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I think my pet has been poisoned

What should I do?

Statements and questions such as ‘I think my pet has eaten something poisonous’, or ‘what should I do if my pet has eaten poison?’ requre immediate action from you as a pet owner to minimise the risk of any serious consequences.

Your vet only has a short, limited time frame to try to minimise the absorption of poisons before they can cause harm and so an immediate appointment is essential and potentially life-saving.

Follow the simple steps on this page and always remember the word S.P.E.E.D in the future.

REMEMBER S.P.E.E.D

  • Stop access to any poison

    • It may seem obvious but can the pet get hold of any more of the substance (i.e. if it’s in your garden)? If so keep your pet away from anything you suspect as dangerous
  • Phone the vet

    • This is an emergency and must be dealt with immediately.
  • Emergency appointment

    • You cannot ‘wait and see’ with poisons as many do not affect your pet straight away and some can take several days to show symptoms, all the while doing damage to the inside before you see signs on the outside. Getting your pet seen immediately gives you the best chance to get effective treatment for your pet before you reach a potential point of no return.
  • Evidence

    • Knowing what the potential poison is will really help your Vet make a rapid diagnosis and create the best treatment protocol for a successful recovery. If you have a label of the substance, bring it. If you don’t have a label but have access to the substance then bring a sample to the vet for testing (only if it is safe to do so and you are not putting yourself or anyone else in danger). If you don’t have a label or a sample but you animal has been sick, then bring a sample of this with you (if safe to do so) as the ingredient may be present in the vomit. If you don’t have access to any of these then don’t worry as your pet’s blood can be tested.
  • Don’t delay

    • You cannot afford to wait, act now!
poisoning, reaction, what to do
Common poisons