It’s common for us cat parents to check our kitty’s symptoms online when something seems a little off – but do you know when it’s time to call a veterinarian?
We spend every day sharing free advice with cat parents – and we LOVE doing our best to help cats (and cat parents) live their best lives together. We answer messages on social media, texts, comments, emails and phone calls, because we just want to be here for all cats and cat lovers.
However, lately we’ve received several concerning messages regarding cats in severe pain. One person said her cat fell over on its back and was howling and panting like he was hurting. Another said that their cat had not eaten in 3 days, was dehydrated and having consistent diarrhea and shaking. A sweet 13 year old messaged us because a family member gave her cat a toxic human medication. Someone else told us that her cat had a bloated-looking tummy & strange discharge after delivering kittens and wasn’t feeding them. *insert very sad face here*
When Should You Be Calling Your Vet?
Here’s the thing. In serious situations, we need to evaluate when immediate care is needed. We have several different ways of contacting us, but we can’t get to everyone immediately. Some of these messages I received the next day and that breaks my heart. If I would have received them immediately, my response would have been “call a veterinarian”.
As cat parents we need to know when it’s time to call a vet rather than seek advice online. We feel honored to be a resource for cat parents, but these poor kitties needed immediate help and that couldn’t be achieved online.
If your kitty is in clear pain, please call your vet. Keep your vet’s number – and a list of veterinarians near you (including emergency vets) – so that if something scary like this happens you can contact them quickly. It’s also helpful to be familiar with directions to these locations should it be necessary get in the car and go.
We know the importance of having this information easily accessible. Our Pooh Bear experienced an emergency five years ago. We were not prepared. We were panicked and we fumbled valuable time (on a Sunday when our vet was closed) looking for help and figuring out where to go.
We can’t let our kitties suffer while waiting for a response online. Please contact a nearby medical professional if your cat is suffering.
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