Signs your pet needs a vet, not just rest
When to wait it out and when to book a consult, without second-guessing yourself.
Pets hide discomfort well. The useful question is not how dramatic a symptom looks, but how long it has lasted and whether it is getting worse.
Book a consult the same day
- Vomiting or diarrhoea more than twice in 12 hours, or any blood
- Refusing water for a full day
- Laboured breathing, or gums that look pale or blue
- A limp that will not bear weight at all
- Straining to urinate without producing anything
- A hard, distended belly
Watch for 24 hours
One skipped meal, a single soft stool, or an afternoon of extra sleep after a long walk are usually nothing. Keep water available, hold the diet steady and note the time things started.
Write down when a symptom began. It is the first thing a vet asks and the easiest thing to forget.
Do not wait on the small stuff either
Bad breath, head shaking, scooting and a dull coat rarely become emergencies, but they do not resolve on their own. A short consult is cheaper than the dental or skin treatment that follows six months of waiting.
