How do I tell when a pet needs a vet today?
The signs that mean phone now rather than wait until morning, and what to have ready when you call — with no attempt to tell you what is wrong.
- Difficulty
- beginner
- Time
- 10 min
- Read
- 3 min
- Safety
- warning
Short answer
Phone a vet immediately for breathing difficulty, collapse, seizures, a male cat straining without producing urine, a bloated hard abdomen or unproductive retching in a dog, suspected poisoning, uncontrolled bleeding, a road accident, a suspected obstruction, difficulty giving birth, or heatstroke. When in doubt, phone — advice over the telephone is free and immediate.
Animals conceal illness, and by the time something is obvious it has often been present for a while. This guide does the one job a general source can do safely: it lists the presentations where waiting is the dangerous choice, and tells you how to make the call efficient. Everything beyond that is a job for the person with the stethoscope.
Safety
Step by step
- Phone immediately for breathing difficulty.Open-mouth breathing in a cat, laboured or noisy breathing, blue or very pale gums, stretching the neck out to breathe, or an inability to settle. This is the single most time-critical category and it should never wait.
- Phone immediately for collapse, seizures or unresponsiveness.Any seizure, particularly a first one, one lasting more than a couple of minutes, or repeated seizures. Collapse, inability to stand, or sudden loss of use of the back legs, which in cats is an emergency.
- Phone immediately for urinary straining, especially in a male cat.Repeated trips to the tray, straining with nothing produced, crying, or licking at the back end. A blocked bladder is fatal within a day or two and is one of the most common avoidable deaths in cats.
- Phone immediately for a bloated or retching dog.A swollen, hard abdomen with unproductive retching, restlessness and drooling, typically in a deep-chested dog. This deteriorates within hours.
- Phone immediately for suspected poisoning.Take the packaging with you and note the time and the amount. Common household hazards include chocolate, grapes and raisins, xylitol sweetener, lilies for cats, antifreeze, slug pellets, human painkillers and vitamin D products. Do not try to make the animal vomit unless a vet tells you to.
- Phone immediately for trauma.Road accidents, falls from height, dog bites, and any wound that bleeds heavily or will not stop. Internal injury is common after impacts even when the animal seems to walk away.
- Phone immediately for heatstroke.Heavy panting, distress, unsteadiness, vomiting or collapse in warm conditions, after exercise, or after being left in a car or conservatory. Begin cooling and phone while doing so.
- Phone immediately for difficulty giving birth or for eye injuries.Prolonged straining without producing offspring, and any painful, closed, cloudy or bulging eye. Eyes deteriorate quickly and lose sight permanently.
- Phone the same day for the persistent things.Repeated vomiting or diarrhoea, not eating for more than a day, a marked change in drinking, a swelling, sudden lameness, or any noticeable change in behaviour. These are not emergencies but they should not wait a week.
- Have the information ready when you call.Species, breed, age, weight, what you have seen and when it started, current medication, and anything the animal may have eaten. If it is out of hours, know which practice covers your vet's emergencies — that is worth finding out before you need it.
- Sort out the money problem in advance, not in the moment.Know your insurance position and whether your policy covers out-of-hours fees. Where cost is a barrier, PDSA, Blue Cross and RSPCA operate assistance schemes with eligibility criteria — check them before an emergency, not during one.
Questions people ask
Should I wait until morning or call the out-of-hours vet?
For anything on the immediate list — breathing difficulty, collapse, seizures, urinary straining, bloat, poisoning, trauma, heatstroke, eye injury or birthing difficulty — call now. For anything else, phone anyway: telephone advice is free and immediate, and they would far rather advise than see something left too long.
My cat has stopped eating. Is that urgent?
Contact the practice the same day. Cats that do not eat for more than a day can develop secondary problems, and inappetence is one of the commonest signs that something is wrong.
What if I cannot afford emergency treatment?
Tell the practice at the outset — they will discuss options and many offer payment plans. PDSA, Blue Cross and RSPCA run assistance schemes with eligibility criteria. Find out where you stand before an emergency rather than during one.