver fails
- Seizures
What to do
- All parts are toxic; the seeds are the worst.
- Go to a vet now, even for a suspected nibble. Liver failure can follow a single seed.
- Call your vet, ASPCA Animal Poison Control (888-426-4435), or Pet Poison Helpline (855-764-7661).
For dogs: Dogs chew the seeds and trunks of these popular patio plants.
DeadlyHousehold products
Slug and snail bait (metaldehyde)
Symptoms to watch for
- Anxiety and drooling within an hour
- Whole-body tremors that get worse
- Seizures and dangerous overheating
What to do
- This escalates fast. Go to an emergency vet at the first sign of tremors.
- Bring the product package if you can.
- Choose iron phosphate baits in the future; they are far safer around pets.
For dogs: The pellets look like kibble to dogs; garden beds are the classic exposure.
DeadlyFoods
Xylitol (sugar-free sweetener)
Symptoms to watch for
- Weakness, stumbling, or collapse within 30 to 60 minutes
- Vomiting
- Seizures from low blood sugar
What to do
- This is time critical for dogs; call immediately.
- Call your vet, ASPCA Animal Poison Control (888-426-4435), or Pet Poison Helpline (855-764-7661).
- Bring the package: the xylitol content varies a lot between products.
For dogs: Found in sugar-free gum, mints, some peanut butters, and baked goods. Causes a fast blood sugar crash and can cause liver failure in dogs.
SevereMedications
Acetaminophen (Tylenol)
Symptoms to watch for
- Brown or blue-tinged gums (cats)
- Labored breathing
- Facial or paw swelling (cats)
- Lethargy and yellow gums as the liver is damaged (dogs)
What to do
- For cats this is an emergency at any dose; go to a vet now.
- Call your vet, ASPCA Animal Poison Control (888-426-4435), or Pet Poison Helpline (855-764-7661).
- Never give any pain medicine to a pet without a vet's direction.
For dogs: Toxic to dogs at high doses, damaging the liver.
SevereMedications
ADHD stimulant medications
Symptoms to watch for
- Pacing, spinning, or agitation
- Racing heart
- Tremors or seizures
- Dangerous overheating
What to do
- A single capsule can seriously poison a pet; treat any exposure as urgent.
- Call your vet, ASPCA Animal Poison Control (888-426-4435), or Pet Poison Helpline (855-764-7661).
- Store medications in a cabinet, not a counter or bag.
For dogs: Amphetamine-based medications are among the most dangerous pills for dogs to find.
SevereFoods
Alcohol
Symptoms to watch for
- Stumbling and disorientation
- Vomiting
- Slow breathing and low body temperature
What to do
- Call your vet, ASPCA Animal Poison Control (888-426-4435), or Pet Poison Helpline (855-764-7661).
- Small bodies are affected by small amounts; do not wait to see how it goes.
For dogs: Includes drinks, boozy desserts, and mouthwash. Raw bread dough also produces alcohol in the stomach.
SevereMedications
Antidepressants (SSRIs and SNRIs)
Symptoms to watch for
- Agitation or unusual sleepiness
- Tremors
- Fast heart rate
- Vocalizing or disorientation
What to do
- Call your vet, ASPCA Animal Poison Control (888-426-4435), or Pet Poison Helpline (855-764-7661).
- Bring the prescription bottle; the drug name changes the treatment.
- Serotonin syndrome can escalate; do not wait and see.
For dogs: Dogs eat dropped pills and chew bottles left in bags.
SeverePlants
Azalea and rhododendron
Symptoms to watch for
- Drooling and vomiting soon after chewing
- Weakness or wobbling
- Slow heartbeat in serious cases
What to do
- A few leaves are enough to cause signs.
- Call your vet, ASPCA Animal Poison Control (888-426-4435), or Pet Poison Helpline (855-764-7661).
- Do not induce vomiting unless a professional tells you to.
For dogs: Garden azaleas are within easy reach of curious dogs.
SevereHousehold products
Batteries
Symptoms to watch for
- Drooling and mouth pain
- Chemical burns in the mouth over hours
- Vomiting or refusing food
What to do
- A chewed or swallowed battery is urgent; button batteries can burn through tissue in hours.
- Do not induce vomiting.
- Go to a vet now; an x-ray will locate a swallowed battery.
For dogs: Dogs chew remotes, toys, and hearing aids. Punctured batteries leak caustic material.
SevereFoods
Caffeine
Symptoms to watch for
- Restlessness and hyperactivity
- Fast heartbeat
- Tremors or seizures in large doses
What to do
- Call your vet, ASPCA Animal Poison Control (888-426-4435), or Pet Poison Helpline (855-764-7661).
