Medical disclaimer

Educational information only

Everything on Petarium is general educational information about animal care and health. It is not veterinary advice, a diagnosis, a treatment plan or a prescription, and no page here creates a veterinarian–client–patient relationship.

Why a page cannot diagnose

Diagnosis requires examining the animal, taking a history and often running tests. Many serious conditions share symptoms with trivial ones, and several species — prey animals especially — hide illness until it is advanced. Matching your animal's symptoms to a description online is not the same as knowing what is wrong.

Medication

Never give human medication to an animal unless a veterinarian has instructed you to, with a dose specific to that animal. Common painkillers are lethal to cats and dogs. Dosing by weight conversion from a human dose is dangerous. The same applies to flea treatments: a product labelled for dogs can kill a cat.

Seek care immediately if

• Breathing is laboured, noisy or open-mouthed (in a cat, always an emergency).
• The animal has collapsed, is unresponsive, or is having a seizure.
• There is uncontrolled bleeding, or a suspected fracture.
• A toxic substance has been eaten, inhaled or absorbed.
• A rabbit or guinea pig has not eaten or passed droppings for 12 hours.
• There is repeated unproductive retching, or a swollen, hard abdomen.
• Straining to urinate, particularly in male cats.
• Sudden collapse of a reptile's or bird's activity level — both hide illness until late.

Regional differences

Vaccination schedules, parasite risks, licensed medications and the legality of keeping certain species vary by country and sometimes by region. Where guidance differs, follow your local veterinarian and local law.