When does your pet need an emergency vet?

Go to a vet now if your pet

• Struggles to breathe, breathes with its mouth open (a cat), or its gums or tongue look blue, grey or very pale.
• Collapses, cannot stand, or is suddenly very weak.
• Has a seizure that lasts more than a few minutes, or several in a row.
• Bleeds heavily, or bleeding does not stop after 5 minutes of firm pressure.
• May have eaten something poisonous (see the list below), even if it seems fine.
• Has a swollen, tight belly and retches without bringing anything up. In dogs, especially large deep-chested breeds, this can be bloat (gastric dilatation-volvulus), which can kill within hours.
• Strains but cannot pass urine, especially a male cat. A blocked bladder is an emergency.
• Has been hit by a vehicle or fallen from a height, even if it walks away.
• Shows signs of heatstroke: heavy panting, drooling, bright red gums, wobbling or collapse after heat or exercise.
• Vomits or has diarrhoea repeatedly, with blood, or is a very young, very old or already ill pet.

On the way to the vet

• Call ahead so the team is ready, and say what happened.
• Do not give human medicines. Paracetamol is poisonous to cats, and ibuprofen and many other painkillers are poisonous to dogs.
• Do not make your pet vomit unless a vet tells you to.
• For heatstroke, move your pet into shade, wet its coat with cool (not ice-cold) water, put it in front of a fan or open window, and drive to the vet.
• Carry an injured pet on a flat board, blanket or in its carrier, and keep it warm and still. A frightened pet in pain may bite: be careful with its head.
• Take the packet or a photo of anything your pet may have eaten.

Common poisons for dogs and cats

• Chocolate (dark and baking chocolate most of all), grapes and raisins, onions and garlic, and xylitol, a sweetener in some sugar-free gum and sweets.
• Human medicines, including paracetamol, ibuprofen and antidepressants.
• Rat and mouse poison, insecticides and some flea products meant for dogs, which can kill cats.
• Lilies, which cause kidney failure in cats, even from pollen or the vase water.

Be ready before it happens

Save the number and address of the nearest 24-hour animal hospital in your phone today, keep your pet's vaccination and medical records where you can grab them, and keep a carrier or a leash by the door.

Not a substitute for a vet. General information for pet parents, not veterinary advice. Every pet is different: ask your vet about your own pet.

By the Pets24x7 team. Updated 13 October 2026.

Emergency Vets & Animal Hospitals on Pets24x7

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