If your pet refuses to eat for more than a day, this is a serious reason to take them to the vet. Even more so if they are lethargic, vomiting, and refusing to drink. This lack of appetite may indicate an infection, tumor, parasites, or mouth or gastric diseases.

2. Extreme Thirst

If you notice that your pet is drinking more water than usual it could indicate diabetes or kidney disease. The average volume of drinking water for dogs is 20-70 ml/kg of their body weight per day, while for cats it’s 60-120 ml plus the moisture in their food.

3. Your Pet is Hiding

When your normally friendly pet starts going off and hiding by itself, it’s a bad sign. This desire to hide might be related to them feeling unwell, especially if they refuse to eat, have toilet issues, or other symptoms. Another reason might be because they are severely stressed out. Also, if a cat tries to hide somewhere high it might be because it’s being attacked by fleas.

If your usually affectionate pet suddenly becomes aggressive, it might have a problem. One of the reasons might be because it’s in pain, and you're hurting them every time you touch them. This pain could be induced by infections, injuries, or arthritis.

5. Frequent Urinating

If your pet has started using its toilet more often or the color of their urine has changed, don’t ignore it, especially if your pet makes frequent failed attempts to urinate. Such behavior could be down to diabetes, urinary tract infections, or kidney diseases.

6. Your Pet Licks Itself Too Much

Excess cleaning in cats may be a sign of health issues. They might be licking a painful area, or they might be suffering from fleas or an allergy. Sometimes cats even lick themselves because they are stressed or anxious.

With dogs, if they lick between their claws, the area by the tail, or between their hips, it’s a sign of allergies. If they start licking unusual objects such as the wall or floor, then it could be some sort of gastrointestinal disorder.

7. Something Is Wrong With Your Pet’s Eyes

Secretions from the eyes, red eyes, or a prolapsed eyelid are all signs of viruses and bacterial infections. For example, clear secretion from a cat’s eyes means it’s suffering from a virus, while a yellow or green secretion indicates an infection. Red eyes may also be caused by allergies, corneal diseases, injury, or systematic diseases.

It’s not unusual for cats to sleep for long periods of time, but if you find that your cat is sleeping for longer than what it usually does, it could be down to stress, leucosis, peritonitis, Lyme disease, or even feline immunodeficiency virus. It’s best to go to the vet to be sure.

In dogs, excess sleep may be a sign of diabetes, infections, stress, or thyroid gland issues.

9. Their Coat Is Altered

A sick cat will not have the strength to lick itself and keep its coat clean. If your pet is losing too much fur, it could be because of malnutrition, allergies, skin diseases, or even a tumor.

10. Breathing Problems

If your pet struggles to breathe without taking part in any serious physical exercise, take it to the vet as soon as possible. This could be caused by liquid in the chest or heart issues.

11. Their Gums Change Color 

Cats and dogs, usually have pink gums, except for those born with black ones. Therefore, if your pet’s gums have changed color, take it to the vet. White gums indicate a loss of blood; red ones indicate high fever, dental issues, or infection; blue or purple indicate a lack of oxygen; yellow ones could suggest liver problems.

12. Your Pet Is Constantly Staring at the Wall

Convulsions, dizziness, or a cognitive dysfunction syndrome may be a result of tumors, poisoning, head injuries, or a stroke.

Source: brightside
Images: depositphotos