Free tool
Should I call the vet?
Answer a few questions about what you saw and how your pet is acting. Red flags always come first: if something sounds urgent, the answer is Call a vet now, whatever the poop looks like.
How this check decides
It uses the same rules as the PoopScout app, which follow the thresholds vets publish for owners: a bright, eating adult with one soft stool can usually wait a day; puppies, kittens and unvaccinated dogs cannot; black tarry stool, a lot of blood, jam-like diarrhea, pale gums, a tight swollen belly, a cat straining with nothing coming out, and any chance of poison are emergencies. The verdict only ever moves up. Nothing you add can make an urgent sign less urgent.
The red flags, written out
Call a vet now (your vet, or the nearest emergency animal hospital):
- Black, sticky, tar-like poop.
- A lot of fresh blood, or diarrhea that is mostly blood.
- Raspberry-jam diarrhea, bloody and jelly-like, often with vomiting.
- A puppy or kitten with diarrhea plus vomiting, low energy or no interest in food.
- A dog who is not fully vaccinated, at any age, with vomiting and diarrhea.
- Any chance your pet ate rat or mouse bait or another poison, even if they seem fine. Call your vet or ASPCA Animal Poison Control at (888) 426-4435 (a fee may apply).
- A swollen, tight belly with retching that brings nothing up, drooling or restlessness.
- A cat, especially a male, straining in the litter box with little or nothing coming out.
- Pale or white gums.
- Collapse, severe weakness, or not able to stand.
- String, thread, yarn or tinsel hanging from the mouth or bottom. Do not pull it.
- Repeated vomiting with belly pain, or vomiting with no poop coming out.
Call your vet today:
- Diarrhea lasting more than 2 days in a dog, or more than 24 to 48 hours in a cat.
- Diarrhea with a poor appetite or a vomit or two, in an adult who is still alert.
- Any diarrhea in a puppy or kitten, even a bright and playful one.
- A small streak of fresh blood, or mucus with straining, in a pet who is otherwise well.
- Worms, or rice-like or sesame-like bits, in the poop, on the fur or on bedding.
- Gray, greasy, or pale and bulky poop.
- No poop for 2 to 3 days, or repeated straining that only produces small, hard pieces.
- Your pet swallowed something it should not have but seems fine so far.
- A cat who has refused food for more than a day.
- Several stool changes in 24 hours, or poop problems that keep coming back.
- Weight loss despite a good appetite, with loose or bulky poop.
- A cat suddenly peeing or pooping outside the litter box.
What this check cannot do
It cannot see your pet, it does not know their history, and it does not diagnose. It is a way to turn a worried 11pm search into one clear next step. When in doubt, call: a phone call to your vet or an emergency clinic is free in most places and they would rather hear from you early.
Questions
My dog has diarrhea but is acting completely normal. Do I need the vet?
Usually not today. In a bright, eating, vaccinated adult dog, one or two loose stools often settle within a day. Keep water available and watch. Call your vet if it lasts more than 2 days, turns bloody, or vomiting, low energy or no appetite start.
Is one episode of vomiting with diarrhea an emergency?
In an adult who is still alert and will drink, one vomit with diarrhea is a same-day call rather than an emergency. In a puppy, kitten or unvaccinated dog it is Call a vet now, because parvo and panleukopenia start exactly this way.
How do I check my pet's gums?
Gently lift the upper lip and look at the gum above the teeth in good light. Healthy gums are pink and moist. Pale, white, gray or blue gums mean call a vet now.
What if it is the middle of the night?
Emergency animal hospitals are open around the clock and will tell you on the phone whether to come in. If the verdict is Call a vet now, that call is the right one at any hour. ASPCA Animal Poison Control is also 24 hours.