Disclaimer: This index
is meant to help the cat owner determine if a midnight
or Sunday visit to the emergency service is necessary.
These services are often very busy and slow and usually
expensive. Thus, unless really necessary it is often
advantageous to wait and see your own vet who has a
comprehensive history of your cat.
This list is not
complete and, of course, there are always exceptions
and contradictions in medicine. If in doubt you may
call an emergency service (several options are listed
on our answering machine during non-business hours)
and ask them for an opinion. Dr. William H. Sullivan
and The Cat Practice Veterinary Hospital, P.C. bear
no responsibility for problems that may contradict
this information, nor can we bear any responsibility
for the health and well-being of pets that we have
not seen or treated.
Accidents
Whether it is a fall, hit by car, or closing a door
on your cat it is good to seek an emergency service
as cats can act rather well initially with potentially
serious internal injuries.
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Appetite: Excessive or Loss of Appetite
This can wait 36 hours unless accompanied by other signs
discussed here.
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Behavioral Changes
Are not an emergency unless accompanied by other more
serious symptoms.
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Bleeding
Most bleeding problems in cats are minor—normal
cats are good clotters, but serious bleeding not controlled
by local pressure is an emergency. You can also salt
an ice cube and apply it to the wound
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Bloody Eye Discharge (tears of blood)
Tears do have a reddish brown coloration which can appear
to be blood but has much more of a liquid texture than
blood which is sticky. Actual bleeding from the eye
is both unusual and an emergency.
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Bloody Nose
Cats frequently bang their noses against immovable objects
at play. Normally, the bleeding will slow and stop within
20 minutes. If it is serious and persistent seek emergency
care.
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Blood in Feces
It is common in cats with anal gland problems or colitis
and is not an emergency unless copious (more than 2
teaspoons). Often the blood will be mixed with mucous
which is shiny and will make it appear that there is
more blood than there actually is.
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Blood in Urine (see
also Urination)
It is a common finding that represents urinary tract
inflammation or infection. It is not an emergency but
can become one over time if left untreated.
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Breathing Trouble
Increased respiratory rate or effort is always an emergency
if the nostrils are flaring or especially if there is
open-mouthed breathing. A cat’s normal respiratory
rate at rest is 25-35 breaths per minute. The rate while
they are asleep is 17-25 breaths per minute. Any breathing
above or below these ranges would definitely constitute
the need for emergency care.
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Constipation
Is rarely an emergency unless it has been going on for
24 hours or more with straining.
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Convulsions or Seizures
Are always an emergency!
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Coughing
Cats cough by extending their neck with chin toward
the ground and make a hacking sound. It looks like they’re
about to vomit, but nothing comes up. This is not an
emergency unless accompanied by difficulty breathing
in between coughing episodes.
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Dehydration
Is usually due to fever, inappetance or severe disease.
A cat is dehydrated when you pinch and pull up the skin
over the shoulder blades and it is slow to snap back
into place (compare it to your own skin recoil on your
forearm). Further evidence is that the interior of the
mouth feels dry. A dehydrated cat requires emergency
treatment.
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Diarrhea
Is not an emergency and can wait 24 hours unless accompanied
by dehydration (see dehydration
section). A combination of vomiting and diarrhea will
rapidly lead to dehydration that would constitute an
emergency.
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Ear infection
Are marked by swelling or redness of the ear, itchiness,
discharge and sometimes an odor. This is not an emergency
unless accompanied by a head tilt and/or imbalance or
circling which implies a middle-ear problem and is an
emergency.
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Ear swelling
If the standing ear is significantly swollen (blood-filled)
it is usually the result of ear disease (mites or infection)
which will cause excessive scratching with the rear
claws which breaks a blood vessel in the ear. This is
not an emergency unless accompanied by head tilt or
imbalance.
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Fainting/ and or Falling over
Can be caused by a multitude of serious problems. It
is an emergency unless it is shortly before or after
vomiting which will cause a temporary lack of blood
to the brain.
