10 pet symptoms you shouldn't ignore

Pets are stoic. That's the problem.

Dogs will wag their tail through pain. Cats will hide illness so well you don't notice until they're really sick. Small pets (rabbits, guinea pigs, birds) mask symptoms as a survival instinct, because showing weakness in the wild gets you eaten.

By the time a pet is obviously unwell, they've usually been unwell for a while. Which is why knowing what to actually look for matters. This guide walks through 10 symptoms every Australian pet owner should recognise, when to see a vet, and how to figure out how urgent it is.

A note before we start: this article helps you spot the warning signs. It is not a substitute for veterinary care. If in doubt, ring your vet or an emergency clinic. They'd rather you called about nothing than not called about something.

The three-level rule

Not every symptom means an emergency. Here's a simple way to triage:

• Emergency (right now): go to an emergency vet, no delay. Ring on the way.
• Urgent (today or tomorrow): book a regular vet appointment for the same day or next.
• Concerning (this week): book an appointment in the next few days and watch closely.

We'll flag each of the 10 symptoms with the level that fits.

1. Not eating for more than 24 hours

Level: Urgent (dogs and small pets), Emergency for cats and rabbits.

A skipped meal happens. A whole day without eating is a red flag, especially in:

• Cats: more than 24 hours without food can trigger hepatic lipidosis (fatty liver disease), which can be fatal. This one is urgent.
• Rabbits and guinea pigs: their gut needs constant motion. 12 hours without eating is a real emergency called GI stasis. Ring an exotic vet immediately.
• Puppies and small dogs: low blood sugar hits fast. Don't wait a full 24 hours if they're already weak.

For adult dogs, a day off food usually resolves. Two days is a vet visit.

2. Sudden lethargy or unusual sleep patterns

Level: Urgent to Emergency, depending on other symptoms.

Every pet has an off day. What matters is the change from their normal.

If your dog usually greets you at the door and today they didn't even lift their head, something's up. If your cat sleeps in a spot you've never seen them in (a corner, under a bed, somewhere hidden) and stays there, they're likely hiding pain.

Combined with any other symptom on this list, sudden lethargy becomes an emergency.

3. Vomiting more than once

Level: Concerning to Emergency

One vomit and they're back to normal? Probably nothing. But:

• More than once in an hour: urgent
• Vomiting blood, or coffee-ground-like material: emergency
• Vomiting plus lethargy or bloating: emergency (could be bloat or GDV in large-breed dogs, which is fatal within hours)
• Repeated vomiting for more than 12 hours: urgent

Keep the vomit if you can (yes, actually). It can help the vet diagnose faster. A photo works too.

4. Diarrhoea for more than 24 hours

Level: Urgent, Emergency if there's blood or it's a puppy or kitten.

Dogs eat weird things and pay for it. One day of loose stools usually resolves.

Red flags:

• Bloody or black tarry stools: emergency
• Diarrhoea plus vomiting: dehydration risk is high, urgent
• Puppies or kittens with diarrhoea: they dehydrate incredibly quickly, urgent
• Any diarrhoea lasting more than 24 hours: vet visit

Take a photo of the stool. Vets don't judge and it genuinely helps diagnosis.

5. Difficulty breathing

Level: EMERGENCY

This is the top of the emergency list. Signs:

• Fast, shallow breathing at rest
• Open-mouth breathing in cats (cats almost never breathe with their mouth open unless something is very wrong)
• Gums turning pale, grey or bluish
• Extended neck to breathe, elbows out
• Wheezing or gagging sounds
• Any breathing that looks like it's taking effort

Go to an emergency vet immediately. Ring on the way. Don't wait to see if it improves.

6. Sudden weakness, wobbliness, or collapse

Level: EMERGENCY

If your pet suddenly can't stand, is dragging a leg, wobbling like they're drunk, or collapses briefly, it's an emergency.

Possible causes range from heart problems to a snake bite (very Australian) to poisoning to a stroke to paralysis tick, which is a huge issue in Queensland, especially October to March.

Don't wait to see if it passes. Ring the emergency vet on the way.

7. Drinking or peeing significantly more than usual

Level: Concerning to Urgent

If your dog or cat is suddenly draining their water bowl multiple times a day, or you're refilling the water more often, or you notice much bigger wee patches in the garden, take note.

