First, how urgent is this?
Go now
- Open-mouth breathing, obvious effort to breathe, or a blue tongue.
- Repeated trips to the litter box with no urine, or only a few drops.
- Blood in vomit.
- Vomit that looks like coffee grounds.
- Sudden collapse, or unable to stand.
Contact your vet today
- No food at all for 24 hours.
- More than two episodes of vomiting in 24 hours.
- Weight down by 5% or more within two weeks.
- Eating only a little, drinking clearly less, or hiding all day.
Record and observe
- Still eating, just less than usual, with normal energy and drinking.
- A recent food change, a move or a new family member, with appetite creeping back over a few days.
- A cat already under vet care: record how much each meal was, and bring the record to the next visit.
Before you set off
- When the last full meal was, how much it was, and what has been eaten since.
- Vomiting or diarrhoea: how often, when, and photos.
- The most recent weight, and any usual weight record.
- A list of current medicines and supplements, with the time of the last dose.
- What the litter box shows: any urine, how much, any blood.
- Do not give human medicine or stop a prescribed medicine on your own; do not force-feed.
What your vet may ask and do
- Ask: when the appetite changed, and whether it was sudden or gradual.
- Ask: any vomiting, diarrhoea, or change in drinking and urination.
- Ask: any recent food change, move, new family member or trip.
- Do: mouth and teeth exam, weight, and an assessment of hydration.
- Do: abdominal palpation.
- Do: blood and urine tests (kidney values, electrolytes, thyroid).
- Do: X-rays or ultrasound if needed.
- Do: severe cases may be admitted for fluids.
Where to go in Hong Kong
- Hong Kong 24-hour vet list
- 24-hour emergency, Hong Kong Island
- 24-hour emergency, Kowloon
- 24-hour emergency, New Territories
- Clinics with ultrasound
- Clinics with inpatient care
- What emergency and test fees look like
Call the clinic before you drive over, to confirm tonight's arrangements and the location.