Medical conditions in dogs and cats

This section covers conditions that are not single-event injuries — poisonings, bloat, blocked bladder, seizures, diabetes, kidney disease, allergic reactions. Some are minute-by-minute emergencies; others are chronic conditions where early recognition matters.

Every page leads with the action to take, the warning signs to watch for, and the breeds at higher risk. Pages are colour-coded by urgency.

Emergency — phone the vet now

DogCat
Acute allergic reaction (anaphylaxis) in dogs and cats

Severe allergic reactions can kill within minutes — head straight to the emergency vet at the first sign of facial swelling, hives, vomiting…
Dog
Addisonian crisis in dogs

Sudden weakness, vomiting, and collapse in a young-to-middle-aged dog can be Addison's crisis — phone the vet now; this is life-threatening …
Cat
Cat asthma attack

Crouched neck-extended posture, harsh dry cough, open-mouth breathing — phone the vet now; severe asthma attacks can be fatal without prompt…
Cat
Cat exposed to permethrin (dog flea spot-on)

Permethrin is highly toxic to cats — never use dog flea spot-ons on cats; if exposed, do not wait, phone the vet now and head to the practic…
Cat
Cat has been exposed to lily (plant or pollen)

All true lilies (Lilium and Hemerocallis species) are deadly to cats — even pollen on the fur can cause fatal kidney failure; phone the vet …
Cat
Cat has eaten paracetamol

Paracetamol kills cats — even one tablet is potentially fatal; phone the vet now and head straight to the practice.
Cat
Cat unable to urinate (blocked bladder)

Get to an emergency vet now — a fully blocked male cat can die within 24–48 hours.
Cat
Cat with sudden hindleg paralysis (saddle thrombus)

Sudden hindleg weakness and crying out in a cat is almost always saddle thrombus — phone the emergency vet now; this is one of the most pain…
Cat
Diabetic emergency in cats

Diabetic cat that's vomiting, breathing fast, weak, or off food — phone the vet now; ketoacidosis is a life-threatening emergency.
Dog
Diabetic emergency in dogs

Vomiting, weakness, fast or laboured breathing in a diabetic dog can be ketoacidosis or hypoglycaemia — phone the vet now.
Dog
Dog has eaten cannabis or marijuana edibles

Wobbliness, dilated pupils, urinating uncontrollably, hypersensitivity to noise after suspected cannabis ingestion — phone the vet, be hones…
Dog
Dog has eaten coffee, tea, or caffeine

Caffeine is highly toxic to dogs — phone the vet for any meaningful ingestion of coffee, tea, energy drinks, or caffeine pills.
Dog
Dog has eaten grapes, raisins, or sultanas

Treat any grape, raisin, sultana, or currant ingestion as a vet emergency — toxic dose is unpredictable and acute kidney failure can follow …
Dog
Dog has eaten ibuprofen, paracetamol, or aspirin

Phone the vet immediately for any human painkiller ingestion — small amounts can cause severe stomach ulceration, kidney failure, or liver d…
Dog
Dog has eaten mouldy food (mycotoxin poisoning)

Mouldy food can contain tremorgenic mycotoxins — phone the vet; tremors and seizures can develop within hours.
Dog
Dog has eaten rat poison (rodenticide)

Phone the vet immediately with the product name and active ingredient — the antidote depends on the chemical and works only within a defined…
Dog
Dog has eaten xylitol (sugar-free sweetener)

Xylitol causes life-threatening low blood sugar within minutes and liver failure within 24–72 hours — phone the vet immediately, even for ti…
DogCat
Dog or cat antifreeze poisoning (ethylene glycol)

Antifreeze is rapidly fatal — phone the vet and Animal PoisonLine (01202 509000) immediately even if the pet seems fine; the antidote works …
Dog
Dog poisoning from foxglove or other garden plants

Phone the vet or Animal PoisonLine if your dog has eaten foxglove, yew, lily of the valley, daffodil bulbs, oleander, rhododendron, azalea, …
Dog
Dog with bloat or suspected GDV (twisted stomach)

Suspected bloat is a true minutes-count emergency — drive to a 24/7 vet now, do not wait.
Dog
Dog with low blood sugar (hypoglycaemia)

Rub a teaspoon of honey, golden syrup, or glucose gel onto the gums of a wobbly or collapsing toy-breed puppy, diabetic, or working dog, the…
Dog
Eclampsia in nursing female dogs

Restlessness, panting, tremors, then seizures in a recently whelped or nursing bitch is eclampsia (low blood calcium) — emergency vet now.
Dog
Laryngeal paralysis in older dogs

Older Labrador or Golden Retriever with noisy breathing, exercise intolerance, gagging, or sudden severe breathing distress in heat — emerge…
Dog
Male dog unable to urinate (urinary obstruction)

Straining with no urine production in a male dog is an emergency — phone the vet now; bladder blockage can be fatal within 24–48 hours.
Cat
Newborn kitten not feeding or fading

