Signs Your Pet Needs a Vet: Emergencies and When to Book
In short
Some signs mean your pet needs a vet straight away, day or night, while others mean booking an appointment within the next few days. This guide sets out both, but it cannot cover everything, so if you are unsure, phone your vet and describe what you are seeing.
Before you need it
Emergencies are stressful, and it is hard to think clearly in the moment. A few minutes of preparation now can make a real difference:
- Save your vet's number in your phone, along with the number for their out-of-hours or emergency service.
- Know where the nearest emergency vet is and how you would get there.
- Keep a pet carrier or lead somewhere easy to reach.
- Keep a note of your pet's weight, medicines and any existing conditions.
This guide is general information, not veterinary advice, and Petopedia does not diagnose illness. Your vet is always the right person to decide how urgent something is.
Get help now (emergency)
Contact your vet or an emergency clinic immediately if you notice any of the following. Phone ahead while you are getting ready so the team can prepare and advise you.
- Difficulty breathing – laboured, noisy or very rapid breathing, breathing with the mouth open (especially in cats), or blue, grey or very pale gums.
- Collapse or sudden weakness – being unable to stand, wobbling, or suddenly unresponsive.
- Seizures – shaking, paddling, loss of awareness. Seek help urgently for any seizure, particularly a first one, one lasting more than a few minutes, or several close together. Keep your hands away from the mouth and keep your pet away from stairs and hard edges.
- Suspected poisoning – if your pet may have eaten something toxic, such as certain human foods, medicines, slug pellets, antifreeze, rodent bait or toxic plants, call straight away even if your pet seems well. Some poisons cause no signs until damage is already done. Do not try to make your pet sick unless a vet tells you to. Our toxic foods list covers common household dangers.
- A swollen, hard belly with retching in dogs – especially if your dog is trying to vomit but bringing little or nothing up, is restless or drooling. This can be a sign of a twisted stomach, which is life-threatening and more common in large, deep-chested breeds.
- Straining to urinate with little or nothing produced – particularly in male cats, who can develop a blockage. Repeated trips to the litter tray, crying, or licking the genital area are warning signs. A blockage can become fatal quickly.
- Heavy bleeding – bleeding that does not slow with firm pressure, or any bleeding from the mouth, nose or bottom without a clear reason.
- Heatstroke signs – heavy panting, drooling, bright red or dark gums, stumbling, vomiting or collapse after time in heat. See our hot weather safety guide for first aid.
- A cat not eating at all for a day – cats can become seriously unwell if they stop eating, so a cat refusing all food for around 24 hours needs a vet, sooner if they also seem unwell.
- Serious injury – a road accident, fall or fight, even if your pet seems fine afterwards.
- Severe pain – crying out, hiding, unwillingness to move, or a hunched posture.
- Repeated vomiting or diarrhoea – especially with blood, lethargy, or in very young, very old or small pets who can dehydrate quickly.
- Eye injuries – a suddenly painful, cloudy or bulging eye.
- Difficulty giving birth – straining for a long time without producing a puppy or kitten.
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Normal
Healthy pink
Moist and salmon-pink. Pressed with a finger, colour returns within about two seconds.
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Vet now
Pale or white
Can be a sign of shock, blood loss or anaemia.
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Vet now
Blue or grey
Can mean they aren't getting enough oxygen.
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Vet now
Bright red
Can be seen with heatstroke or some poisonings.
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Vet today
Yellow
Can be a sign of liver or blood problems.
Some dogs and cats have naturally dark or patchy gums — check the inside of the lower lip or eyelid instead, and learn what's normal for your pet while they're well.
Book an appointment soon
These signs are not usually emergencies on their own, but they are worth a vet check within the next few days. If several appear together, or your pet seems to be getting worse, call sooner.
| Sign | What to look for |
|---|---|
| Drinking or urinating more | Refilling the bowl more often, bigger litter clumps, accidents in the house |
| Gradual weight change | Weight drifting down or up over weeks without a change in food |
| Appetite changes | Eating noticeably less or more for several days |
| Lethargy | Less interest in walks or play, sleeping more than usual |
| Coughing | A cough that lasts more than a day or two, or keeps returning |
| Lumps and bumps | Any new lump, or one that is growing or changing |
| Limping or stiffness | Lameness lasting more than a day, or difficulty on stairs or jumping |
| Toilet habit changes | Looser or harder stools, straining, going outside the tray |
Other things worth mentioning to your vet include bad breath or difficulty chewing, persistent scratching or hair loss, repeated head shaking, changes in behaviour, and mild vomiting that keeps recurring.
Act now
- Struggling to breathe
- Collapse or seizure
- Suspected poisoning
- Straining to pee with nothing coming out
Call today
- Repeated vomiting or diarrhoea
- A cat not eating for a day
- A painful or cloudy eye
- Won't put weight on a leg
Book a visit
- Drinking more than usual
- Gradual weight change
- A new lump
- Itching or bad breath
See every symptom, sorted by urgency
Why gradual changes matter
Many of the "book soon" signs develop slowly. It is easy to miss a dog that drinks a little more each week, or a cat that is slowly losing weight, because you see them every day. Keeping simple records of your pet's eating, drinking, weight and activity makes these trends easier to see. Our guide to knowing your pet's normal explains how to build a baseline.
Petopedia can show when your pet's recent logs sit outside their usual range, but that is only a prompt to pay attention. It is not a diagnosis, and it should never be a reason to wait if your pet seems unwell.
When in doubt, call
You will not always know whether something is serious, and that is fine. Vets would much rather hear from you about something minor than see a pet too late. When you call, it helps to have ready:
- What you have noticed, and when it started
- Whether it is getting better, worse or staying the same
- Anything your pet might have eaten or been exposed to, with packaging if possible
- Your pet's age, weight and any medicines
Trust your knowledge of your pet. If they are not behaving like themselves and you are worried, that alone is a good reason to pick up the phone.
Written by the Petopedia editorial team to our editorial standards. This is general information, not veterinary advice — if you're worried about your pet, contact your vet.