Help is Here: What Is Veterinary Urgent Care?

Your pet’s health is ever-changing, and despite your best efforts to be a responsible pet parent, sometimes accidents happen, pets get sick, and injuries occur. When these problems are immediately concerning but not quite emergencies, urgent vet care can provide convenient, effective, and affordable relief.

What is urgent vet care?

In the past, only two types of veterinary visits were available: scheduled appointments with your regular Tampa Bay Animal Hospitals veterinarian and emergency visits during normal business hours or at the nearest 24/7/365 emergency veterinary hospital. If your pet needed unexpected care over the weekend or after hours, an emergency veterinary service was your only option—one that often came with long waits and a big bill.

Similar to human urgent care, urgent vet care provides convenient, timely care for non-life-threatening but still pressing health concerns—when pets need prompt attention but not necessarily a trip to the emergency room.

Urgent vet care at Tampa Bay Animal Hospitals

Our network of hospitals is proud to offer urgent care services for pets in need. With after-hours and weekend availability at each location, and a friendly, knowledgeable staff you already know and trust, we make it easy for you to make confident decisions about your pet’s care. Instead of waiting until Monday morning to schedule an appointment or waiting all night to be seen at a busy ER, our urgent vet care services will get your pet on the road to recovery quicker and help you both get back home where you belong.

When to seek urgent care

When your pet’s condition is troublesome but not life-threatening, urgent vet care provides rapid, convenient relief. Common conditions that can benefit from urgent care include:

• Abnormal behavior (e.g., irritability, hiding, anxiety, restlessness)
• Allergies and allergic reactions
• Coughing or sneezing
• Ear infections
• Eye pain or injury
• Excessive thirst
• Insect bites and skin irritations
• Limping
• Loss of appetite
• Minor wounds
• Vomiting or diarrhea
• Pain
• Skin conditions
• Swelling or hives
• Toenail injuries
• Urinary tract infections, straining to urinate

Many other non-critical pet health conditions are appropriate for urgent care. Contact our team if you’re unsure about your pet’s needs. We’ll ask you about your pet’s signs and behavior and consult one of our urgent care vets. We’ll then recommend urgent care or emergency care at one of our locations, or direct you to the nearest emergency veterinary center.

When should I go to an emergency vet near me?

Although it can seem like every pet injury or illness needs immediate attention, there are some general guidelines for recognizing a life-threatening event. Familiarizing yourself with these signs and scenarios can ensure you act quickly when every second counts.

Reasons to seek emergency veterinary care include:

• Abnormal gum color (e.g., white, blue, grey, or yellow)
• Difficulty breathing or choking
• Facial or abdominal swelling
• Repeated vomiting
• Unexplained bleeding
• Incoordination 
• Inability to urinate
• Extreme weakness or lethargy
• Heat stroke
• Paralysis
• Pain
• Trauma (e.g., hit by a car, fall, or animal attack)
• Uncontrollable seizures
• Unresponsiveness

At Tampa Bay Animal Hospitals, we’re proud to offer emergency care during normal business hours. In some cases, you may be referred to a local 24/7/365 emergency vet near you for faster assessment, advanced care, additional diagnostics, or hospitalization. This is to ensure your pet receives the best possible care for their specific needs.

Urgent care benefits for pets and pet parents

Urgent vet care makes it easy for pets to receive exceptional care and get back to their normal lives. In addition to alleviating suffering and speeding recovery, urgent care provides additional benefits for both sides of the pet-owner bond, including:

• Reduced wait times – Unlike specialty emergency centers, which prioritize life-threatening cases, urgent vet care allows your pet to be seen more quickly—meaning less pain, suffering, and stress.
• Lower costs — Urgent vet care is typically more affordable than emergency services, helping you manage unexpected veterinary expenses without compromising your pet’s quality of care.
• Peace of mind — Knowing you have a trusted place to take your pet during off-hours for non-emergency issues can help you worry less. 
• Familiar faces and environment — Receiving care from your trusted veterinary team can reduce stress for you and your pet, ensuring a more comfortable experience.

Urgent care is a vital resource for pets and pet parents, providing a middle ground between regular vet visits and emergency services. It’s also another way that Tampa Bay Animal Hospitals support pets—and their families—in every age, stage, and need. We hope that our commitment to you offers comfort and assurance in good times and bad. Whether it’s a minor pet injury or an unexpected illness, you can rest easy knowing you’ll always find compassionate care at a location near you.