Most worrying symptoms can wait until morning. A small number cannot, and the difference is often measured in hours. These are the ones where waiting costs lives.
These do not improve on their own, and the window for treating them is short.
| Sign | What it may mean |
|---|---|
| Difficulty breathing, open-mouth breathing in a cat | Airway obstruction, fluid on the lungs, heart failure |
| Seizure, or several close together | A seizure lasting over five minutes, or repeated seizures, can cause brain damage and dangerous overheating |
| Sudden collapse or inability to stand | Internal bleeding, cardiac event, severe pain |
| Swollen, hard abdomen with retching | Bloat / GDV, see below |
| Straining to urinate with nothing passing | Urinary blockage, can be fatal within two to three days, sometimes sooner |
| Suspected poisoning | Chocolate, xylitol, rodenticide, paracetamol, lilies for cats |
| Uncontrolled bleeding | Apply pressure and travel |
| Pale, white, blue, muddy brown or brick-red gums | Blood loss, shock, oxygen failure |
| Hit by a vehicle, even if walking | Internal injury is frequently invisible for hours |
| Repeated vomiting with lethargy | Obstruction, pancreatitis, toxicity |
Gastric dilatation-volvulus deserves its own section because it is fast, common in deep-chested breeds, and frequently misread as an upset stomach.
The stomach fills with gas and rotates on itself, sealing both ends and cutting off its own blood supply. Untreated it can kill within hours. The signature sign is retching that produces nothing, the dog is clearly trying to vomit and nothing comes up, because nothing can. Add a hard, swollen belly, restlessness and drooling, and you should already be travelling.
Great Danes, German Shepherds, Weimaraners, Irish Setters, St Bernards and Standard Poodles carry higher risk. Risk is higher in dogs fed one large meal a day, older dogs and deep-chested breeds, so vets advise smaller meals and rest around mealtimes.
A male cat straining in the litter tray is not constipated until proven otherwise. Urethral obstruction is common in male cats, blocks urine entirely, and can kill within about three days, sometimes sooner, as toxins and potassium build up in the blood.
The reason it gets missed is that it looks like constipation, repeated trips to the tray, straining, crying, nothing produced. If you see this in a male cat, treat it as an emergency tonight.
Equally useful to know, so you are not in an emergency clinic at 2am unnecessarily:
These are ideal candidates for a next-morning appointment or a video consult, which is precisely what remote consultation is good for. Our guide to online vet consultation in India covers what a vet can and cannot assess remotely.
Emergencies are won on preparation, at 2am, when you are not thinking clearly.
This guide is general information, not veterinary advice. If you are worried about your animal right now, contact a vet rather than reading further.
Difficulty breathing, seizures, sudden collapse, suspected poisoning, severe trauma, uncontrolled bleeding, inability to urinate, and a bloated or distended abdomen. Any of these mean go to a clinic immediately rather than waiting or booking a remote consult.
Not on its own. Not eating for more than 24 hours warrants contacting your vet. It becomes urgent when combined with other signs, repeated vomiting, lethargy, a swollen abdomen or pale gums. Multiple symptoms together raise the risk considerably.
Gastric dilatation-volvulus, or GDV. The stomach fills with gas and twists, cutting off its own blood supply. It can be fatal within hours and is a surgical emergency. Signs are a swollen abdomen, restlessness, drooling, and repeated unproductive attempts to vomit, retching with nothing coming up.
No. Telemedicine is for triage and non-urgent questions. In a genuine emergency the time spent on a video call is time not spent travelling to a clinic that can provide oxygen, fluids and surgery.
Lift the lip and look. Healthy gums are pink and moist. Press gently until the spot blanches white and release, colour should return within about two seconds. Pale, white, blue, muddy brown or brick-red gums, or a slow refill, all warrant immediate attention.
Pehle thermometer se temperature naapein; kutte ka normal lagbhag 37.5 se 39.2 degree Celsius hota hai. Paani dein aur thandi jagah rakhein, lekin paracetamol jaisi insaan ki dawai na dein. Bukhar ke saath susti ya khana na khana ho to vet ko dikhayein, kyunki yeh tick fever ho sakta hai.
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