My cat has pale gums and URI symptoms. Does she need an emergency vet?

The color of gums can help us guess at the red blood cell level, but it is a poor guess. White gums would mean really, really sick, and pink gums don't tell us that a pet is healthy. Mello may have an upper respiratory infection, which most cases are viral. But they can hit the body hard and often the kittens need oral antibiotics, fluids, supplements like Lysine, nutritional support, etc. I would really recommend that you have him examined by the vet since this has been going on for a week and he isn't any better.

Oh dear, poor Luna! It sounds as though she is extremely ill. In cats, parvovirus causes panleukopenia (aka feline distemper virus), which can be a life-threatening issue. Typically, vomiting, diarrhea, a loss of appetite, fever, and lethargy with extremely low white blood cells are found with panleukopenia. While it is still possible that Luna is affected by this virus, other possibilities such as blood loss anemia from fleas, exposure to anticoagulant rat poisons, blood clotting disorders, or bone marrow issues are also possible causes of her white gums. All of that said, white gums are a medical emergency because this indicates either a severe anemia (low red blood cell count) or extremely low blood pressure preventing blood from moving to the periphery of the body. At this point, I strongly recommend taking Luna to an emergency vet immediately for evaluation. I hope that all goes well!

If he has a deformity of his ribs then I worry he could also have a deformity of his diaphragm and a diaphragmatic hernia where abdominal structures herniate into the chest and prevent proper oxygenation. This can produce a whitish gum color. The kitten could also be pale from anemia caused by parasites or other infectious diseases. I would highly encourage you to have him evaluated by your veterinarian as soon as possible. They will be able to access the kitten and give you a more realistic prognosis based on their physical examination findings. Best of luck and I hope he improves! Thank you for using Pet Coach.

Hi! So sorry to hear that Paris is not feeling well. It sounds like Paris is anemic based on the color of her gums and the fact that she does not feel well which means that she is clinically affected. I recommend that you have Paris evaluated by a veterinarian as soon as possible to figure out what is wrong and start therapy for it. At the very least, she could have bloodwork done to see if she truly is anemic and go from there. Keeping my fingers crossed that evrything goes well!!

He needs to see a vet immediately. The pale gums could mean internal bleeding or circulatory shock. Breathing heavily can be pain or trauma to the lungs. Low body temperature in cats is a sign of severe illness. Even if you don't see external injuries, the internal injuries could be severe in small kittens.

It sounds like Montana is sick, and he could have a severe GI illness, may have eaten something rotten, or has a foreign body. It's very serious he's barely eating, vomiting, and sleeping a lot. White gums can indicate anemia. He has to see a vet immediately, please take him into one now.

I'm sorry Nelson appears to be having some health problems at the moment! I wouldn't say his symptoms are an emergency, but I would have him seen by a vet for them. There could be a medical cause behind his thin fur such as allergies, mites, fleas, or ringworm, and the eye discharge could be a sign of an eye infection. The vet can diagnose what is causing his symptoms and can prescribe treatment as needed.