- Coffee grounds, espresso beans, energy drinks, and caffeine pills are the most concentrated sources.
For dogs: A lapped-up splash of coffee is rarely serious; grounds, pods, and pills are.
SevereMedications
Cannabis (marijuana, edibles)
Symptoms to watch for
- Wobbling and stumbling
- Dribbling urine
- Startling at sounds or touch
- Very sleepy or unresponsive at high doses
What to do
- Be honest with your vet about the exposure; it changes care and there is no judgment.
- Edibles are the worst case: the dose is high, and chocolate or xylitol may be involved too.
- Call your vet, ASPCA Animal Poison Control (888-426-4435), or Pet Poison Helpline (855-764-7661).
For dogs: Dogs find edibles, discarded material on walks, and unattended stashes. Most recover with support, but high doses are dangerous.
SevereFoods
Chocolate
Symptoms to watch for
- Vomiting and diarrhea
- Restlessness and pacing
- Fast or irregular heartbeat
- Tremors or seizures in larger amounts
What to do
- Note the chocolate type and estimate how much was eaten.
- Use the chocolate toxicity estimator for a quick dose estimate.
- Call your vet, ASPCA Animal Poison Control (888-426-4435), or Pet Poison Helpline (855-764-7661).
For dogs: Darker chocolate and baking chocolate carry far more theobromine than milk chocolate.
SevereFoods
Cooked bones
Symptoms to watch for
- Gagging, drooling, or pawing at the mouth
- Vomiting or straining to pass stool
- Blood in stool, a painful belly, or sudden weakness
What to do
- Do not pull at a bone your pet is struggling with; you can cause more damage.
- Call your vet, ASPCA Animal Poison Control (888-426-4435), or Pet Poison Helpline (855-764-7661).
- Watch closely for 48 hours even if your pet seems fine: splinters can injure the gut on the way through.
For dogs: Cooked bones splinter. Poultry bones are the most fragile, but any cooked bone can block or pierce the gut.
SevereHousehold products
Expanding glues (polyurethane)
Symptoms to watch for
- Vomiting or retching without bringing anything up
- A swollen, painful belly
- Refusing food
What to do
- Polyurethane glue expands into a solid mass in the stomach that usually needs surgery.
- Do not induce vomiting.
- Call a vet promptly, even for a small lick of wet glue.
For dogs: Wet glue on a workbench or fresh repair is the classic dog exposure.
SevereMedications
Heart and blood pressure medications
Symptoms to watch for
- Weakness or collapse
- Very slow or very fast heartbeat
- Vomiting
- Stumbling
What to do
- Call your vet, ASPCA Animal Poison Control (888-426-4435), or Pet Poison Helpline (855-764-7661).
- Bring the bottle; beta blockers and calcium channel blockers are treated differently.
- Small doses can matter; call even for one pill.
For dogs: Pills dropped during a morning routine are the usual exposure.
SevereMedications
Ibuprofen and naproxen (Advil, Motrin, Aleve)
Symptoms to watch for
- Vomiting, sometimes with blood
- Black, tarry stool
- Lethargy and loss of appetite
- Drinking and urinating changes as kidneys are affected
What to do
- Never give human pain relievers to pets, even for a limp.
- Call your vet, ASPCA Animal Poison Control (888-426-4435), or Pet Poison Helpline (855-764-7661).
- Bring the bottle so the exact strength is known.
For dogs: A single 200 mg tablet can cause stomach ulcers in a small dog; higher doses hit the kidneys.
SevereFoods
Macadamia nuts
Symptoms to watch for
- Weakness, especially in the back legs
- Vomiting and tremors
- Fever within 12 hours of eating
What to do
- Call your vet, ASPCA Animal Poison Control (888-426-4435), or Pet Poison Helpline (855-764-7661).
- Most dogs recover with supportive care, but call to be safe.
For dogs: Even a small handful can affect a dog. Chocolate-covered macadamias are a double hazard.
SevereFoods
Moldy food and compost
Symptoms to watch for
- Fine muscle tremors that get worse
- Agitation
- Vomiting
- Seizures in serious cases
What to do
- Call your vet, ASPCA Animal Poison Control (888-426-4435), or Pet Poison Helpline (855-764-7661).
- Tremors can escalate quickly; treat trash-raid tremors as urgent.
- Secure compost bins and trash cans afterward.
For dogs: Trash raids and compost piles expose dogs to tremor-causing mold toxins.
SevereHousehold products
Mothballs
Symptoms to watch for
- Vomiting
- Weakness and pale or brown gums
- Tremors or seizures with older naphthalene products
What to do
- One mothball can be enough to poison a cat or small dog.
