The VetGPT Blog
Care guides, health checklists, and tips from a team that's been through it - for dogs, cats, reptiles, fish, and everyone in between.
Your bearded dragon stopped eating. Here are the most likely causes, what to check tonight, and the red flags that mean it's time to see an exotic vet.
Read More →Occasional soaking is normal, but frequent or prolonged soaking usually points to mites, a shed, or an overheating enclosure. Here is how to tell which, and when to see a vet.
Read More →Leopard gecko not pooping? Most cases are impaction from loose substrate or cold temps. Know the normal frequency, how to help tonight, and the red flags that need a vet.
Read More →A tarantula on its back is molting and must not be disturbed. A death curl means legs tucked underneath and real distress. Here is how to tell the difference and what to do.
Read More →Crested gecko not eating? These hardy geckos often skip food for 1-2 weeks during shedding, cooling, or after a move. Know when it's normal and when weight loss means a vet.
Read More →Your turtle stopped basking and you're worried. Here are the most likely causes, what to check tonight, and the red flags that mean a vet now.
Read More →A runny nose in a tortoise is not a minor cold. Learn what Runny Nose Syndrome means, the likely causes, and the red flags that need an exotic vet fast.
Read More →Axolotl floating and can't sink? Usually trapped gas, not a swim bladder. Ranked causes, the fridging and fasting protocol, and the red flags that need a vet.
Read More →Betta laying at the bottom of the tank? Often it is just sleeping, but cold water and poor water quality are common causes. How to tell sick from sleeping, and the red flags.
Read More →Your iguana is turning dark or black. Here's what color changes mean, from cold and stress to burns and MBD, plus the red flags that need an exotic vet.
Read More →A chicken standing alone with feathers puffed and tail down is the classic sick-bird posture. Here are the most likely causes, what to check tonight, and the red flags that mean act now.
Read More →A parrot that stays fluffed and drowsy through the day is often conserving energy because it is unwell. Here is what it usually means, what to check tonight, and the red flags that mean act now.
Read More →A budgie on the floor of the cage, fluffed and quiet, is usually a bird too weak to perch. Because budgies decline in hours, here are the likely causes, what to check, and when it is an emergency.
Read More →A guinea pig that stops eating can develop life-threatening gut stasis within hours. Here is why it is urgent, the most likely causes, what to check, and how to keep the gut moving tonight.
Read More →When a rabbit stops eating and its poop shrinks or stops, it is usually GI stasis - a true emergency. Here is how to tell stasis from a blockage, what to check, and what to do while you reach a vet.
Read More →A hamster that is barely moving may be in cold-induced torpor, or genuinely ill, and age changes the odds. Here is how to tell torpor from an emergency and what to do tonight.
Read More →Almost every pet rat carries Mycoplasma for life, so some sneezing is normal, but a flare needs treatment. Here is how to tell a settling-in sniffle from a respiratory infection, and when to see a vet.
Read More →A goat that stops chewing its cud has usually stopped ruminating, meaning the rumen has slowed or stalled. Here are the likely causes, how to check rumen function, and the signs that mean act now.
Read More →Pawing, turning to look at the flank, and restlessness are classic colic signs, and colic is the leading emergency killer in horses. Here is how to check vitals, what to do while the vet is coming, and what not to do.
Read More →A limping duck usually comes down to bumblefoot, a niacin shortfall, or an injury. Here is how to tell them apart, what to check on the foot and legs, and what you can do tonight.
Read More →The internet still repeats a feeding rule that overfeeds adult ball pythons. The modern weight-based chart: prey at 10-15% of body weight, frequency by life stage, and the red flags that matter.
Read More →Almost every axolotl health problem starts in the water. Exact temperature, pH and cycling targets, the 74°F heat emergency line, and the medication warning every keeper should know.
Read More →Sulcata tortoises reach 70-150 lbs and live 70+ years. Learn the grass and hay diet, why no fruit, what causes pyramiding, and outdoor housing with a heated night box.
Read More →Venomous snake keeping demands legality, a written bite protocol, hook and tub discipline, the two-person rule, and secure double-lock caging. Standards, not shortcuts.
Read More →Chameleons dehydrate and develop MBD silently. Learn misting and dripper hydration, UVB and supplement schedules, stress colors, and the red flags that need a vet.
Read More →Green iguanas are strict herbivores that reach 5-6 feet. Learn the right diet, calcium to phosphorus balance, UVB, and the MBD warning signs every keeper should watch.
Read More →A corn snake feeding chart by age and weight, how to tell brumation from illness refusal, shed tracking, and the scale rot and respiratory red flags that need a vet.
Read More →Adult boa constrictors are easy to overfeed. Learn the slow feeding schedule, obesity risk, IBD awareness, and enclosure sizing by age, plus the red flags for a vet.
Read More →Spider monkeys need a fruit-forward diet with real protein, huge vertical space to brachiate, and social contact. Learn what to track and the diabetes risk owners miss.
Read More →Capuchins are brilliant foragers that live 40+ years. Learn diet, foraging enrichment, and how to catch the obesity, diabetes, and dental problems owners miss.
Read More →Marmosets need gum arabic feeders, UVB and vitamin D3, and a mate. Learn to spot marmoset wasting syndrome early and run the daily health checks owners skip.
Read More →Capybaras need swimming water, a grass and hay diet with vitamin C, and a herd. Learn the health basics, skin and scent gland care, and why they should never live alone.
Read More →Coatis need a balanced omnivore diet, lots of climbing and digging enrichment, and routine nose and claw checks. Learn health monitoring and spay-neuter behavior notes.
Read More →Sloths need 80%+ humidity, steady heat, and a specialized leaf-based diet. Their slow metabolism hides illness for weeks. Learn why husbandry decides everything.
