Pet health guide
What a problem is, how to recognise it, what to do now and when to call a vet. Every text is checked by a veterinarian before it is published.
Is any of this happening right now?
- Struggling to breathe, breathing with the mouth open (cats, rabbits, small pets), or gums that are blue, grey or very pale
- Collapsed, cannot stand, or very hard to wake
- A seizure (fit) lasting more than 5 minutes, or several in a row
- Belly swollen and tight, trying to vomit but nothing comes up
- Straining to pee with little or nothing coming out
- Bleeding that does not stop after 5 minutes of firm pressure
- Hit by a car, a fall from a height, or a bite or deep wound
- Ate, licked or touched something that may be poisonous
- Overheated: heavy panting, drooling, wobbling or vomiting after heat or exercise
- Giving birth and straining for 30 minutes without a baby, or very unwell after giving birth
- A rabbit or guinea pig that has not eaten or passed droppings for 12 hours, or a bird sitting fluffed up on the cage floor
If you are not sure, treat it as an emergency: call a vet now.
The health guide is being prepared. Health texts are published only after a veterinarian has checked them, so there is nothing to show yet.
Meanwhile you can find a vet, check whether a food is toxic, or read the breed and species guides.