You should seek the advice of your veterinarian if your pet is ill as only he or she can correctly advise on the diagnosis and recommend the treatment that is most appropriate for your pet.

Sometimes apparently minor signs can be an indication of serious problems. Take for example yellow eyes 

The white part of the eyeball (the sclera) should be white or slightly off-white. If the white part of the eye appears to be yellow it is a sign associated with jaundice and, even though the animal may appear to be quite well in itself - the underlying cause can be very serious so veterinary advice should be taken as soon as possible.

Jaundice is caused by an increase in bilirubin which is a yellow/orange pigment in the tissue. Blood concentrations of bilirubin increase in several circumstances including :

• Massive destruction of blood cells (called haemolysis)
• Liver disease :
  • Damage to liver cells eg caused by parasites, infections, toxins, or trauma
  • Obstruction to bile outflow from the liver eg inflammation of the bile duct, tumours, formation of stones  in the bile duct

All of these possible causes of jaundice need to be treated properly and quickly, so veterinary examination -  which will usually involve laboratory tests and XRays or Ultrasound - is  needed as soon as possible.. 

Updated October 2013