When to call the vet right away

Dog

If you see one of these signs, call your vet now: don’t wait for it to pass.

• Swollen belly and repeated retching with nothing coming up
• Struggling or noisy breathing, or pale, white, gray or bluish gums
• Keeps vomiting, or there is blood in its vomit or diarrhea
• Collapses, or has a seizure lasting more than 2 minutes or more than one in 24 hours
• It may have eaten something toxic (medicines, cleaning products, pesticides), even if it seems fine

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Cat

If you see one of these signs, call your vet now: don’t wait for it to pass.

• Breathing with its mouth open, or panting
• Keeps going to the litter box but passes little or no urine, or strains to pee
• Hasn't eaten for more than a day
• Has been vomiting for more than 24 hours, can't keep food or water down, or there is blood in its vomit
• Collapses, or has a seizure lasting more than 2 minutes or more than one in 24 hours

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Rabbit

If you see one of these signs, call your vet now: don’t wait for it to pass.

• Has stopped eating or passing droppings for 12 hours or more
• Breathes through its mouth (rabbits normally breathe through the nose)
• Maggots or fly eggs in its fur, often around the tail
• Watery or jelly-like droppings, and it sits hunched
• Strains to pee, especially with spots of blood

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Guinea pig

If you see one of these signs, call your vet now: don’t wait for it to pass.

• Eats or drinks less, or passes fewer droppings or none
• Struggles to breathe
• Drools, its front teeth look too long, or its jaw is swollen
• Diarrhea, or soft droppings stuck around its bottom
• Loses a lot of weight in a short time

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Hamster

If you see one of these signs, call your vet now: don’t wait for it to pass.

• Wet, dirty fur around the tail, with diarrhea
• Drools, eats less, or its front teeth look too long
• Breathes with difficulty, or has a runny nose or eyes
• A hot, red, painful swelling or a new lump
• Sits quietly in a corner, or loses weight or patches of fur

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Pet rat

If you see one of these signs, call your vet now: don’t wait for it to pass.

• Sneezes often, snuffles, or breathes noisily or with effort
• Red-brown staining or crusts around the eyes or nose, especially if heavy or recurring
• A new lump, especially on the belly or chest
• Head tilt, circling or loss of balance
• Loses weight, sits hunched with a scruffy coat, or its front teeth look too long

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Ferret

If you see one of these signs, call your vet now: don’t wait for it to pass.

• Weak back legs or staggering, a blank stare, drooling, or pawing at its mouth
• Hasn't eaten or drunk for 24 hours, or strains but can't poop
• Blood in its urine, or strains but can't pee
• Thick black stools, or bloody, foul-smelling or nonstop diarrhea
• Bluish or white gums or tongue, or trouble breathing

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Canary

If you see one of these signs, call your vet now: don’t wait for it to pass.

• Sits fluffed up, tired and quieter than usual
• Breathes heavily or with its tail bobbing
• Sits on the cage floor or can't stay on the perch
• Diarrhea, blood in the droppings, or far fewer droppings than usual
• Has lost more than 10% of its weight, or eats and drinks much less

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Budgies

If you see one of these signs, call your vet now: don’t wait for it to pass.

• Sits fluffed up and sleeps more than usual with its eyes closed
• Its tail bobs with each breath, or you hear wheezing
• Sits on the cage floor, is weak or loses its balance
• Has lost more than 10% of its weight
• Throws up food, or its droppings change in color, amount or texture

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Cockatiel

If you see one of these signs, call your vet now: don’t wait for it to pass.

• Sits fluffed up and sleeps more than usual with its eyes closed
• Its tail bobs with each breath, or you hear wheezing
• Sits low on the perch or on the cage floor
• Has lost more than 10% of its weight
• Eats or drinks much more or less than usual, or its droppings change

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Lovebirds

If you see one of these signs, call your vet now: don’t wait for it to pass.

