Pet 911: How to spot an emergency

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Subtle signs may go unnoticed
Some pet health problems often go untreated until it’s too late because people don’t know what to look for.

“The subtle signs of cancer frequently go unnoticed until the disease is very advanced,” Campbell says. “Signs like muscle wasting, especially along the back and on the head, and weight loss despite a normal appetite may indicate cancer.”

Other diseases that may go unnoticed at first are kidney disease, Cushing’s disease and diabetes. That’s because the initial signs of increased thirst and urination may not seem unusual until the pet starts having potty accidents in the home.

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“It all comes down to the apparent and the inapparent,” Richards says. “With apparent things, people say ‘That’s obviously not right, and I have to get my pet to the vet.’ It’s the inapparent part that makes it more difficult. Pets are good at hiding their illness. They’re hard-wired to do that because it served them well in the wild … but it doesn’t necessarily serve them well when they are living with us and counting on us to be good stewards of their health.”

After being hospitalized twice in one week, Darcy is now stable and back to her sweet, happy self.

Her condition can never be cured, but for now it’s being managed with medication and restricted activity, and we’re savoring every day we have with her.

Additional coverage

Kim Campbell Thornton is an award-winning author who has written many articles and more than a dozen books about dogs and cats. She belongs to the Dog Writers Association of America and is past president of the Cat Writers Association. She shares her home in California with three Cavalier King Charles Spaniels and one African ringneck parakeet.

Creature Comforts appears the third Monday of every month.

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