When your cat develops sudden or severe symptoms, it may be challenging to determine whether you should rush to an emergency clinic or can wait until the morning to see your routine veterinarian. Here we will cover some of the most common emergencies seen in cats. If your general veterinarian is closed and you are questioning whether your pet needs emergency care, you can always call your closest emergency clinic for insight.
Vomiting is a very common problem seen in cats. This can be caused by something as simple as eating table food or getting into the trash. However, vomiting can also be caused by diabetes, kidney failure, inflammatory bowel disease, cancer, or even intestinal blockage by foreign objects like string or hair ties. If your cat has vomited a single time and seems comfortable and happy with no other symptoms, you can continue to monitor and contact your general veterinarian for further instruction. If your cat has vomited multiple times, this is much more concerning, and you should call your veterinarian right away to schedule an appointment. If your pet is also lethargic, refuses to eat, or seems uncomfortable, this warrants a visit to an emergency veterinarian as soon as possible.
If your cat is straining to urinate, this could be due to a urinary tract infection or stress-related bladder inflammation. If your cat is straining but still producing normal puddles of urine in the litterbox, schedule an appointment with your regular veterinarian to be examined soon. However, if your cat is only producing a few drops of urine, especially if it is a male cat, then you should see an emergency veterinarian right away. Male cats can easily get urethral blockages from bladder stones or even simply a mucus plug (from bladder inflammation). This blockage makes it unable for them to urinate, and will soon cause severe pain and lethargy, and can become fatal quickly. Getting your cat to a veterinarian within just a few hours is critical to relieve the obstruction.
If your cat is experiencing labored or rapid breathing, this is an emergency and warrants an immediate visit to the vet. Many things can cause labored breathing: heart failure, pneumonia, cancer, and even a viral infection. Regardless of the cause, if your cat is experiencing respiratory distress, please take them to the closest emergency veterinarian immediately.
If your pet is having a seizure at home, please ensure that they are safely on the ground and remove any nearby objects to minimize risk of injury during the episode. Seizures can have many causes, such as epilepsy, toxin ingestion, brain tumors, and liver or kidney disease. If your pet has a single seizure and is acting otherwise normal, call your regular veterinarian to determine if an exam is recommended. Experiencing multiple seizures in a day is considered “cluster seizures”, and a visit to an emergency clinic is advised for treatment. If you think your cat could have eaten something toxic to cause the seizure, or if their seizure lasts more than 5 minutes, take them to an emergency clinic right away.
Swelling on any part of your cat’s body, especially if they are acting lethargic, warrants a visit to your general veterinarian or an emergency clinic as soon as possible. This can be concerning for an abscess, often caused by a cat bite or similar injury. In outdoor cats, this may be from a neighborhood stray or wildlife, but a puncture wound can occur even between friendly housemates. Treatment may simply require cleaning of the wound and an antibiotic, but more severe abscesses may benefit from surgical repair.
If your cat is unable to use their hind legs and seems very painful, this could be indication of an aortic thromboembolism, also known as a “saddle thrombus”. This occurs when a blood clot blocks blood flow to the hind legs, often due to heart disease. A back injury may cause similar symptoms. Regardless of the cause, seek veterinary care right away if your cat is unable to use their legs normally.
