Where every number comes from
Every dose range and toxicity threshold in VetDose carries a citation to one of four published veterinary references. This page explains each source, how entries make it into our dataset, and what we refuse to publish.
Merck Veterinary Manual
The standard professional veterinary reference, published continuously since 1955 and freely available online. We use it for core pharmacology ranges, toxicology thresholds, and species restrictions.
ASPCA Animal Poison Control
Operates one of the largest animal poison-control centers in the world. We use their published guidance for toxin identification and the no-safe-dose calls (grapes, raisins).
aspca.org/pet-care/animal-poison-control · Hotline 888-426-4435
Pet Poison Helpline
24/7 veterinary toxicology service. We use their published per-kilogram thresholds for chocolate, xylitol, and ibuprofen ingestion severity bands.
petpoisonhelpline.com · Hotline 855-764-7661
Veterinary Partner (VIN)
The public education arm of the Veterinary Information Network, written and reviewed by practicing veterinarians. We use it for owner-facing dosing conventions and practical administration notes.
How an entry gets in
- A medication enters our dataset only with a published range from one of the sources above. No citation, no entry.
- Species restrictions are stricter than doses: if any source flags a species risk (like salicylates in cats), we show a do-not-give card rather than a number.
- Where sources disagree, we show the narrower (more conservative) range.
- Combination products, prescription-only dosing decisions, and anything requiring diagnosis are shown as "vet-directed" without numbers.
Review status
The dataset is currently in draft pending independent review by a licensed veterinarian (DVM). This page will name the reviewer and review date once complete.
What we refuse to publish
- Doses generated by AI or "commonly used" numbers without a citable source
- Safe-amount estimates for substances with no established threshold (grapes, raisins)
- Anything framed as a prescription. VetDose is a reference tool; your veterinarian makes the call.
Corrections
Spot an error or a newer published range? [email protected], corrections ship within days and this dataset is versioned in source control.