A weak, cold, or non-feeding newborn kitten needs warming and immediate vet contact — fading kitten syndrome kills within hours.
Dog
Newborn puppy not feeding or fading

A weak, cold, or non-feeding newborn puppy can die within hours — warm gradually and phone the vet immediately.
Dog
Postnatal emergencies in dogs (after whelping)

After whelping: foul vaginal discharge, fever, off food, mastitis (red painful mammary gland), or eclampsia signs — phone the vet now.
Cat
Pregnancy and queening emergencies in cats

Queen in active labour over 2 hours without producing a kitten, or over 2 hours between kittens, or any green/black discharge before the fir…
Dog
Pregnancy and whelping emergencies in dogs

Bitch in labour for over 2 hours without producing a puppy, more than 2 hours between puppies, or any green/black discharge before the first…
Dog
Pyometra in unspayed female dogs (womb infection)

An unspayed female dog showing illness in the weeks after a season needs urgent vet review — pyometra is a life-threatening womb infection.
DogCat
Recognising and managing shock in dogs and cats

Shock is a circulatory collapse that kills — pale gums, weak pulse, fast breathing, cold extremities; keep warm, lay flat, head slightly low…
Dog
Sudden back pain or inability to walk in dogs (suspected disc disease)

Sudden back arching, reluctance to move, or weakness in back legs — emergency vet today; intervertebral disc disease has a tight surgical wi…
Dog
Sudden balance loss in older dogs (vestibular disease)

Sudden head tilt, walking in circles, eye flicking in an older dog often points to idiopathic vestibular disease — looks like a stroke, but …
Dog
Suspected leptospirosis in dogs

Sudden lethargy, fever, vomiting, jaundice, or red urine after suspected exposure to rat-infested water or wildlife — phone the vet now; lep…
Dog
Suspected pancreatitis in dogs

Vomiting and a hunched, painful belly after a fatty meal — phone the vet today; pancreatitis ranges from mild to fatal and needs prompt trea…
Dog
Suspected parvovirus in a puppy

Bloody diarrhoea and vomiting in an unvaccinated puppy is a parvo emergency — phone the vet now and warn them; isolation and intensive care …
DogCat
Suspected poisoning in a dog or cat

Phone Animal PoisonLine on 01202 509000 and your vet — bring the packaging or a sample, do not wait for symptoms.

Emergency — phone the vet now

Acute allergic reaction (anaphylaxis) in dogs and cats

Addisonian crisis in dogs

Cat asthma attack

Cat exposed to permethrin (dog flea spot-on)

Cat has been exposed to lily (plant or pollen)

Cat has eaten paracetamol

Cat unable to urinate (blocked bladder)

Cat with sudden hindleg paralysis (saddle thrombus)

Diabetic emergency in cats

Diabetic emergency in dogs

Dog has eaten cannabis or marijuana edibles

Dog has eaten coffee, tea, or caffeine

Dog has eaten grapes, raisins, or sultanas

Dog has eaten ibuprofen, paracetamol, or aspirin

Dog has eaten mouldy food (mycotoxin poisoning)

Dog has eaten rat poison (rodenticide)

Dog has eaten xylitol (sugar-free sweetener)

Dog or cat antifreeze poisoning (ethylene glycol)

Dog poisoning from foxglove or other garden plants

Dog with bloat or suspected GDV (twisted stomach)

Dog with low blood sugar (hypoglycaemia)

Eclampsia in nursing female dogs

Laryngeal paralysis in older dogs

Male dog unable to urinate (urinary obstruction)

Newborn kitten not feeding or fading

Newborn puppy not feeding or fading

Postnatal emergencies in dogs (after whelping)

Pregnancy and queening emergencies in cats

Pregnancy and whelping emergencies in dogs

Pyometra in unspayed female dogs (womb infection)

Recognising and managing shock in dogs and cats

Sudden back pain or inability to walk in dogs (suspected disc disease)

Sudden balance loss in older dogs (vestibular disease)

Suspected leptospirosis in dogs

Suspected pancreatitis in dogs

Suspected parvovirus in a puppy

Suspected poisoning in a dog or cat

Urgent — same day vet contact

Cat flu (upper respiratory infection)

Dog has eaten a cooked bone

Dog has eaten chocolate

Dog has eaten onion, garlic, leeks, or chives

Dog has swallowed a foreign object

Dog vomiting or unwell after vaccination

Lungworm in dogs

Lyme disease in dogs

Monitor — routine vet appointment

Cat with fleas

Chronic kidney disease in cats

Cushing's disease in dogs

Dog with fleas

Hyperthyroidism in older cats

Managing arthritis in cats

Managing arthritis in dogs

Older dog confused, anxious, or disoriented (cognitive decline)

Overweight cat — health risks and what to do

Overweight dog — health risks and what to do

Suspected kennel cough in dogs

Tapeworm in dogs