A dog, cat or rabbit suddenly convulses or cannot get up on its hind legs — is this an immediate vet visit?

A dog, cat or rabbit suddenly convulses or cannot get up on its hind legs — is this an immediate vet visit?

Identify the species first. The same symptom is handled differently in different species, and copying another species' handling can do harm. Covered here: rabbits and guinea pigs, poultry, dogs, cats, farm animals and horses.

Applies to all species

Signs: Convulsions that will not stop, or one seizure after another within a short period (status epilepticus)

• Move hard objects out of the way, start timing, record video, keep the animal cool and quiet, and wrap it in a blanket for transport
• Never put your hand or any object into the mouth, and do not pour in medicine or water

Signs: Sudden weakness of the hind limbs or all four limbs, dragging, screaming in severe pain, inability to stand

• Never force the animal to stand or walk

Signs: Sudden severe unsteadiness of gait, head tilted to one side, circling on the spot, consciousness and balance both abnormal

• If a bite from a wild animal in a rabies-endemic area is suspected, avoid direct contact with the animal's saliva and arrange post-exposure medical assessment for the person at the same time, immediately (outside the scope of this file)

Signs: Fainting after a coughing fit, or sudden fainting during exercise or excitement (syncope)

• ❗ [Applies across species] No direct source for handling this species was found at this level. Do not copy what is done for other species — contact a veterinarian familiar with this species right away.

Signs: Sago palm (cycad — even a small amount may cause liver failure), grapes and raisins (a very small amount may cause kidney failure), xylitol (blood sugar collapse plus liver necrosis), anticoagulant rodenticides, snail bait (metaldehyde, a strong convulsant), ethylene glycol antifreeze (sweet-tasting, with a very low dose causing lethal kidney failure)

• ❗ [Applies across species] No direct source for handling this species was found at this level. Do not copy what is done for other species — contact a veterinarian familiar with this species right away.

Signs: Dogs and cats (vestibular disease), rabbits (head tilt, often pointing to Encephalitozoon infection or a middle ear lesion)

• ❗ [Applies across species] No direct source for handling this species was found at this level. Do not copy what is done for other species — contact a veterinarian familiar with this species right away.

Rabbits and guinea pigs

Signs: Suspected vestibular disease or middle ear infection

• [Rabbits and guinea pigs] Handle the animal as little as possible, prevent a second fall and injury, and seek veterinary care

Poultry

Signs: Depression with crouching and not moving, respiratory distress with open-mouth breathing, comb and wattles cyanotic or pale, several birds in the flock falling ill or dying within a short period, convulsions or neurological signs (twisted neck), bloody or copious watery droppings, complete cessation of eating and drinking, severe lameness with inability to stand. **If any one of these appears, contact a veterinarian or the local poultry health authority immediately — especially when several birds fall ill at once, do not observe at home

• ❗ [Poultry] No direct source for handling this species was found at this level. Do not copy what is done for other species — contact a veterinarian familiar with this species right away.

Signs: Growth rate outpacing skeletal development

• [Poultry] Manage diet and growth rate, and avoid long-term overweight loading

Dogs

Signs: Dachshund

• [Dogs] A weight management plan, limits on jumping and stairs, ophthalmology, IVDD-related genetic testing 🚫 [Conceptual description, not the name of a specific publication or database entry — not filled in, to avoid inventing an identifier, 2026-07-30]

Signs: Poodle and toy poodle

Signs: Beagle

Signs: Border collie

Signs: Shetland sheepdog and collie

Signs: Heart disease (progression of MMVD, DCM, arrhythmia), tracheal collapse, pulmonary hypertension

Signs: Methylxanthines (theobromine, caffeine)

Signs: Mechanism unknown

Signs: High blood sodium → cerebral edema

Signs: Tremorgenic mycotoxins, spoilage toxins

Cats

Signs: Arterial thromboembolism (ATE), often the first sign of heart disease (such as hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, HCM)

• [Cats] Keep the cat warm, move the affected limb as little as possible, and seek veterinary care immediately

Signs: Arterial thromboembolism (ATE), often the first sign of heart disease

Farm animals and horses

Signs: Workload not matched to the diet on rest days, electrolyte imbalance, genetic susceptibility

• [Farm animals and horses] Match workload and diet, warm up thoroughly, and avoid sudden bursts of exercise

Signs: A parasite in areas shared with white-tailed deer; camelids are an atypical host, and infection damages the nervous system

Signs: Same mechanism as in sheep, column 7)

• [Farm animals and horses] Vaccinate and avoid abrupt feed changes

This content is for education only and cannot replace diagnosis or prescription by a licensed veterinarian. In an emergency, seek veterinary care immediately.

Limits of this content

This article reorganizes veterinary encyclopedia material by species into a triage guide, with the source marked on every entry (24 anchors in total; see the evidence chain). The sources listed at the end are the authoritative references cited by the chapters covered here; the correspondence is at chapter level, which does not mean every sentence traces back to that particular source. This content is for education only and cannot replace diagnosis or prescription by a licensed veterinarian. In an emergency, seek veterinary care immediately. Sources are marked entry by entry from the encyclopedia material (see the evidence chain at the end); the text has not been clinically reviewed by a named veterinarian.