when to call the vet for a dog or cat

Call your veterinarian or the nearest emergency animal hospital right away if your dog or cat has trouble breathing; pale, blue, or white gums; a prolonged or repeated seizure; collapse; severe bleeding; repeated unproductive retching with a swollen belly; straining to urinate with little or no urine produced; suspected poisoning; or major trauma.

If you're not sure how serious your pet's signs are, call your veterinarian or an emergency animal hospital. It is always better to check.

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Emergency signs: go now

Some signs require immediate veterinary attention. If your pet has any of the following signs, go to the nearest emergency animal hospital or call ahead so the veterinary team can prepare for your arrival.

Trouble breathing: Your pet is struggling to breathe; breathing with obvious effort; making unusual breathing sounds; or has blue, gray, white, or very pale gums.

Abnormal gum color: Pale, white, blue, gray, or purple gums can indicate a serious problem with oxygen delivery, circulation, or blood loss.

Prolonged or repeated seizure: A seizure that lasts longer than the threshold provided by your veterinary team, repeated seizures, or failure to recover normally after a seizure requires immediate veterinary attention.

Collapse or inability to stand: Your pet suddenly collapses, cannot stand, loses consciousness, or has severe weakness.

Severe or nonstop bleeding: Heavy bleeding that does not stop with firm pressure needs emergency care.

A swollen, hard belly with repeated unproductive retching: Repeated attempts to vomit without producing anything, especially with a swollen or painful abdomen, can be a sign of bloat and requires immediate care.

Straining to urinate with no urine produced: This is an emergency, particularly in male cats. A urinary blockage can become life-threatening.

Suspected poisoning: If your pet may have eaten, inhaled, or been exposed to a toxic substance, call a veterinarian or veterinary emergency hospital immediately. Do not wait for signs to appear.

Major trauma: Being hit by a car, falling from a significant height, or suffering another major injury can cause internal injuries even when your pet initially appears normal.

If your pet has an emergency warning sign, go now rather than waiting to see whether the problem improves. When in doubt, call.

Urgent signs: same-day care

Not every serious problem is immediately life-threatening, but some signs should still be evaluated the same day. Call your veterinarian and explain what you are seeing so they can help you determine how quickly your pet needs to be examined.

Same-day signs can include:

• Repeated vomiting or diarrhea, especially if your pet cannot keep water down, has blood in the vomit or stool, or seems weak or painful.
• Not eating for more than a day. Contact your veterinarian sooner for puppies, kittens, elderly pets, or pets with medical conditions.
• Obvious pain, such as persistent whining, shaking, hiding, panting, restlessness, or an inability to get comfortable.
• A limp that will not bear weight, even if you do not see an obvious injury.
• An eye injury, including squinting, significant redness, swelling, pain, or a visible injury.
• A wound that may need stitches, particularly a deep, gaping, contaminated, or heavily bleeding wound.
• A sudden or significant change in behavior, especially if your pet seems confused, unusually withdrawn, weak, or uncomfortable.

These signs can have many causes, and your veterinarian can help determine whether your pet needs an urgent appointment, emergency care, or monitoring at home. If they worsen or new warning signs appear, seek care sooner.

While Banfield is not equipped to handle emergency care, you can call to see if there’s same-day availability for a vet to see your pet if the issue is urgent but not life threatening. Remember that Optimum Wellness Plans include unlimited office visits!

What can usually wait for a routine visit

Mild, brief symptoms in an otherwise normal dog or cat can often wait for a routine veterinary appointment. For example, a pet with a mild symptom that quickly resolves, continues eating and drinking normally, has normal energy, and shows no signs of pain may not need emergency care.

Even when a symptom seems mild, monitor your pet closely. Call your veterinarian if the symptom continues; comes back; becomes more severe; or is accompanied by changes in appetite, drinking, energy, breathing, bathroom habits, behavior, or comfort.

Your pet's age, medical history, medications, and underlying health conditions can also make a symptom more concerning. A sign that may be reasonable to monitor in a healthy adult pet may need quicker attention in a young, elderly, or medically complicated pet.

When in doubt, call. Your veterinary team can help you decide whether your pet should be seen now, later that day, or at a routine appointment.

Who to call and what to say

For an emergency, contact the nearest emergency animal hospital first. If your pet has an urgent but non-life-threatening problem, your regular veterinarian may be able to provide same-day care or direct you to an appropriate urgent care facility.

Keep your regular veterinary clinic and the nearest emergency animal hospital saved in your phone. It can also help to keep pet poison control numbers readily available.

When you call, be ready to explain:

• What happened: Describe the illness, injury, possible toxin exposure, or other event.
• When it happened: Give the approximate time the signs started or the exposure occurred.
• What you are seeing: Describe your pet's current signs, including changes in breathing, gum color, consciousness, movement, vomiting, diarrhea, urination, or behavior.
• How your pet is doing now: Tell the veterinary team whether your pet is alert, responsive, eating, drinking, walking, and breathing normally.
• What your pet may have been exposed to: For possible poisoning, have the product container or label available and provide the substance, amount, and approximate time of exposure.
• If you suspect poisoning, do not induce vomiting or give your pet medication unless a veterinarian or poison control professional tells you to do so.

Learn what to do if you suspect your pet has been poisoned

For first-aid guidance while you arrange veterinary care, learn the basics of pet first aid.

When to call the vet FAQs

* Due to state telehealth laws, Pet Chat may be unavailable or limited in some states.

Important Notice: The information provided on this page is for informational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional veterinary advice. Always consult a veterinarian with any questions regarding your pet's health or medical condition. Never disregard or delay seeking professional veterinary advice based on information from this page.