Read More →Pet skunks get obese and there is no approved rabies vaccine for them. Learn the lean diet, seasonal weight cycles, the rabies records gap, and a real health schedule.
Read More →Molting is the most misunderstood, most dangerous phase in a tarantula's life. Learn premolt fasting signs, why you must never disturb a molt, dehydration cues, and substrate moisture by species type.
Read More →Ponies are easy keepers, which makes laminitis their biggest threat. Learn grass restriction, body condition scoring, hoof schedules, and the red flags that need a vet.
Read More →Know your horse's normal TPR, gut sounds, and colic warning signs. A practical guide to daily checks, deworming with fecal egg counts, and when to call the vet.
Read More →Hens hide illness until they crash. Learn the weekly hands-on checks - crop, keel, vent, feet - plus bumblefoot, egg binding, mites, and molt vs sickness.
Read More →Geese thrive on grass and clean water, not high-protein feed. Learn how to prevent angel wing, meet niacin needs, and spot early illness in your flock.
Read More →A cow off feed is a cow in trouble. Learn the daily vitals - rumination, manure, appetite - plus bloat, lameness scoring, temperature norms, and when to call the vet.
Read More →There is no 'teacup' pig - a healthy mini pig weighs 70 to 150 lb. Learn portion feeding, obesity red flags, hoof and tusk trims, and dippity pig syndrome.
Read More →Conures mask illness until they crash. Learn seed-to-pellet conversion, feather plucking causes, the fluffed and tail-bobbing red flags, night frights, and gram weight logging.
Read More →Rats almost all carry mycoplasma and are prone to mammary tumors. Learn to read porphyrin staining, tell sneezing from clicking, weigh weekly, and know when a lump needs a vet.
Read More →Budgies hide illness until it's advanced. Learn what to watch in weight, droppings, and molting - and the warning signs that need an avian vet.
Read More →Dental malocclusion, heat sensitivity, and GI trouble are the big three for chinchillas. Here's what to track and when to worry.
Read More →Weight checks, dental care, and vitamin C are non-negotiable for guinea pigs. Learn the routine that catches problems early.
Read More →Your kitten's first year sets the stage for life. Vaccine schedule, weight milestones, spay/neuter timing, and the issues to watch for.
Read More →Sugar gliders live or die by their diet. Learn the TPG basics, metabolic bone disease warning signs, and what to track from joey to adult.
Read More →Shell health, brumation, and UV care are where turtle keeping goes right or wrong. Here's what to monitor and the red flags that need a vet.
Read More →Hamsters hide illness and are often misread as hibernating. Learn the hibernation trap, wet tail warning signs, and what to log every day.
Read More →GI stasis can kill a rabbit in 24 hours - and it often looks like a rabbit just having a quiet day. Here's what every rabbit owner must know.
Read More →Ferrets are prone to serious conditions that need early detection. Learn about the Big Three, what to track, and when to call your vet.
Read More →Leopard geckos are forgiving pets - until husbandry slips. Here's what to track daily, what healthy looks like, and the signs that need a vet.
Read More →Cockatiels hide illness until it's serious. Learn what healthy looks like, what to track daily, and the signs that need an avian vet today.
Read More →Most betta fish illness traces back to water quality. Learn what parameters to track, the common diseases to recognize, and how to keep your betta thriving.
Read More →After age 10, cats face real health changes - most of which they'll hide from you. Here's what to watch for and why twice-yearly vet visits matter.
Read More →Your puppy's first year sets the foundation for a lifetime of health. Here's the vaccine schedule, development milestones, and what to track every month.
Read More →That 2am terror when your pet seems off - every owner knows it. Here's what to do, and how to be ready before the panic hits.
Read More →CCD affects 1 in 3 senior dogs over 11. Learn the early signs, how it progresses, and how to track changes that matter to your vet.
Read More →90% of pet health apps ignore exotic pet owners. If you have a reptile, bird, or fish, your needs are fundamentally different - and finally, someone built for you.
Read More →Managing pet medications with screenshots and sticky notes is how doses get missed. Here's what proper medication tracking looks like - for any pet.
Read More →Dogs rarely cry out in pain. Instead, they change. Subtle shifts in behavior, movement, and mood are the signals most owners miss.
Read More →Ball pythons hide illness until it's serious. Know what to track monthly, what normal looks like, and the red flags that need a vet today.
Read More →AI is entering veterinary medicine - from diagnostic imaging to at-home symptom checking. Here's what's real, what's hype, and what it means for your pet.
Read More →Your pet's health history is scattered across vet portals, paper files, and your memory. Here's why that fragmentation has a real cost.
Read More →Parrots are masters at hiding illness. By the time symptoms are obvious, the condition is often serious. Here's what to monitor daily.
Read More →Not every health concern is an emergency - but some are. This guide helps you tell the difference, for dogs, cats, and other pets.
Read More →Cats hide illness by instinct. By the time symptoms are visible, the condition is often serious. Here's how to catch what your cat is concealing.
Read More →A complete pet health record is one of the most valuable things you can build for your animal. Here's exactly how to do it - step by step.
Read More →Goldfish can live 10-15 years with proper care. Learn the warning signs of illness, what your water parameters should look like, and how to build a routine that keeps them healthy.
Read More →Daily, weekly, and monthly checks every bearded dragon owner should know - plus the signs that mean it's time to call the vet.
Read More →Missed doses, lost prescriptions, and refill surprises - here's how to build a medication system that actually works for your dog.
Read More →The vet asks a simple question and your mind goes completely blank. Here's how to walk in prepared - and actually remember what they say.
Read More →No posts in this category yet - check back soon.