Common causes:

• Kidney disease
• Diabetes
• Cushing's disease (in dogs)
• Hyperthyroidism (in cats)
• Urinary tract infection
• Certain medications

Book a vet visit within the week. Bring a fresh urine sample if you can catch one (yes, again, actually helpful).

8. Limping or not putting weight on a leg

Level: Urgent if it lasts more than 24 hours or worsens.

Dogs and cats limp for lots of reasons. Grass seed in the paw, torn nail, muscle strain. Most resolve in a day.

Book a vet if:

• Limping lasts more than 24 hours
• They won't put weight on the leg at all
• There's any swelling or heat in the joint
• They yelp when they move it
• It follows a fall or being hit by a car (always an urgent vet visit even if they seem fine)

Cats often hide the limp entirely. Notice if they're jumping less, sitting differently, or not using the scratching post.

9. Bad breath, drooling, or not chewing hard food

Level: Concerning, Urgent if drooling with pawing at the mouth.

Bad breath ("dog breath") is not normal. It's a sign of dental disease, which is the most under-diagnosed condition in pets. By age 3, most dogs and cats have some level of periodontal disease.

Signs it's time for a dental check:

• Breath that's noticeably worse than a few months ago
• Bleeding from the gums when they chew
• Suddenly not wanting hard food, or chewing on one side
• Pawing at the mouth
• Yellow or brown build-up on the teeth

If they're drooling and pawing at the mouth and acting distressed, they may have something stuck. Urgent.

Dental problems cause chronic pain and can lead to heart, kidney, and liver disease if untreated. Worth a dental visit annually.

10. New lumps or lumps that change

Level: Concerning. Get it checked, most are fine.

Any new lump on your pet warrants a vet check. Most are benign (fatty lumps are extremely common in older dogs), but the only way to know is to have your vet examine it or aspirate it.

What to note before the appointment:

• When you first noticed it
• Whether it has grown, shrunk, or changed shape
• Whether it's soft or hard
• Whether it's attached or moves around under the skin
• Any discharge, bleeding or crusting

Most lumps in older dogs are lipomas (fatty and harmless). But mast cell tumours, mammary tumours, and skin cancers all present as lumps too. Get every new one checked, and photograph it monthly to track changes.

Special mentions for Australian pets

A few things worth flagging that don't fit the top 10 but are Australia specific:

• Paralysis tick (Queensland especially, October to March): unsteady gait, weak back legs, changed voice, difficulty breathing. Emergency. Coming up soon in a separate article.
• Snake bite: sudden collapse or weakness, pinpoint pupils, vomiting, blood in urine. Emergency, do not delay.
• Heatstroke (summer): excessive panting, drooling, red gums, weakness. Emergency, cool them with wet towels (not ice) on the way to the vet.
• Toad poisoning: frothing at the mouth after mouthing a cane toad. Rinse their mouth with a running tap (running away from the throat) and go to the vet.

How to find a vet fast

When something's wrong, the last thing you want is to be Googling "vet near me" from a panic. Get organised now:

1. Save your regular vet's number in your phone.
2. Save one 24-hour emergency vet number covering your area. In Brisbane and Moreton Bay, the Animal Emergency Service has multiple 24-hour clinics.
3. Bookmark Pet Health Hub's provider search, so you can search by suburb, filter for vets, and see who's actually taking bookings today.

Two clicks in an emergency beats twenty in a panic.

When in doubt, ring

Vets and vet nurses would rather you called about nothing than not called about something. Most clinics will happily do a phone triage ("should we come in now or wait til morning?") and it costs nothing.

Trust your gut. You know your pet's normal better than anyone.

A note from Pet Health Hub

We built Pet Health Hub because pet care in Australia was harder than it should have been. Finding a vet, booking an appointment, remembering vaccinations, keeping records, it was scattered across ten different places. So we put it all in one.

If this article helped you feel more prepared, share it with another pet owner. If your pet is currently unwell, please ring your vet. And if you want to have everything on hand for next time, your pet's records, a QR ID tag, and a list of trusted local providers, Pet Health Hub is free for pet owners, always.

Related reading: What to do if you've lost your dog in Brisbane. Preventing paralysis tick in Queensland dogs, and the Australian puppy first-year vet timeline, are both coming soon.

Pet Health Hub is Australia's pet care marketplace and Lost Pet Register, based in Lawnton, Queensland. Free for pet owners forever. This article is general information and does not replace veterinary advice.