Acetaminophen Is New to Both Dog and Cat Lists This Year
MINNEAPOLIS, Jan. 14, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Every day, the toxicology experts at Pet Poison Helpline deal with potentially thousands of different pet toxins, but certain substances seem to rise to the top of the list every year. Pet lovers of North America, we give you the Top 10 Pet Poisons of 2025 for both dogs and cats.
Paige, who wiped out a 90-ounce bag of mini candy bars from Costco on Halloween, illustrates why chocolate is consistently at the top of the toxin list for dogs.
“Each year, we gather a list of the most common reasons pet parents and veterinary professionals call Pet Poison Helpline,” said Dr. Renee Schmid, a senior veterinary toxicologist and director of Veterinary Medicine at Pet Poison Helpline. “While these are not necessarily the most toxic poisons, they are the most frequently encountered by pets. Although the Top 10 dog poisons remain mostly the same from last year, a few items have shifted up and down on the list, and apparently animals are sneaking into their family’s cold and flu medicine.”
The Top 10 Pet Poisons of 2025 for dogs were:
“The biggest shift was onion exposures, which shot from number 10 in 2024 to number five this past year,” Dr. Schmid explained. “Acetaminophen also made the list at number 10 and carprofen fell off the list.” Carprofen was the first veterinary-specific drug that made it on Pet Poison Helpline’s Top 10 list due to overdoses and ingestions by pets that were not prescribed the medication.
The Top 10 Pet Poisons of 2025 for cats were:
“Cats have very different tastes than dogs, so the list of Top 10 Pet Poisons for cats is significantly different than for dogs,” Dr. Schmid said. “The biggest difference is that specific lilies are extremely enticing to cats, while chocolate is the biggest temptation for dogs, based on the calls received to our call center. Lilium sp lilies pose a great risk for causing kidney failure in cats and can be deadly if ingested. For cats, garlic fell off the list, which had taken the fourth spot, and grapes and acetaminophen were added.”
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 2025’s influenza activity was the most intense since the 2009 swine flu pandemic, with more than 80 million estimated illnesses. Experts cite reduced immunity post-COVID, vaccine mismatches and severe viral strains. Children are especially vulnerable.
“With more cold and flu medicine available in households, it makes sense that curious pets would find it and ingest it,” explained Dr. Schmid. “Many of those cold and flu medications contain acetaminophen. Common signs to watch for with acetaminophen poisoning include lethargy, swelling of the face, difficulty breathing, brown or blue gums, vomiting, diarrhea, decreased appetite and jaundice.”
For more information on how Pet Poison Helpline helped save pets’ lives last year, visit our 2025 Annual Report Card for a roundup of our outreach.
About Pet Poison Helpline
Pet Poison Helpline®, your trusted source for toxicology and pet health advice in times of potential emergency, is available 24 hours, seven days a week for pet owners and veterinary professionals who require assistance treating a potentially poisoned pet. Per incident and subscription service options are available. We are an independent, nationally recognized animal poison control center triple licensed by the Boards of Veterinary Medicine, Medicine and Pharmacy providing unmatched professional leadership and expertise. Our veterinarians and board-certified toxicologists provide treatment advice for all species, including dogs, cats, birds, small mammals, large animals and exotic species. As the most cost-effective option for animal poison control care, Pet Poison Helpline’s fee of $89 per incident includes follow-up consultations for the duration of the case. The company also offers pethelpline(SM) and pethelplinePRO(SM) subscription services directly to pet lovers. Based in Minneapolis, Pet Poison Helpline is available in North America by calling 800-213-6680. Additional information, including a chat feature for pet owners, can be found online at www.petpoisonhelpline.com.
Contact: Curtis Steinhoff Pet Poison Helpline® (602) 300-8466 [email protected]
SOURCE Pet Poison Helpline
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