Signs that your dog needs a vet
The warning signs you should not wait on, the ones that can wait until tomorrow and how to describe them to the vet.
A dog cannot say what hurts, so it says it by changing its routine: it eats less, sleeps more, does not want to walk or gasps at rest. Knowing which signs can wait and which cannot is the difference between a consultation and an emergency.
Quick facts: to the vet today
Signs that cannot wait
- Breathing hard at rest, with the mouth open and the elbows out: possible heart or lung problem.
- A hard, swollen abdomen, especially in deep-chested breeds and after eating: bloat, a surgical emergency.
- Repeated vomiting or with blood, or diarrhoea that does not stop.
- Very pale, blue or yellow gums.
- Suspected poisoning (chocolate, xylitol, grapes, rat poison, human medicines) or a swallowed object.
- Sudden inability to use its hind legs, dragging or crying when it is touched.
- A seizure or loss of consciousness.
- A large wound, a bitten abdomen or a broken bone: cover it with a clean cloth and go at once.
Signs that can wait until tomorrow
A day without eating but drinking and in good spirits; a soft stool that improves in 24 hours; a slight limp that disappears with rest; itching or redness on the skin; a foreign body in the eye that you can see but cannot remove; discharge from an ear.
Even so: watch, write down when it started and call the clinic to know how to act. If it lasts more than 24-48 hours, it stops being a «wait».
What to take to the consultation
The vaccination card, the deworming dates, how long the problem has lasted, whether it ate something different and a photo of the vomit or stool if there was any. All of that shortens the diagnosis. Never give human medicine on your own: paracetamol and ibuprofen are toxic to dogs.
Keep reading these guides
The small signs are read better with context:
Frequently asked questions
When is it a real emergency?
When there is difficulty breathing, a swollen and hard abdomen, repeated vomiting, bleeding that does not stop, loss of consciousness or suspected poisoning. In those cases, do not wait: call the vet and go.
Is it normal for a dog to vomit once?
A single vomit, with the dog active and drinking, can be something it ate. If it repeats, if it cannot drink water, if it is listless or the abdomen hurts, it is a consultation.
Should I give it food if it does not eat?
Do not force it. Offer water and small amounts of a light feed later. More than 24 hours without eating, or any loss of appetite with other symptoms, means a vet visit.