Choose the animal
Select the correct species and enter the most accurate current body weight available.
General Toxins Calculator
By Dr Duncan Houston, BVSc · Emergency veterinarian · Clinically reviewed 18 August 2026
Free animal poison and toxin calculator
Estimate the toxic dose. Understand the urgency.
Quick answer: Select the animal, enter its weight, choose the suspected poison and record what happened. This veterinary calculator estimates exposure per kilogram where reliable thresholds exist, and defaults to caution when the amount, route or safe dose is unknown.
45Toxin profiles
10Species groups
2Owner and clinical modes
VetDesigned by Dr Duncan Houston, BVSc
This may be urgent. Contact a veterinarian now.If the animal is collapsed, fitting, struggling to breathe or rapidly worsening, go straight to an emergency clinic.
This is decision support, not a diagnosis. Toxic doses vary with the individual animal, product concentration, and how much was actually absorbed. If your animal has swallowed something and you are worried, do not wait on a number — call your vet, an emergency clinic, or an animal poison line now. Do not induce vomiting unless a vet tells you to.
1 · Species
2 · Body weight
Enter the animal's current weight.
3 · Toxin
4 · Exposure
Pick a species and a toxin to begin.
How to use the calculator
How to calculate a suspected poison dose in an animal
This tool helps animal owners, carers, students and veterinary teams organise the essential facts after a possible poisoning. It uses species, body weight, toxin type, product concentration and estimated amount to calculate an exposure dose when sufficient veterinary toxicology data exist.
Identify the poison
Search for the food, medicine, rat bait, chemical, pesticide or toxic plant involved.
Record the exposure
Add the route, product, amount, concentration, timing and whether symptoms are already present.
Poisons covered
Common animal toxins included in this calculator
The calculator contains 45 selected toxin profiles across 10 animal groups. Availability depends on the species because susceptibility, metabolism and reliable published thresholds differ significantly between animals.
Foods and kitchen toxins
Chocolate, cocoa, xylitol, grapes, raisins, onions, garlic, macadamia nuts, caffeine, alcohol and salt.
Human medicines
Paracetamol, ibuprofen, naproxen, aspirin, decongestants, ADHD medicines, baclofen, iron and vitamin D.
Rat bait and pesticides
Anticoagulant rodenticide, bromethalin, cholecalciferol, metaldehyde, strychnine, 1080, permethrin and organophosphates.
Household chemicals
Antifreeze, batteries, lead, zinc, glyphosate, nicotine and cannabis products.
Toxic plants
True lilies, lily of the valley, sago palm, oleander, yew, lantana, bracken fern, avocado and blue-green algae.
Livestock and horse toxins
Ionophores, urea, nitrate, cyanogenic plants and important pasture or feed-related toxicities.
Emergency action
What should you do right now?
- Remove access to the suspected poison without exposing yourself.
- Keep the packet, label, bait, medication sheet or a clear photograph of the product.
- Record the likely amount, concentration, exposure route and approximate time.
- Do not induce vomiting or give milk, salt, oil, charcoal or another home remedy unless a veterinarian or animal poison specialist directs you.
- If the animal is collapsed, fitting, struggling to breathe or rapidly worsening, go directly to an emergency veterinary clinic.
Understanding the result
How animal toxin risk is calculated
For dose-based toxins, the calculator estimates the active substance swallowed and divides it by the animal's body weight in kilograms. The result may be shown as mg/kg, g/kg, mL/kg or another toxin-specific unit. It is then compared with selected veterinary reference thresholds.
A green result means the entered exposure is below the selected reference threshold. It does not prove that the animal is safe. Product formulations, absorbed dose, individual susceptibility, existing disease, repeated exposure and inaccurate estimates can all change the real risk. Symptoms and unknown amounts therefore override a reassuring calculated result.
Frequently asked questions
Animal poison calculator FAQs
What should I do if my dog or cat ate something poisonous?
Remove access to the substance, keep the packaging, record the likely amount and time, and contact a veterinarian or animal poison service. If the animal is collapsed, fitting, struggling to breathe or rapidly worsening, go directly to an emergency clinic.
How does an animal poison calculator estimate risk?
Where a reliable threshold exists, the calculator estimates the active toxin dose from the amount and concentration entered, then divides it by body weight in kilograms. Some toxins are assessed qualitatively because no safe dose is established or published data are limited.
Does a green result mean the exposure is safe?
No. A green result means the entered exposure is below the selected reference threshold. It cannot confirm the amount, absorption, product formulation or individual susceptibility, and symptoms always override a low calculated result.
What if I do not know how much toxin was eaten?
Select Unknown for amount confidence. The calculator will avoid false reassurance and direct you to veterinary or animal poison advice.
Should I make my animal vomit after a suspected poisoning?
Do not induce vomiting or give a home remedy unless a veterinarian or animal poison specialist specifically directs you. Vomiting is unsafe with some toxins, products, symptoms and animal species.
Which animals and poisons does this calculator cover?
The calculator includes selected profiles for dogs, cats, rabbits, ferrets, birds, horses, cattle, sheep, goats and pigs. It covers common foods, human medicines, rodenticides, pesticides, household chemicals and toxic plants, but it is not an exhaustive poison database.
Clinical references and further help
Animal toxicology sources
Thresholds and clinical notes use rounded triage values from established veterinary toxicology references. The exact product, patient and exposure should always be assessed individually.
How the bands work. Green = below the usual concern threshold. Yellow/orange = monitor or likely needs a vet. Red / dark red = treat as an emergency. When the amount is unknown or a toxin has no safe established dose, the tool defaults to caution — that is deliberate.
Thresholds are drawn from established small-animal and large-animal toxicology references (ASPCA Animal Poison Control data, Plumb's, the Merck/MSD Veterinary Manual, and standard clinical toxicology texts). Values are rounded working thresholds for triage, not exact lethal doses. Farm and exotic-species figures are sparser in the literature and several are qualitative by necessity.
Built as part of the ASK A VET™ animal-health ecosystem. Store an animal's history, weight trend and toxin exposures in one place.
By Dr Duncan Houston · v1.0