A veterinary urgent care clinic is intended to provide ‘stop gap’ treatment for your pet when they have a developing medical issue and your primary care vet is unable to see your pet in a timely manner and the issue or concern is not considered life-threatening.

Examples of cases seen by an urgent care clinic:

• Ear infection
• Simple vomiting or diarrhea
• Minor lacerations
• Urinary tract infections
• Acute lameness
• Quality of life assessment
• And other common medical conditions your primary care vet would normally see

No. Urgent care is commonly limited to outpatient care. Emergency care is typically for patients with a life-threatening injury or illness that requires more extensive treatment and hospitalization.

Unfortunately, there is no clear-cut answer. Sometimes what appears to be a case of simple vomiting or GI distress can turn out to be a life-threatening condition.