- Call your vet, ASPCA Animal Poison Control (888-426-4435), or Pet Poison Helpline (855-764-7661).
- Do not induce vomiting unless a professional tells you to.
For dogs: Dogs find mothballs in closets, gardens, and sheds.
SevereHousehold products
Nicotine (cigarettes, vapes, patches, gum)
Symptoms to watch for
- Vomiting and drooling within an hour
- Agitation, then weakness
- Tremors, racing heart, or collapse
What to do
- Vape liquid and nicotine gum are the most concentrated sources; treat those as emergencies.
- Call your vet, ASPCA Animal Poison Control (888-426-4435), or Pet Poison Helpline (855-764-7661).
- Nicotine gum often also contains xylitol, a second poison for dogs.
For dogs: A single vape cartridge can hold a dangerous dose for a small dog.
SevereFoods
Onions, garlic, and chives
Symptoms to watch for
- Weakness and pale gums, often 1 to 5 days after eating
- Vomiting or diarrhea
- Red or brown urine
What to do
- Call your vet, ASPCA Animal Poison Control (888-426-4435), or Pet Poison Helpline (855-764-7661).
- Symptoms can be delayed by days, so call even if your pet seems fine now.
- Check ingredient lists: onion and garlic powder count too.
For dogs: Damages red blood cells. Raw, cooked, and powdered forms are all a risk.
SevereFoods
Raw yeast dough
Symptoms to watch for
- A visibly swelling, bloated belly
- Retching or unproductive vomiting
- Stumbling or disorientation as the yeast produces alcohol
What to do
- This is doubly dangerous: the dough expands in the warm stomach and ferments into alcohol.
- Call your vet, ASPCA Animal Poison Control (888-426-4435), or Pet Poison Helpline (855-764-7661).
- A bloated, retching dog is an emergency; go now.
For dogs: Rising bread dough left on the counter is the classic scenario for dogs.
SevereFoods
Salt dough and homemade play dough
Symptoms to watch for
- Vomiting
- Extreme thirst
- Stumbling, tremors, or seizures from salt overload
What to do
- Call your vet, ASPCA Animal Poison Control (888-426-4435), or Pet Poison Helpline (855-764-7661).
- Holiday salt dough ornaments are a common hidden source.
- Do not restrict water while you call.
For dogs: Dogs eat ornaments and craft dough readily; the salt load can be life threatening.
SevereMedications
Vitamin D (supplements and creams)
Symptoms to watch for
- Vomiting and loss of appetite
- Heavy thirst and urination
- Weakness over 1 to 3 days as calcium climbs
What to do
- High-dose vitamin D softgels and psoriasis creams are the common sources.
- Call promptly; kidney damage develops before pets look very sick.
- Call your vet, ASPCA Animal Poison Control (888-426-4435), or Pet Poison Helpline (855-764-7661).
For dogs: A chewed bottle of D3 softgels is a serious kidney threat.
SevereFoods
Wild mushrooms
Symptoms to watch for
- Vomiting and diarrhea
- Drooling
- Yellow gums or eyes in the days after (liver damage)
- Wobbling, tremors, or seizures with some species
What to do
- Treat every yard or trail mushroom as dangerous; identification is unreliable.
- Take a photo of the mushroom, or bring a sample in a paper bag.
- Call your vet, ASPCA Animal Poison Control (888-426-4435), or Pet Poison Helpline (855-764-7661).
For dogs: Death cap mushrooms grow across the Bay Area and can cause fatal liver failure in dogs.
ModerateMedications
Aspirin
Symptoms to watch for
- Vomiting, sometimes with blood
- Loss of appetite
- Rapid breathing
- Weakness
What to do
- Call your vet, ASPCA Animal Poison Control (888-426-4435), or Pet Poison Helpline (855-764-7661).
- Do not start or continue aspirin for a pet without a vet's direction.
For dogs: Dogs tolerate aspirin poorly; ulcers and kidney injury follow repeated doses.
ModeratePlants
Daffodil
Symptoms to watch for
- Vomiting and drooling
- Diarrhea
- Low blood pressure or wobbliness after large amounts
What to do
- Bulbs are the most toxic part, like tulips.
- Call your vet, ASPCA Animal Poison Control (888-426-4435), or Pet Poison Helpline (855-764-7661).
For dogs: Watch spring gardens and bags of stored bulbs.
ModerateHousehold products
Essential oils (tea tree, eucalyptus, peppermint, citrus)
Symptoms to watch for
- Drooling and vomiting
- Wobbliness or weakness
- Skin redness where oil touched fur
- Labored breathing in cats around diffusers
What to do
- If oil is on skin or fur, call before washing; your vet may advise a specific approach.
