⚠️ Not veterinary advice. This guide is for education on minor issues only. If you are unsure, or your animal is in pain, call your veterinarian. In an emergency, call immediately.
Should I Call the Vet?
A free guide to common problems in horses, donkeys, goats and cows. Search a symptom, tick any red flags, and know right away when it can wait and when it can't.
Call the vet NOW (horse) if…
- Refuses to bear weight
- Rolling, thrashing, repeated lying down
- Bleeding not stopped by 10 min pressure
- Wound near a joint, tendon, chest, abdomen or eye
- Puncture to the sole
- Temperature over 102 °F or HR over 60
- Choke (feed from nose)
- Trouble breathing, sudden head/throat swelling
- Can't get up / staggering
Call the vet NOW (donkey) if…
- Not eating or dull for even a few hours (donkeys hide pain; hyperlipemia can be fatal)
- Any colic signs — often just standing quietly, head low
- Lameness with heat in hooves (laminitis)
- Heart rate over 70
- Choke
- Trouble breathing
Call the vet NOW (goat) if…
- Bloat — left side tight and swollen
- Down and can't rise; star-gazing, circling, head pressing
- Pale eyelids (FAMACHA 4–5)
- Kidding: no progress after 30 min of hard pushing
- Male with straining to urinate, dribbling (urinary stones)
- Temperature over 105 °F or under 100 °F
- Profuse diarrhea in kids
Call the vet NOW (cow) if…
- Bloat — left side swollen
- Down cow that can't rise
- Calving: no progress 30 min after water bag/feet seen, or malpresentation
- Severe diarrhea or weakness in a calf
- Hot, hard, swollen quarter with a sick cow (toxic mastitis)
- Labored breathing, grunting
- Not eating plus fever over 103.5 °F
Normal adult vital signs (at rest)
Horse
| Vital | Normal | Concerning |
|---|---|---|
| Temperature | 99.0–101.5 °F | Over 102 °F or under 98 °F |
| Heart rate | 28–44 /min | Over 60 at rest |
| Respiration | 10–24 /min | Over 30 or labored |
| Gums / CRT | Moist pink, refill < 2 s | Pale, white, dark red, purple, tacky |
| Gut sounds | Gurgles both sides | Silent |
| Hydration | Skin pinch back in 1–2 s | Tents > 2–3 s |
Donkey
| Vital | Normal | Concerning |
|---|---|---|
| Temperature | 98.0–100.5 °F (37–38 °C) | Over 101.5 °F |
| Heart rate | 36–68 /min | Over 70 at rest |
| Respiration | 12–28 /min | Over 30 or labored |
| Gums / CRT | Moist pink, refill < 2 s | Pale, dark, tacky |
| Gut sounds | Present both sides | Silent |
| Behavior | Alert, eating | Dull or not eating = urgent (hyperlipemia risk) |
Goat
| Vital | Normal | Concerning |
|---|---|---|
| Temperature | 101.5–103.5 °F | Over 104 °F or under 100 °F |
| Heart rate | 70–90 /min | Over 110 at rest |
| Respiration | 12–20 /min (higher in heat) | Open-mouth breathing |
| Rumen | 1–2 contractions/min (left side) | None, or left side tight like a drum |
| FAMACHA (eyelid) | Red–pink (score 1–2) | Pale pink/white (4–5) = anemia |
| Manure | Firm pellets | Diarrhea, clumps, none |
Cow
| Vital | Normal | Concerning |
|---|---|---|
| Temperature | 100.4–102.8 °F | Over 103.5 °F or under 100 °F |
| Heart rate | 48–84 /min (calves 100–120) | Over 100 at rest (adult) |
| Respiration | 26–50 /min | Labored, open-mouth, grunting |
| Rumen | 1–2 contractions/min | None, or left side swollen |
| Cud chewing | Chews cud ~8 h/day | Stopped chewing cud |
| Hydration | Skin tent < 2 s; eyes not sunken | Sunken eyes, skin tents > 4 s |
Young animals differ. Learn each animal's healthy baseline and record it.
Topics covered
- Minor cuts & scrapes
- Hoof abscess
- Mild colic warning signs
- Thrush
- Rain rot / rain scald
- Eye irritation
- Laminitis (founder) warning signs
- Choke (esophageal obstruction)
- Mild cough / nasal discharge
- Scratches / mud fever
- Donkey off feed (hyperlipemia risk)
- Overgrown hooves / seedy toe
- Bloat
- Parasites (worms / anemia)
- Diarrhea (scours)
- Foot rot / foot scald / overgrown hooves
- Enterotoxemia (overeating) warning signs
- Urinary stones (male goats/steers)
- Sore mouth (orf)
- Lice / mange / skin irritation
- Polio (thiamine deficiency) warning signs
- Bloat
- Mild mastitis
- Pinkeye
- Foot rot
- Mild cough / respiratory (calves, kids)
- Hardware disease warning signs
- Milk fever / ketosis around calving/kidding
- Heat stress
Questions
Is this a diagnosis?
No. It is general educational guidance with red-flag signs. If you are unsure, or your animal is in pain, call your veterinarian. In an emergency, call immediately.
Which animals does it cover?
Horses, donkeys, goats and cows.
Do I need an account?
No. The guide, vital signs and the body condition reference are free for everyone. An account lets you save each animal's records.
Keep every record in one place
Herd Papers keeps vaccines, Coggins, vet and farrier visits, weight and body condition for each animal, and reminds you before things come due.
Free to start. No card needed.