If you are worried about the health of your pet you should always seek veterinary advice, and ideally see or speak to your vet in person. But if this is not immediately possible and you’re worried your pet may have come into contact with something poisonous a call to the Animal Poison Line, run by the Veterinary Poisons Information Service (VPIS), will either put your mind at rest or advise you to take remedial action. The service runs 24 hours a day and there is a charge of £30.00 to use it, but it is staffed by poisons specialists (vets, veterinary nurses, toxicologists and scientists) who have experience of thousands of toxic substances in all animals and cover everything from human drugs, household and garden products, plants, agricultural chemicals to venomous bites and stings.

Three out of four callers to the Animal Poison Line have been able to stay at home after being reassured by the experts that their pets’ symptoms are not serious – saving time and stress and ensuring that the pet only receives treatment if it is necessary. If the animal does require treatment and the vet subsequently calls the professional line (the VPIS) for detailed treatment advice, then the £30.00 fee is refunded to the owner.

The Animal Poison Line telephone number – 01202 509000 – is worth keeping to-hand or logged into your mobile phone. It could save your pet’s life. The most common signs of poisoning are an animal with one or more of the following: upset stomach, vomiting, excessive drooling, watery/yellowish eyes, lethargy and seizures. And remember to keep a sample of what you think your pet has ingested or inhaled because this may help with a diagnosis.

Fungi are a potential poisoning hazard, particularly at this time of year, the wet autumn months, when most species of mushrooms and toadstools spring up in our gardens and woodlands. There are more than 4,000 species of fungi in the U.K. and the vast majority are not poisonous, but some definitely are and the most hazardous have suitably sinister names such as destroying angel, funeral bell and death cap.

Play it safe and remove any mushrooms that may be growing in your garden, particularly if you have an inquisitive or greedy dog that will eat anything it comes across.