Please note that this list is NOT all inclusive.

Difficulty Breathing:

Labored breathing and/or pale or bluish gums or tongue may indicate heart failure, lung disease, internal bleeding, or major chemical imbalances.

Major Trauma:

If your pet has fallen, been hit by a car, or has suffered multiple wounds from an unknown source, you should seek professional help immediately, even if s/he is acting okay

Fainting, Collapse & Seizures:

Neurologic problems can prevent normal movement and lead to greater injury if your pet tries to walk, while illness or injury may make a pet too weak to stand.

Poisoning:

In addition to pest baits and anti-freeze, medication overdoses and common foods like chocolate, onions, and grapes/raisins can be lethal if ingested by your pet. If you know or even suspect this, call immediately for professional direction to deal with the problem quickly.

Lacerations & Bite Wounds:

Wounds that break the skin are contaminated and can become infected. Many wounds that seem minor to the naked eye - a small puncture or bite wound - involve deeper, more serious damage below the skin's surface.

Prolonged Vomiting or Diarrhea:

Many serious illnesses begin with vomiting and/or diarrhea. Multiple episodes of vomiting or diarrhea can lead to severe dehydration and shock.

Serious Bleeding:

For heavy bleeding, apply direct pressure to the wound and seek help immediately.

Facial Swelling:

Sudden facial swelling may be caused by an allergic reaction to a vaccine or insect bite or sting. Untreated, such reactions can rapidly worsen and result in airway constriction and death.

Infections:

If your pet develops an infected wound or abscess, or if s/he suddenly gets worse while on medication for an infection, seek professional help immediately. Infections can spread and cause toxicity.

Difficulty Urinating:

Frequent attempts to urinate that don't produce a normal urine flow could indicate infection or obstruction, especially in male cats. This is an acute problem that can quickly lead to uremic poisoning and death.

Fever or Hypothermia:

The normal temperature range (in Fahrenheit) when taken rectally is 100º-102.7º in cats and is 100º-102º in dogs. If you obtain an abnormal rectal temperature at home, consult your veterinarian immediately. Such readings can indicate infection, shock, poisoning, and other serious ailments.

Eye Problems:

Redness, excessive tearing, pain, pawing at the eyes, squinting or eyelid spasms suggest an acute problem. The symptoms can intensify and lead to blindness if not treated promptly.

Exotic Pet Emergencies

It is important to understand that they don't show signs of illness as readily as other pets; their signs may be even more subtle but no less dangerous, so please use the common warning signs listed above and exotic pet lists as guidelines of what to watch for in your pet.

Birds:

Staying on the bottom of the cage (not perching), fluffed up while perched, sleeping excessively, not talking (if s/he normally does), loose or decreased number of droppings, loss of appetite.

Ferrets:

Diarrhea, vomiting, pawing at the mouth (may indicate nausea due to dangerously low blood sugar), frequent trips to the litterbox with little or no urine production, pain in the abdomen, depression, or loss of appetite.

Rabbits & Small Mammals:

Diarrhea or decreased numbers of stools, lack of appetite, weakness or depression, painful when lifted or touched, head tilting to once side, rolling, or flipping.

Reptiles & Amphibians:

Weak or unresponsive, open-mouth breathing, prolonged lack of appetite, thrashing, or frantic movements.