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Fevers
You have to take a rectal temperature to be sure a cat
is feverish. Cats normally have a temperature between
100.8 and 102.5. A mild to moderate fever would be 102.6
to 104.6. Above 104.6 is severe and may rapidly cause
dehydration and systemic stress and should be treated
as an emergency.
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Heart Trouble
Signs of heart problems usually present as breathing
abnormailites (see Breathing
Problems section) and are always an emergency. (See
also Lameness). If a cat suddenly loses the ability
to stand on or move both back legs this could be related
to a heart problem and is an emergency.
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Imbalance
Is an emergency (see Ear Infections).
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Lameness
Is hardly ever an emergency unless it is both hind legs
simultaneously( see Heart Trouble)
or if a broken bone is poking through the skin. Usually,
fracture repair is delayed because of soft tissue swelling
for 24-48 hours, so unless it is a fracture penetrating
the skin it is not an emergency.
Most limping or lame cats have tendon or ligamentous
injuries. If your cat fell 5 stories or was hit by a
car or door this is a different and matter (see Accidents)
and would definitely be an emergency.
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Lethargy
Lethargy of more than 48 hours duration could be an
emergency but short of that it does not constitute an
emergency unless accompanied by other more serious signs.
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Limping
See Lameness.
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Meowing
(changes in normal vocalization)
Is not an emergency. Cats in pain will usually withdraw
and sometimes hide (going to ground). Rarely do they
voice pain. Unless a cat makes a wailing/yowling sound
it is usually a locator call that means it is temporarily
mentally confused. This is not unusual in older cats
and is due to a variety of problems that are not usually
an emergency unless accompanied by more serious symptoms.
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Paleness
Your cat’s gums and conjunctiva should be pink.
If these look pale you can shine a flashlight through
the ear flap and see the blood vessels. The vessels
should appear medium to dark red. If they are pink then
the cat may be anemic and should be seen by a veterinarian
quickly especially if it is acting weak, depressed,
and/or has an elevated respiratory rate (see Breathing
Trouble section.)
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Respiratory Problems
See breathing trouble
section.
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Salivation (ptyalism)
Cats drool when nervous or sometimes while being petted,
but excessive salivation if it continues is symptomatic
of many different problems, but usually not an emergency
unless other symptoms exist.
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Seizures
See Convulsions section.
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Sneezing
Cats get colds and allergies just like people. Sneezing
is not an emergency unless producing copious amounts
of blood (see Bloody Nose
section).
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Straining
To Urinate see Urination
Difficulties
To defecate see Constipation
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Swelling (s)
The most common cause of swelling we see in cats is
under and around the eye. This is usually a sinus abscess
due to a bad molar. Swelling under the skin can represent
an abscess or a tumor—these are not an emergency.
Significant abdominal swelling can represent fluid in
the abdomen (ascites), which is often an emergency especially
when accompanied by inappetance and lethargy.
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Temperatures
(See Fever.)
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Urination Difficulties
If a male cat is straining to urinate and producing
very small amounts or none at all this IS AN EMERGENCY.
Male cats can obstruct with urinary tract infections.
The same symptoms in a female however, can wait until
the next day as they practically never obstruct.
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Yellow (Jaundice)
If a cat’s skin appears yellow or orange or you
note this color change in the whites of the eyes or
inside the mouth this is an emergency as it connotes
serious liver/gall-bladder problems or severe destractive
anemia.
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Yowling
See Meowing (Changes in Vocalization).
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Vomiting
Cats vomit a lot as a species. Vomiting that continues
more than 24 hours is an emergency, but a short episode
of vomiting can wait until the following day. Violent
vomiting can cause a small amount of blood (pink tinged
vomitus). This is not an emergency unless there is significant
volume of blood (more than 1 teaspoon).
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Walking Trouble
See Lameness or Limping.
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Weight Loss
Connotes serious problems but never happens acutely,
so it is not considered an emergency. This would constitute
a serious concern, but could be dealt with outside of
a 36 hour period.
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Weakness (sudden)
Please see (Falling over or
Lameness).
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