Act first
Pick the species, open the matching guide, and call a hospital before you leave. These pages support first decisions. A licensed veterinarian examines and treats your pet.
Tap the number for the country you are in. Have the product name and your pet's weight ready.
Dark chocolate, baking chocolate, and cocoa powder can poison a dog because theobromine and caffeine clear slowly. A smaller dog reaches a dangerous dose from less chocolate than a large dog. Call a poison hotline or emergency clinic within 15 minutes with the wrapper, the amount in ounces (grams), and the weight in pounds (kilograms).
View Step-by-Step Action Guide →Bloat is a gas-filled stomach. In GDV the stomach also twists, which traps gas and cuts off blood flow. Deep-chested dogs are at higher risk, but any dog with unproductive retching and a swelling abdomen needs an emergency hospital now. This condition can become fatal within an hour.
View Step-by-Step Action Guide →Heatstroke is a body temperature that the dog can no longer control. It follows confinement in a car, heavy exercise in heat, or a short-nosed dog left without shade. Cooling on the way to the clinic matters, and the dog still needs a veterinarian even if they seem brighter after cooling.
View Step-by-Step Action Guide →A blocked urethra means urine cannot leave the bladder. It is most common in male cats and can cause a fatal heart-rhythm change within a day. Straining in the litter box is often mistaken for constipation. Treat any male cat who visits the box often and produces little or no urine as an emergency.
View Step-by-Step Action Guide →True lilies (Lilium species, including Easter and Asiatic lilies) and daylilies (Hemerocallis) can cause kidney failure in cats. Pollen, leaves, flowers, and vase water all count. A cat does not need to eat a large piece. Call a poison hotline and an emergency clinic as soon as you know there was contact.
View Step-by-Step Action Guide →Birds hide illness until breathing takes extra work. Open-mouth breathing, a tail bob, or a voice change means the bird needs oxygen and an avian veterinarian. Stress from handling can make a dyspneic bird worse, so keep the carrier dim and the trip short.
View Step-by-Step Action Guide →Egg binding means an egg is stuck in the reproductive tract. Budgies, cockatiels, lovebirds, and finches are often affected. A bird who is straining, fluffed, and standing wide-legged can decline the same day. Warmth and a quiet carrier help on the way. Removing the egg is a veterinary procedure.
View Step-by-Step Action Guide →Rabbits must keep eating and passing droppings. A rabbit who has not eaten, or who has passed few or no fecal pellets, for more than 12 hours can develop gastrointestinal stasis. Pain, dental disease, and a low-fiber diet are common triggers. Do not wait a full day if they are hunched or grinding their teeth.
View Step-by-Step Action Guide →Middle-aged and older ferrets can develop insulinoma, a pancreatic tumor that drops blood sugar. Weakness, staring, drooling, or collapse may follow a missed meal. A conscious ferret who can swallow can get a small amount of sugar on the gums on the way to the clinic. A ferret who is seizuring still needs emergency care.
View Step-by-Step Action Guide →