Symptom-first care
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Search by plain-language terms like vomiting, itching, limping, coughing, not eating, or eye discharge.
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This tool is educational support only. If your pet has severe or rapidly changing signs, seek in-person veterinary care immediately.
16 symptom references ready to browse
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Loose stool is common, but dehydration and blood are urgent warning signs.
Dog Diarrhea
Loose stool is common, but dehydration and blood are urgent warning signs. Start by tracking hydration and water intake, blood, mucus, or black stool.
When to escalate: Escalate the same day when blood, repeated episodes, dehydration, or weakness show up.
- Hydration and water intake
- Blood, mucus, or black stool
- Vomiting, weakness, or fever
Itching may be allergy, fleas, or skin infection and can escalate quickly.
Dog Itching
Itching may be allergy, fleas, or skin infection and can escalate quickly. Start by tracking redness, sores, or odor, ear scratching or head shaking.
When to escalate: Escalate quickly if the skin breaks open, ears flare up, or scratching interrupts sleep.
- Redness, sores, or odor
- Ear scratching or head shaking
- Rapid spread after grooming or outdoors
Single episodes can be mild, but repeated vomiting can become urgent.
Dog Vomiting
Single episodes can be mild, but repeated vomiting can become urgent. Start by tracking how often vomiting happens, ability to keep down water.
When to escalate: Repeated vomiting, inability to keep water down, or lethargy moves this into same-day or urgent care.
- How often vomiting happens
- Ability to keep down water
- Blood, bloating, or severe lethargy
Coughing may be airway irritation, infection, or heart-related disease.
Dog Coughing
Coughing may be airway irritation, infection, or heart-related disease. Start by tracking breathing effort at rest, nighttime or exercise-triggered cough.
When to escalate: Urgency rises when cough comes with labored breathing, collapse, or blue gums.
- Breathing effort at rest
- Nighttime or exercise-triggered cough
- Collapse, weakness, or gum color change
Limping can be minor strain or injury that needs urgent imaging.
Dog Limping
Limping can be minor strain or injury that needs urgent imaging. Start by tracking ability to bear weight, swelling or heat in the limb.
When to escalate: Move fast when a pet will not bear weight, cries in pain, or swelling appears after trauma.
- Ability to bear weight
- Swelling or heat in the limb
- Toe, nail, and paw injury signs
Low energy can signal pain, fever, dehydration, or systemic illness.
Dog Lethargy
Low energy can signal pain, fever, dehydration, or systemic illness. Start by tracking appetite and water intake, breathing effort and temperature.
When to escalate: Same-day review is appropriate when low energy appears suddenly or pairs with vomiting, pale gums, or breathing changes.
- Appetite and water intake
- Breathing effort and temperature
- Pain, hiding, or collapse
Any seizure episode should be documented and triaged urgently.
Dog Seizures
Any seizure episode should be documented and triaged urgently. Start by tracking episode length and recovery time, how many episodes occur.
When to escalate: Cluster seizures, a seizure lasting more than a few minutes, or slow recovery are emergency signs.
- Episode length and recovery time
- How many episodes occur
- Exposure to toxins or missed meds
Fast or labored breathing can be an emergency, especially at rest.
Dog Breathing Fast
Fast or labored breathing can be an emergency, especially at rest. Start by tracking breaths per minute at rest, open-mouth or abdominal breathing.
When to escalate: Rapid breathing at rest, open-mouth breathing, or abdominal effort should be treated as emergency care.
- Breaths per minute at rest
- Open-mouth or abdominal breathing
- Gum color and collapse
Ear scratching can be allergies, infection, or mites.
Dog Ear Scratching
Ear scratching can be allergies, infection, or mites. Start by tracking odor, debris, or discharge, head shaking or tilt.
When to escalate: Persistent pain, odor, or head tilt usually needs an ear exam rather than watchful waiting.
- Odor, debris, or discharge
- Head shaking or tilt
- Pain when the ear is touched
Eye discharge can be mild irritation or a painful eye emergency.
Dog Eye Discharge
Eye discharge can be mild irritation or a painful eye emergency. Start by tracking squinting or keeping the eye closed, cloudiness or corneal haze.
When to escalate: Squinting, cloudiness, or obvious pain can point to an eye emergency and should not wait.
- Squinting or keeping the eye closed
- Cloudiness or corneal haze
- Green discharge or swelling
Scooting often signals anal gland irritation, parasites, or skin inflammation.
Dog Scooting
Scooting often signals anal gland irritation, parasites, or skin inflammation. Start by tracking swelling or redness near the anus, licking, odor, or bleeding.
When to escalate: Repeated scooting, swelling, bleeding, or pain around the rear end needs an exam.
- Swelling or redness near the anus
- Licking, odor, or bleeding
- Stool consistency and parasites
Frequent urination may be infection, bladder disease, or endocrine illness.
Dog Urinating Frequently
Frequent urination may be infection, bladder disease, or endocrine illness. Start by tracking straining or pain while urinating, amount of urine passed.
When to escalate: Straining with little output, crying, or blood in urine should be escalated quickly, especially in cats.
- Straining or pain while urinating
- Amount of urine passed
- Accidents, blood, or vocalizing
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