• Sits fluffed up and sleeps more than usual with its eyes closed
• Its tail bobs with each breath, or it sits on the cage floor
• Has lost or gained more than 10% of its weight
• Fewer droppings, or droppings that change color or contain blood
• Discharge from the nostrils, eyes or beak, or noisy breathing

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Tortoise

If you see one of these signs, call your vet now: don’t wait for it to pass.

• Bubbles or discharge from the nose, wheezing, or mucus around the mouth
• Hasn't eaten for a week while active (apart from the month before brumation)
• After brumation it doesn't start eating, seems not to see, or walks in circles
• During brumation it loses clearly more than 1% of its weight in a month, or passes urine
• Soft or misshapen shell, or blood in the droppings

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Red-eared slider

If you see one of these signs, call your vet now: don’t wait for it to pass.

• Swollen, puffy or closed eyes
• Floats tilted or can't dive
• Bubbles or mucus at the nose or mouth, or breathing with its mouth open
• Soft or misshapen shell, or pink or red patches on the skin or shell
• Stops eating and basking and seems dull, or tissue sticks out of the vent

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Leopard gecko

If you see one of these signs, call your vet now: don’t wait for it to pass.

• Old skin still stuck to its toes, tail tip or eyes after a shed
• Its tail is getting thinner, or it is losing weight
• Twitching muscles, swollen legs or a misshapen jaw
• Abnormal droppings or none, together with weight loss

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Bearded dragon

If you see one of these signs, call your vet now: don’t wait for it to pass.

• Twitching, swollen legs or face, or trouble walking or climbing
• Loses weight, even during brumation
• Poor appetite outside of brumation
• Brings up food after eating
• Diarrhea or no droppings, together with weight loss

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Corn snake

If you see one of these signs, call your vet now: don’t wait for it to pass.

• Breathes with its mouth open, wheezes, or has bubbles or mucus at the nose or mouth
• Old skin left over the eyes or in rings after a shed, especially on the tail tip
• Brings up its meals, or refuses food and loses weight
• Thick, cheesy material in the mouth, or red or bleeding gums
• Tiny black specks on its body or around the water bowl, or it soaks for hours

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Ball python

If you see one of these signs, call your vet now: don’t wait for it to pass.

• Breathes with its mouth open, wheezes, or has bubbles or mucus at the nose or mouth
• Old skin left over the eyes or in rings after a shed, especially on the tail tip
• Refuses food and loses weight, or brings up its meals
• Holds its head twisted upward, trembles, or can't turn over when on its back
• Tiny black specks on its body or around the water bowl, or it soaks for hours

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Goldfish

If you see one of these signs, call your vet now: don’t wait for it to pass.

• Gasps at the surface, or lies on the bottom with clamped fins
• Can't stay upright: floats on its side or upside down, or keeps sinking
• White spots like grains of salt, cotton-like tufts, or red streaks in the fins
• Swollen belly with scales sticking out, or a sunken belly and weight loss
• Stops eating, or keeps rubbing itself against gravel and decorations

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Betta fish

If you see one of these signs, call your vet now: don’t wait for it to pass.

• Lies on the bottom most of the time, or swims on its side or with effort
• Clamped, ragged or shrinking fins, or streaks of blood in them
• White spots like grains of salt, or cotton-like tufts on the body or fins
• Swollen belly with scales sticking out, or cloudy or bulging eyes
• Stops eating, or turns much paler or darker than usual

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Tarantula

If you see one of these signs, call your vet now: don’t wait for it to pass.

• It fell from a height: its abdomen can burst and leak fluid, and it can bleed to death
• White material around its mouth and a smaller appetite: it may have worms (nematodes)
• Wounds or bites after live insects were left in the enclosure
• A bald patch on its abdomen: it's stressed and flicking its hairs to defend itself

Looks serious, but it’s normal:

• It lies on its back and doesn't move: it's molting (15 minutes to a full day). Don't touch or move it.
• Before a molt it stops eating for a while.

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