Some causes warrant immediate medical attention in any cat no matter his age or general health status. These causes include as any suspicion of internal bleeding, burns, moderate to severe wounds, significant or prolonged vomiting or diarrhea, lack of appetite that lasts for more than 24 hours in an adult cat or 12 hours in a young kitten, open-mouth breathing, or high fever. In its early stages, dehydration is easy to miss. In fact, even the most subtle physical signs aren't detectable until the cat is at least 4 or 5% dehydrated. Because of how subtle the signs are, you should pay attention to how much your cat drinks every day. Notice if he is drinking less or none at all. You should also make sure you keep plenty of fresh water around for him, especially if you are going to be away for an extended period of time, such as work or all day outing. One way to tell if your cat is dehydrated is to check his gums. Use your finger to push up his upper lip and expose his gum line. Touch your finger to the gum.  In a well-hydrated cat, the gum tissue should feel moist. As the cat becomes more and more dehydrated, his gums start to dry. If the gum tissue feels sticky or tacky, the cat may be showing the first signs of dehydration.  If the gum tissue actually feels dry, the cat may be moderately or severely dehydrated, depending on other signs. Gums usually don't feel completely dry until a cat is at least 6 to 7% dehydrated.  Keep in mind that your cat's gums will rapidly dry in the air after you raise the upper lip, so you need to assess moistness immediately. If your cat's gums feel dry, sticky, or tacky or you aren't certain whether or not the gums are normal, examine the cat further to help you decide whether the pet is dehydrated or how dehydrated he is. The CRT is the amount of time it takes the capillaries, which are tiny blood vessels, in the gums to refill with blood. Because dehydration reduces blood volume, this time is increased in dehydrated pets. To check CRT, press your finger to the cat's gum and release it.  The skin should blanch or turn white. If it doesn't, try again and press a little harder. After you lift your finger, count the number of seconds it takes the blanched skin to return to its normal color.  In a healthy, well-hydrated cat, the skin should return to normal color in less than 2 seconds. In a moderately dehydrated cat, this may take slightly longer. In cases of more severe dehydration, this refill time may be even more noticeably prolonged. CRT does not usually increase in cases of mild dehydration, so an increased CRT may indicate moderate to severe dehydration and warrants veterinary attention. If the gums are very pale or white before you press on them, take the cat to the vet right away. Pale gums can be a sign of more advanced dehydration. Another early sign of dehydration is a subtle loss of skin elasticity. This becomes more pronounced as dehydration worsens. Check elasticity by choosing an area of skin along your cat's back or chest. Avoid the skin on the back of the neck since it is thick and may give misleading results. Gently pinch the skin between two of your fingers and release it. Observe the skin you pinched.  In a healthy, well-hydrated cat, the skin should snap back into place immediately. In a mildly dehydrated cat, the skin may not snap back into place as quickly as it would in a well-hydrated animal. In a moderately to severely dehydrated cat, the skin will be obviously slow in returning to place, and in a profoundly dehydrated cat, the skin may stay in the pinched position instead of snapping back into place.  It is important to realize that this test is not always completely accurate. Old or emaciated animals often have less elastic skin than younger animals, so their skin may not snap into place quickly even if they are well hydrated. Kittens under 6 weeks of age have less skin elasticity than adult cats. Overweight pets have a lot of subcutaneous fat, so they may not have obvious loss of skin elasticity until they are severely dehydrated. Your cat's eyes can give you important information about hydration status. Slightly sunken eyes in an otherwise healthy cat can signal moderate dehydration. It is important to note, however, that very thin cats, especially older cats or those with chronic illnesses, may have slightly sunken eyes normally.  Severely sunken eyes that appear dry can indicate severe dehydration.  In some advanced cases, the third eyelid may even be visible.  If the eyes appear dry, sunken or the third eyelid is protruding, the cat should receive prompt veterinary attention. In a cat with other signs of dehydration, paws that feel cool to the touch can indicate moderate to severe dehydration. To assess this, gently pick up your cat. Hold his paw in the palm of your hand and note the temperature. If it feels like the normal temperature of your cat, then he is not moderately dehydrated. If his paws feel cool or cold, this could be a sign of severe dehydration and you should get him to the vet as soon as you can.

Summary: Take immediate action if necessary. Monitor your cat's water intake. Assess the gums' moistness. Check the gums' capillary refill time (CRT). Test skin elasticity. Check the eyes. Feel the paws.


Doctors use the major and minor criteria to determine if Prader-Willi Syndrome is a possible condition for your child. Looking for these symptoms can help you determine if your child should be tested or examined by a doctor.  For children two and under, a total of five points is needed to be tested. Three to four points must be from the major criteria symptoms, with the others coming from the minor symptoms. Children three and over must score at least eight points. Four to five points need to be from the major symptoms. One good way to get your child diagnosed for Prader-Willi Syndrome early is to take them to their scheduled check ups after they are born. The doctor can track their development and start to notice any problems. During any of the visits during your child’s early years, the doctor may use the symptoms noticed during the exam to diagnose PWS.  In these appointments, the doctor checks the child’s growth, weight, muscle tone and movement, genitals, and head circumference. The doctor also routinely monitors the child's development. You should tell the doctor if your child has problems eating or sucking, if there are problems sleeping, or if they seem like they have less energy than they should. If your child is older, tell your doctor about any food obsessions or habits of overeating you notice in your child. If the doctor suspects PWS, they will perform a genetic blood test. This blood test will confirm that your child has PWS. The test will look for abnormalities on chromosome 15. If there is a history of PWS in your family, you can also get prenatal testing to check your baby for PWS. The genetic test can also help you figure out if you may have other children with the same condition.
Summary: Know when to seek medical help. Take your child to the doctor. Get genetic testing.