What to do if your cat or dog won't eat, is vomiting, or is acting strange

My cat or dog won't eat: is that dangerous?

If your pet skipped a single meal but is still bright and alert, drinking water, playing, and acting like usual, there's no need to panic yet. Animals sometimes turn down food because of heat, stress, a change in food, a move, guests in the house, or a mild upset stomach.

But there are situations where you can't afford to wait, especially when the loss of appetite comes with lethargy, vomiting, diarrhea, fever, pain, labored breathing, or an unusual posture.

In cats, a loss of appetite is more dangerous than many people realize. If an adult cat hasn't eaten for more than a day, it's best to call your vet. For kittens, senior animals, and pets with chronic conditions, the window before you should act is even shorter.

When you need to get to the clinic right away

Contact your vet as soon as possible if:

• your cat or dog won't eat or drink;
• your pet is lethargic, hiding, or not responding the way it normally does;
• the vomiting happens several times;
• there's blood in the vomit or stool;
• your cat can't urinate or keeps going to the litter box with nothing to show for it;
• your dog is gasping or coughing as if it's choking;
• your pet ate chocolate, rat poison, pills, or household chemicals;
• the animal is lying down, trembling, whimpering, and won't let you touch it;
• a puppy or kitten is vomiting, has diarrhea, or won't eat.

The basic rule is simple: if your pet seems "not like itself," it's better to err on the side of caution.

Vomiting: when to watch and wait, and when not to

A single bout of vomiting sometimes happens after eating too fast, eating grass, hairballs in cats, or a treat that didn't agree with them. But repeated vomiting, vomiting foam, bile, or blood, or vomiting along with a refusal to eat, is a reason to see the vet.

Don't give your pet human "stomach" medications without a prescription. What helps a person can be dangerous for a cat or dog.

What you can do at home before the vet

Before your consultation, you can:

• take food away for a short time if there's been vomiting;
• keep fresh water available;
• not force-feed;
• write down how many times the vomiting or diarrhea happened;
• photograph the vomit, stool, suspicious object, or packaging of whatever was eaten;
• think back on what your pet ate in the last 24 hours.

If you suspect poisoning, don't try to induce vomiting on your own. Call the clinic first.

A common mistake owners make

Many people wait because "maybe it'll pass on its own." Sometimes it does. But in animals, illness often develops quickly, while the symptoms can look "not that scary" for a long time. This is especially true of cats: they're very good at hiding pain and weakness.

If you're unsure, it's better to at least call the vet clinic and describe the symptoms. That's cheaper and safer than waiting until the middle of the night, when the situation has become an emergency.