Common cat health problems are usually quite easy to treat and do not put your cat’s life in immediate danger. The treatment for these illnesses can wait until you get the chance to buy the medication or schedule a visit to your veterinarian. However, it is important to know when it is appropriate to contact your vet immediately or bring your cat to an animal hospital.
Always call your vet when there is an emergency. The best way to decide whether or not a problem is an emergency is to ask yourself if you would contact the doctor if you were experiencing a similar situation. Below is a list of definite emergency situations.
Contact Your Vet If…
- Significant blood loss from a wound or from the ears, mouth or anus.
- The possibility of a broken bone or a dislocated joint. Contact your vet immediately and do not attempt to find or fix it yourself.
- A temperature above 102°F (39°C) for an extended period of time.
- Unconsciousness.
- Having trouble walking, breathing or swallowing.
- Seizures, electric shock, near drowning experience.
- Difficulty in the litter box, urination especially.
- Trauma induced by falling, vehicle collisions and any other serious accidents.
Changes in your cat’s eating patterns, appearance or daily routine are warning signs that something may be wrong. Large changes that happen over night could be indicating the presence of a severe illness and are definitely causes for concern. While the problem may not be serious, it is better to be safe than sorry even if it costs you some money. So be sure to contact your vet. Ignoring the problem to see if it goes away is very risky and can end horribly.
Many symptoms can be caused by a wide range of factors, some of which are more serious than others. For example, if you realize that your cat is sneezing constantly it could be due to a simple reaction to dust or a cat cold. If the sneezing does not stop after a day or then it is safe to assume it is a cold and you should schedule a visit to the vet.
If any common symptom does not go away after a couple of days or becomes more severe then you should contact your vet.