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Has your kitty ever had an unusual symptom and you aren’t sure if it should be investigated by a veterinarian or not? Since our cats can’t talk to us and tell us if something feels unusual, we have to rely on outward symptoms to help us figure out if we should or shouldn’t be worried about something. We wanted to put together a list of symptoms that are definitely important enough for your kitty to need immediate medical attention.
Acute trauma – If your kitty has been hit by a car or has fallen from a balcony or any significant distance they should be taken straight to an emergency clinic. No matter the time of day, an emergency clinic will be properly staffed to handle an emergency of this magnitude.
Acute seizures – If you witness your kitty having a seizure the best course of action is to immediately take them to an emergency clinic. Contacting your primary veterinarian would also be appropriate, but depending on the time of day and available support staff, you may be directed to an emergency clinic.
Ataxia – If your kitty is staggering and seems disoriented you should contact your veterinarian immediately. There are multiple potential causes and they should be evaluated as soon as possible.
Dragging limbs – If you see your kitty having difficulty walking because they are dragging a limb you should contact your primary veterinarian right away. This is different than limping, so if you’re not sure give us a call so we can help figure it out.
Respiratory distress – If you see any labored or open mouthed breathing please contact us right away! Labored breathing might look like the kitty is using their abdominal muscles to push their breath out. This could indicate cardiac or lung issues that we really need to investigate as soon as possible with an examination and possible x-rays.
Inability to urinate – If your cat isn’t producing any urine this can be a life threatening situation. Male cats have a smaller urethral opening than a female so can be more likely to block, but whether male or female this is a situation that must be evaluated immediately.
In and out of litterbox – If you have a male kitty and they are making a lot of trips in and out of the litterbox they should be seen as soon as possible. There is a chance that the urethral opening is blocked which can be life threatening. A female cat may be able to wait an extra day as their urethral openings are larger and less likely to get blocked, but they should still be seen soon.
Acute eye symptoms – If your cat’s eye is all of a sudden swollen or cloudy, they should be seen immediately. It’s possible that it may be a secondary symptom of an upper respiratory infection or herpes virus. However, because it’s the eyes we want to be sure because the last thing we want is for a kitty to lose an eye!
This list may not be all inclusive but is a great place to start if you’re not sure if a symptom can wait or not. We will discuss other emergencies in our next blog. And of course you should never hesitate to contact us no matter what you’re concern is – we are here for both you and your kitties and will always do anything we can to help!