- Call your vet, ASPCA Animal Poison Control (888-426-4435), or Pet Poison Helpline (855-764-7661).
- Keep diffusers out of rooms your cat cannot leave.
For dogs: Concentrated oils are the risk; a briefly diffused room is rarely serious for dogs.
ModerateHousehold products
Fertilizer and cocoa mulch
Symptoms to watch for
- Vomiting and diarrhea
- Drooling
- Tremors after large amounts of some products
What to do
- Check the bag: bone meal and blood meal attract dogs, and cocoa mulch adds a chocolate-type risk.
- Call your vet, ASPCA Animal Poison Control (888-426-4435), or Pet Poison Helpline (855-764-7661).
- Water lawns after treating and keep pets off until dry.
For dogs: Dogs eat fertilizer directly from bags and dig in freshly treated beds.
ModerateHousehold products
Household cleaners (bleach, drain cleaner, detergents)
Symptoms to watch for
- Drooling and pawing at the mouth
- Vomiting
- Red or ulcerated gums and tongue with concentrated products
What to do
- Do not induce vomiting for any corrosive product; it burns twice.
- Rinse the mouth and any wet fur with plain water.
- Call your vet, ASPCA Animal Poison Control (888-426-4435), or Pet Poison Helpline (855-764-7661).
For dogs: Diluted, dried cleaners on floors are low risk; concentrated products, tablets, and pods are the danger.
ModerateMedications
Sleep aids and anxiety medications
Symptoms to watch for
- Heavy sedation and wobbling
- Some pets get agitated instead of sleepy
- Slowed breathing at high doses
What to do
- Call your vet, ASPCA Animal Poison Control (888-426-4435), or Pet Poison Helpline (855-764-7661).
- Keep your pet somewhere they cannot fall down stairs or off furniture while you call.
For dogs: Dogs usually find these in nightstands and travel bags.
ModeratePlants
Tulip and hyacinth bulbs
Symptoms to watch for
- Drooling
- Vomiting and diarrhea
- Mouth irritation
What to do
- The bulbs hold the most toxin; dug-up or stored bulbs are the main risk.
- Call your vet, ASPCA Animal Poison Control (888-426-4435), or Pet Poison Helpline (855-764-7661).
- Call promptly if a whole bulb was eaten or symptoms persist.
For dogs: Dogs dig up freshly planted bulbs in fall; store bags of bulbs out of reach.
MildFoods
Avocado
Symptoms to watch for
- Vomiting or diarrhea after larger amounts
- Belly discomfort
What to do
- A small lick of avocado flesh is usually not dangerous for dogs and cats.
- The pit is the bigger risk: it can block the gut if swallowed.
- Call your vet if a pit was swallowed or symptoms last more than a day.
For dogs: The persin in avocado is mainly a hazard for birds and livestock; for dogs the fat and the pit are the concerns.
MildPlants
Lilies (Easter, tiger, daylily, Asiatic)
Symptoms to watch for
- Vomiting and drooling within hours
- Lethargy and loss of appetite
- Drinking or urinating less as kidneys fail (cats)
What to do
- For cats: every part of the plant, the pollen, and even vase water are dangerous. Go to a vet now.
- Early treatment within 18 hours is critical for a cat's kidneys.
- Call your vet, ASPCA Animal Poison Control (888-426-4435), or Pet Poison Helpline (855-764-7661).
For dogs: True lilies usually cause only mild stomach upset in dogs.
MildHousehold products
Permethrin (dog flea and tick products)
Symptoms to watch for
- Full-body tremors and twitching (cats)
- Seizures (cats)
- Drooling and agitation
What to do
- Never apply a dog flea or tick product to a cat, even a small amount.
- If a cat is exposed, go to an emergency vet now; tremors need in-hospital treatment.
- Keep treated dogs away from cats until the product is fully dry.
For dogs: Permethrin products are safe for most dogs when used as directed, but a freshly treated dog can expose a cat that cuddles or grooms them.
MildPlants
Pothos and philodendron
Symptoms to watch for
- Mouth pain and pawing at the face
- Drooling
- Vomiting occasionally
What to do
- These common houseplants contain sharp crystals that irritate the mouth but rarely cause serious harm.
- Offer water or a small dairy-free snack to ease the sting.
- Call your vet if drooling or face pawing lasts more than a couple of hours.
For dogs: Puppies chewing houseplants are the usual case.
This library helps you act fast; it does not replace professional advice. Poison hotlines may charge a consultation fee, and severity varies with the amount, the product, and your pet's size and health.
