When to Watch your Pet and When to Visit the Vet

As pet parents, we all want to make sure our furry friends are happy and healthy. But sometimes, our pets can get sick or hurt, and it can happen at the most inconvenient times, causing high stress situations. Plus, they can’t tell us exactly what’s wrong or where it hurts! This guide is here to help you explore some widespread pet health issues and teach you when to keep an eye on things and when it’s time to get the vet involved.

Know Your Pet’s Health Risks

A good first step is to learn about any health conditions that might be more common in your pet’s breed. Some pets are more prone to certain health problems and disorders because of their genetic predispositions. Resources like the GapOnly PetHub or our PetSure Knowledge Hub are great for learning more about understanding what health issues your pet might be at risk for based on their breed and to grasp an understanding of your pet’s standard health profile.

Spotting and Prioritising Clinical Symptoms

Not every health issue is an emergency. By learning to categorise your pet’s symptoms, will assist you in deciding the best way to help them.

Clinical signs and symptoms fall under three basic categories:

When to Watch

If your pet seems uncomfortable, distressed, or in pain, it’s important to notice these early signs. Understanding common clinical signs that may worsen over time allows you to observe, monitor, and seek veterinary advice or treatment when necessary. We’ve put together a handy triage guide to help you recognise and monitor early symptoms. It also suggests when and how to get help, but if you’re ever worried about your pet’s health, don’t hesitate to call your vet.

When to Ask the Vet

Your local vet is a great resource for general advice and should be your first point of contact. They can help you figure out what to do next. If you need help outside of regular business hours, telehealth services like VetChat are available.

VetChat is a service which lets you video call with an Australian qualified vet 24/7. They can give you immediate advice and help you decide if you need to visit the vet or if it’s safe to keep monitoring your pet. They can also inform you how urgent the situation is, which is helpful for conditions that need quick attention to avoid getting worse. This is especially important for conditions that require veterinary treatment, as delaying intervention could make them worse and end up costing more in vet bills.

The most common VetChat questions in 2023 were about:

Condition	Percentage of total enquiries*
Gastrointestinal issues (vomiting, diarrhoea)	22%
Skin irritations	13%
Ingestion of foreign body or toxin	5%
Eye concerns	4%
Wound checks	3%
Nutrition questions	3%

Recognising when to make an urgent vet visit

If there’s an emergency or your pet’s symptoms suddenly get worse, don’t wait – get to the vet right away. Anytime you’re really worried about your pet’s health, behaviour changes or new developments, call your vet or head to the nearest emergency clinic.

Download the below escalation guide here.

Veterinary Emergencies

The following list of signs and symptoms can be clinical emergencies which require immediate veterinary attention. Ignoring these signs/symptoms in most cases will steer the problem to intensify. Here are some signs that mean you need to get your pet to the vet immediately:

To download our quick reference guide for emergencies, click here.

Collapsing

This can be a sign of a variety of serious health problems. Get your pet to the vet immediately so they can stabilise them and then identify and treat the underlying issue.

Breathing Problems

If your pet is struggling to breathe, especially if their gums look slightly blue, they need immediate emergency care. *Short nosed (Brachycephalic) dog breeds have a heightened risk of developing breathing difficulties, especially after intense exercise and in hot weather.

Traumatic Injuries

Any kind of traumatic accidents or injuries must be treated as veterinary emergencies. Incidents such as broken bones, severe bleeding, being hit by a car, falling from a height, dog attacks, and cat fights are considered traumatic events. Even if your pet seems fine, there could be internal injuries that aren’t immediately visible.

Trouble Urinating

If your pet is struggling to urinate, it might be because of bladder stones or mineral-based crystals in the bladder. This can be serious and cause the bladder to rupture if left untreated. If you notice these symptoms, urgent treatment is essential to avoid serious complications.

Seizures

Seizures in cats and dogs can have many causes, but prolonged or frequent, intense seizures are a veterinary emergency. Generally, any seizure episode, sudden disorientation, changes in alertness, or inability to walk normally should be promptly examined by your local vet.

Sudden Bloating

This could be a sign of something serious like internal bleeding, fluid accumulation or a twisted stomach, especially in deep-chested dogs. Get to the vet immediately for a diagnosis, stabilisation and measures to manage the underlying issue. This may be a health crisis, and, in some cases, emergency surgery is necessary.

Paralysis

Acute paralysis in pets, has many potential causes, but may be due to intervertebral disc disease (IVDD). This occurs when herniated disc material compresses the spinal cord. IVDD is relatively common in chondrodystrophic dogs (dogs with dwarfism e.g. Dachshunds) and older large-breed dogs, for differing reasons. Symptoms range from back pain alone to limb weakness to full paralysis. If your pet is showing sudden signs of paralysis, prompt veterinary care is crucial. Treatment options include medication and/or surgery, with the individual prognosis dependent on the severity, timing of intervention and presence or absence of deep pain.

Be Prepared

If you have pet insurance, you might be able to get pre-approval for a GapOnly® claim before your vet visit. Have your policy details handy and check if your vet clinic supports GapOnly®. This can make the payment process smoother, so you only pay the difference between the vet bill and your insurance benefit.

By knowing when to monitor and when to call the vet, you can help keep your pet healthy and happy. Remember, your vet is there to help, so don’t hesitate to reach out if you’re ever in doubt!

Sources

Joan Capuzzi, V. (2019, November 13). Making the cut: Surgical versus medical management of canine disk disease. Retrieved from dvm360: https://www.dvm360.com/view/making-cut-surgical-versus-medical-management-canine-disk-disease

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*GapOnly® is a trademark owned by PetSure (Australia) Pty Ltd ABN 95 075 949 923, AFSL 420183 (PetSure). Insurance products are issued by The Hollard Insurance Company Pty Ltd ABN 78 090 584 473, AFSL 241436 (Hollard) and/or PetSure (from 8 May 2023 only), administered by PetSure and promoted and distributed through their authorised representatives and distribution partners. Any advice provided is general only and does not take into account your individual objectives, financial situation or needs. Cover is subject to the policy terms and conditions. Please consider the Product Disclosure Statement (PDS) to ensure this product meets your needs before purchasing or choosing to continue with the product. PDS and Target Market Determination available on our partners’ websites. Meet our partners at gaponly.com.au/gaponly-insurance-partners.

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Pet insurance can help by covering a portion of the eligible vet bill if the unexpected happens. Because it is difficult to predict the costs of veterinary care, it can help to have measures in place to help prepare for the unexpected. Check out our partner network and explore our policy tools to find a pet insurance policy.

Not all conditions or items are covered by Pet Insurance. Refer to the applicable Product Disclosure Statement for information about coverage and exclusions.