Dog symptom checker: how urgent is it?
Choose what the problem is about and tick the signs you can see. The checker tells you whether to go to a vet now, see one within 24 hours, or watch at home, and what to do in the meantime.
Tim de Jong1. What's the problem about?
Pick every area that applies.
2. Tick what you can see right now
How urgent is it?
–
Pick an area, then tick each sign you can see. The answer updates as you go.
Emergency now
Vet within 24 hours
Monitor at home
Don't wait for a checklist
Triage only, never a diagnosis. It can't examine your dog, so if you're worried, call your vet whatever the result says. Built from VCA Animal Hospitals' and the Merck Veterinary Manual's emergency guidance.
How the dog symptom checker works
This is a triage tool, the same idea as the nurse on the phone at an emergency clinic. It doesn't guess what is wrong. It sorts what you can see into three levels: emergency now, see a vet within 24 hours, or monitor at home. Every sign and its level comes from published guidance by VCA Animal Hospitals and the Merck Veterinary Manual, and the most urgent sign you tick decides the answer.
It covers 27 common signs, not every possible problem. If what you see isn't on the list, or your gut says something is badly wrong, call your vet anyway. You know what is normal for your dog better than any checklist.
Which dog symptoms are an emergency?
Any one of these means going to a vet now, calling ahead on the way:
| Area | Emergency sign |
|---|---|
| Breathing or coughing | Struggling to breathe, or breathing with obvious effort |
| Breathing or coughing | Pale, white or blue gums |
| Breathing or coughing | Coughing together with fast or difficult breathing |
| Collapse, seizure or sight | Collapsed, fainted, can't stand or won't respond |
| Collapse, seizure or sight | A seizure lasting more than 5 minutes, or one seizure after another |
| Collapse, seizure or sight | Suddenly can't see: bumping into things, very wide pupils |
| Vomiting, diarrhea or belly | Trying to vomit but nothing comes up, or the belly is swelling |
| Vomiting, diarrhea or belly | Severe bloody diarrhea with vomiting and weakness |
| Peeing | Straining to pee, with only drops or nothing coming out |
| Injury, bleeding or eye | Hit by a car or had a bad fall |
| Injury, bleeding or eye | Bleeding that spurts, pools quickly or won't stop with pressure |
| Injury, bleeding or eye | Bite wound to the head, neck, chest, belly or groin, or a lot of blood lost |
| Injury, bleeding or eye | Any injury to the eye |
| Injury, bleeding or eye | A burn, including from chemicals |
| Poison, heat or temperature | Ate, licked or chewed something that may be poisonous |
| Poison, heat or temperature | Overheated: heavy panting, weakness or distress after heat or exercise |
| Poison, heat or temperature | Temperature above 104 °F (40 °C) or below 99 °F (37.2 °C) |
Two of these are easy to underestimate. With retching that brings nothing up, VCA warns that when the belly also swells, these dogs can collapse into shock quickly. With straining to pee, the Merck Veterinary Manual notes that when urine can't get out, toxins build up within 1 to 2 days. Use the dog temperature checker and the heart and breathing rate checker if you aren't sure whether a reading is normal.
When should my dog see a vet within 24 hours?
These are worth a call to your vet the same day, and an appointment today or tomorrow:
- More than 30 breaths a minute while asleep, on more than one count
- One short seizure that has stopped, and your dog is coming round
- Vomiting plus tiredness, fever, belly pain, diarrhea, not eating or blood in the vomit
- Vomiting or diarrhea again and again for more than 6 to 12 hours
- Blood in the stool, but your dog is bright and eating
- Diarrhea for more than 2 days, or vomiting on and off for more than 1 to 2 days
- Temperature between 103.1 and 104 °F (39.5 to 40 °C)
- Not eating, or eating much less than usual
"Within 24 hours" is the outer limit, not a reason to wait. Describe what you've seen when you call; your vet may want to see your dog sooner. If one of the emergency signs appears in the meantime, go straight away.
When is it OK to watch my dog at home?
Only a short list makes it to "monitor":
- Vomited once or twice, otherwise acting normally
- Loose stools for less than 2 days, otherwise acting normally
Monitoring means actually watching. Keep fresh water available, note the time of every vomit or loose stool, and check that your dog is still bright, drinking and interested in you. Don't give human medicines to settle a stomach or ease pain: several are toxic to dogs (the painkiller toxicity calculator shows how little it takes). Move up a level as soon as things get worse or last longer than the limits above.
What if my dog ate something poisonous?
VCA puts it simply: poisoning of any sort is an emergency. Call your vet, an emergency clinic or an animal poison line straight away, and bring the packaging or a sample with you. Don't make your dog vomit unless your vet or the poison line tells you to.
- ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center: (888) 426-4435 (a consultation fee may apply)
- Pet Poison Helpline: (855) 764-7661 (charges a fee per incident)
To check a food, plant or household product, the is it toxic to dogs? checker lists the risk and the signs to watch for, and the chocolate toxicity calculator works out the dose from your dog's weight.
What should I tell the vet?
A clear account saves time at the clinic. Before you call or set off, jot down:
- when the problem started and whether it is getting better or worse
- how many times your dog has vomited or had diarrhea, and whether there was blood
- anything your dog may have eaten, with the packaging if you have it
- whether your dog is eating, drinking, peeing and pooping normally
- its temperature and resting breathing rate, if you can take them safely
- any medicines or supplements it takes
A photo or short video of the vomit, the stool or a seizure is useful to show your vet too.
Frequently asked questions
Can a symptom checker tell me what's wrong with my dog?
No, and this one doesn't try. The same sign, such as vomiting, can come from many causes, from something it ate to a blockage or an infection. Only a vet who examines your dog can say which. What a checker can do is help you decide how fast to act: now, within a day, or wait and watch.
When should I take my dog to the emergency vet instead of waiting?
Go now for collapse, struggling to breathe, pale or blue gums, retching with nothing coming up, a seizure over 5 minutes or several in a row, straining to pee with nothing coming out, heavy bleeding, an eye injury, overheating, or anything that may be poisonous. These come from VCA Animal Hospitals' and the Merck Veterinary Manual's emergency lists.
My dog vomited once but seems fine. Should I worry?
Usually not straight away. VCA notes that occasional vomiting in an otherwise healthy dog may not mean anything is wrong, and many cases settle within 24 hours. Call your vet if it keeps happening, lasts more than a day or two, or comes with tiredness, belly pain, diarrhea, blood or loss of appetite.
How long can a dog have diarrhea before seeing a vet?
VCA suggests seeing your vet if loose stools go on for more than 2 days. Go sooner if there is blood, if it is repeated for more than 6 to 12 hours, or if your dog is also vomiting, weak or off food. Severe bloody diarrhea with vomiting and weakness is an emergency.
Is it an emergency if my dog stops eating?
On its own it usually isn't an emergency, but it isn't something to sit on either. VCA says a poor appetite is strongly linked to illness and advises involving your vet early. If your dog is also vomiting, very quiet or in pain, call today.
Should I call a poison hotline or my vet?
Either, straight away. Your vet or an emergency clinic can treat your dog; the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center ((888) 426-4435) and Pet Poison Helpline ((855) 764-7661) specialize in toxins and can advise your vet too. Both may charge a consultation fee. Don't make your dog vomit unless one of them tells you to.
Sources
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