9 Signs Your Pet Needs a Vet
Your dog, cat, or other pet is part of the family- but unlike other humans they can’t communicate so clearly to us.
So that you can best take care of your pet, here are 9 signs that they might need the vet. This applies to cats, dogs, and other pets such as birds and rats!
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You can also download the podcast version by clicking the download podcast button above this blog post.
- Sudden Fatigue
If your pet suddenly becomes lethargic, this could be a sign that something is troubling them. A lethargic pet may be uninterested in playing, going for a walk, or participating in activities they usually enjoy doing.
Normal fatigue or sore muscles can sometimes be due to high temperatures, but if symptoms persist for longer than a day or two you should consider seeing a vet.
In addition to this a pet that is hesitant to climb or jump things when they otherwise normally would is a big sign that something is wrong!
- Odd Eating & Drinking Habits
It’s not out of the ordinary for a pet to skip a meal or two, especially if it’s hot- but any more than this should be a red flag that something is off. Two days without eating is a massive sign that your pet needs an examination ASAP!
Some diseases cause pets to develop unusual eating habits. If your pet is well-behaved but suddenly begins raiding the pantry or garbage, that’s also a sign they need a check-up.
How much water does your pet drink per day? This is also an important thing to know. A pet that drinks more water than usual could be developing kidney disease or diabetes.
- Vomiting
Occasional vomiting is okay for most pets. Animals vomit to get rid of something that doesn’t agree with them, or if they are randomly sick. Regular vomiting or more vomit than usual should concern you.
If your pet vomits frequently or several times in a row, vomits blood, or has a fever in addition to vomiting this is a sign that something is more off than usual.
- Sudden Weight Loss
Even in an overweight pet sudden weight loss should prompt you to take them to the vet. Losing weight quickly & unexpectedly could indicate a serious health condition.
A good metric is that if a pet loses more than 10% of their weight fast, that’s a sign something is off. In small pets this could be as little as a 1-pound loss!
- Hiding or Becoming Reclusive
If your otherwise social pet begins to spend a lot more time alone or avoiding you or other animals, then this is a sign that something is off. Another similar sign would be if your pet begins sleeping a lot when they otherwise normally wouldn’t- this could be a sign of an infection or behavioral problem.
- Visual Changes
Sometimes the damage is obvious. Your pet may have changes in fur, scars, scratches, bites, red eyes, or otherwise visual differences which indicate something has been done or they may have a disease!
Pay attention to your pet visually and if something is off then trust your gut and take them to the vet.
- Aggression
When a pet is in pain they may enter a state known as “fight or flight” in which they have a lot of adrenaline and fear. An aggressive pain could be an indication they are in pain via a disease or some injury.
- Emergency Symptoms
If your pet has any of these emergency symptoms, it is a strong indicator that something is extremely wrong and they need an emergency vet as soon as possible.
Symptoms include open wounds or possibly broken wounds (trauma wounds), stopped breathing or lack of consciousness, repeated vomiting or vomiting blood, seizure, difficulty breathing, sudden collapse, bleeding from mouth, nose, or eyes, possible poisoning from toxic substance, extreme pain (whining & crying), and a hard & swollen abdomen.
Those are all signs that something is very much wrong. Take your pet immediately to help if this is happening!
- Intuitive Feelings
Sometimes you can just “know” in your gut that something is off. Trust that feeling.
Some pets may have a problem that lacks any of the obvious symptoms, but subtle differences in their behavior could stand out to your subconscious brain which makes you intuit that something is off! Trust it!
For example, a cat may eat something not good (like yarn) and then carry on relatively normal while they begin having problems that could eventually kill them. Our pets can’t clearly communicate something is wrong to us. They don’t know what to do!
We hope this post helped you. If you feel something is off, then please take your pet to the vet immediately.
Wildlife infestation & pest problems can greatly harm you, your pets, and damage your home- if you think you have wildlife or pest problem call us at 855-WILDLIFE or visit www.wildlifexteam.com for more information.
Thanks,
-Wildlife x Team International