Pet Primer

Emergency

Pet poisoning: what to do right now

If your dog or cat has eaten, licked or chewed something that might be poisonous, act now. Don’t wait for signs: with many poisons, treatment works best before signs appear.

Call for help

Your own vet, or the nearest emergency vet, is always a good first call. These lines are open 24 hours and are staffed by veterinary poison specialists.

United StatesASPCA Animal Poison ControlCall 888-426-443524/7. A consultation fee may apply.
United StatesPet Poison HelplineCall 855-764-766124/7. A fee per case applies.
United KingdomAnimal PoisonLineCall 01202 50900024/7. A fee per case applies.

Do this now

  1. Move your pet away from whatever it got into, and keep other pets away too.
  2. Keep the packet, label or a sample (a photo of a plant or mushroom helps). Don’t throw it away.
  3. Call your vet or a poison line, even if your pet seems completely fine.
  4. Have these ready: what was eaten, roughly how much, how long ago, and your pet’s weight.
  5. Follow their advice, and take the packaging with you if they ask you to come in.
Don’t make your pet vomit unless a vet tells you to. Vomiting can cause choking and pneumonia, and corrosive products such as drain cleaner burn a second time on the way back up. Never give salt water or other home remedies to make it vomit.

Go to a vet straight away if your pet

Common poisons at home

Check a food or plant with our Can my pet eat this? tool. The most urgent ones:

Sources

Checked by Gilbert Jones on October 17, 2026. Pet Primer is not a vet service and can’t give emergency advice. Phone numbers and fees can change; check the line’s own website if a call fails.