Dog and cat symptom checker

Pet Symptom Checker: Do You Need a Vet Now?

Tick the signs you can see. The checker tells you whether it is an emergency, a same-day vet visit or something to watch, using the lists veterinary hospitals publish. It never gives home remedies.

  • Based on VCA Animal Hospitals' emergency and urgent-care criteria
  • Errs on the side of going sooner, and sooner still for young and senior pets
  • No diagnosis, no home treatments

⚕Urgency checker

Tick every sign you see. When unsure, call a vet.

Struggling to breathe, collapsed, seizing or bleeding badly? Call an emergency vet now. Do not use this tool first.
Pet
Age

Emergency signs

Needs a vet today

Milder signs

Your result

14 emergency signsFrom VCA emergency criteria
More than 2 timesVomiting in 24 hours means urgent care (VCA)
3 outcomesEmergency, vet today, watch
FreeNo sign-up

How it works

How to use the pet symptom checker

  1. Choose dog or cat and an age band. Puppies, kittens and seniors can get worse faster, so we move borderline results up a level.
  2. Tick every sign you can see, including ones that seem minor.
  3. Press the button. The result is one of three levels with what to do next.
  4. If you are unsure, or your pet seems worse than the list suggests, call your vet. Trust your instinct over the tool.

This checker does not identify illnesses. It sorts urgency, because that is the decision that matters at 2 a.m.

The three levels

What each result means

LevelWhat it meansExamples from the veterinary lists
EmergencyGo to an emergency vet now and call aheadDifficulty breathing, seizures, collapse, hard swollen belly, straining to urinate, poisoning, heatstroke, blood in vomit or stool
See a vet todaySame-day appointment, or urgent careVomiting more than twice in 24 hours, lethargy, not eating, repeated soft or watery stools
WatchMonitor 24 hours; call if it continues or you are unsureA single episode of vomiting or a soft stool in an otherwise normal pet

Emergency list: VCA Animal Hospitals, emergency care. Urgent-care thresholds: VCA urgent care, diarrhea or vomiting page. The 'watch' level, the extra caution for very young and senior pets, and moving three or more urgent signs up to an emergency are our design choices.

Emergency signs

Signs VCA treats as emergencies

VCA Animal Hospitals lists these as reasons to go straight to an emergency hospital: difficulty breathing or any respiratory difficulty (increased effort, coughing, wheezing); swallowing a foreign object, drug, poison or unknown substance; bleeding or unexplained bruising; blood in vomit, stool or urine; severe vomiting, retching or diarrhea; a swollen, hard or painful abdomen or unproductive retching; a serious wound, broken limb or eye injury; loss of consciousness; seizures; inability to move or sudden weakness; unusual or erratic behavior; signs of extreme pain; straining to urinate, especially in a male cat; labor that does not progress; heat stroke; snake bite; trauma such as being hit by a car or a fall; and allergic reactions such as facial swelling.

VCA's advice is to call the hospital while you are on the way and give your arrival time, because the team may be able to advise you on controlling bleeding, protecting wounds, cooling an overheated pet and transporting an injured animal safely. If your pet may have swallowed a toxin, bring the packaging.

Urgent but not an emergency

When to book a same-day visit

VCA's urgent care guidance recommends seeing a vet the same day if your pet has vomited more than two times in a 24-hour period, is lethargic or not eating, has had multiple episodes of soft or watery stools, or has blood in its stool (blood in stool is also on the emergency list, so the checker treats it as an emergency). It recommends emergency care if your pet appears severely ill or has difficulty standing or walking.

Our guides go deeper on common problems: dog vomiting yellow foam, cat throwing up food, dog not eating, heavy breathing in cats and cat sneezing. If your dog ate chocolate, use the chocolate toxicity calculator. Worried about the bill? See emergency vet costs.

Questions

Frequently asked questions

How do I know if my pet needs an emergency vet?
Go if you see any sign on the emergency list: difficulty breathing, seizures, collapse, severe vomiting or diarrhea, a hard swollen belly, bleeding, poisoning, heatstroke, straining to urinate or a serious injury. Call ahead on the way.
How many times can a dog vomit before I call the vet?
VCA urgent care advises a visit if your pet has vomited more than two times in 24 hours. Go sooner if there is blood, retching with nothing coming up, or other emergency signs.
My cat is not eating. Is that an emergency?
VCA's urgent care list includes a pet that is anorexic or lethargic, so see a vet the same day. If your cat is also straining in the litter box or breathing hard, treat it as an emergency.
Can I treat my pet at home first?
For anything on the emergency or urgent list, no. Call a vet. Do not give human medicines unless a vet tells you to.
Why does the tool treat puppies and seniors differently?
Young and senior pets can worsen quickly, so for borderline results we recommend a same-day call. That is a deliberate design choice, not a vet-published rule.
Does this replace calling my vet?
No. It is a way to decide how fast to act. When you are unsure, call.
Is the checker a diagnosis?
No. It does not name any illness.

Keep going

More tools for your pet

ToolChocolate toxicity calculatorCheck the dose if your dog ate chocolate.ToolPet weight trackerLog weight and spot big drops.ToolDog age calculatorConvert dog years to human years.

Read next

Related guides

GuideDog vomiting yellow foam: causes and what to doWhen vomiting needs a vet.GuideMy dog is not eatingReasons and when to worry.GuideEmergency vet cost in the USAWhat an emergency visit can cost.

Sources

Where the numbers come from

This tool provides general guidance only. It is not a diagnosis and does not replace a veterinarian. In doubt, call your vet or an emergency clinic. Last reviewed October 2026.

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