Urgent Care

When your pet is in distress, it can be challenging to think clearly. Pet owners want the best for their pets, including seeking the treatment they need. Until recently, there weren’t many options for veterinary services, but Ottawa Animal Hospital West is excited to offer up-and-coming urgent care for pets.

On Wednesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays between 5pm – 9pm, we take care of any issues that fall between the typical veterinarian practice visit and an emergency.

Give us a call at 616-399-2540 to schedule! In the event of an emergency, we recommend Animal Emergency and Specialty Hospital of Byron Center.

Urgent Care vs. Emergency Care

Emergency veterinary hospitals prioritize and treat patients based on their symptoms or condition severity. Any patient needing medical attention but not in a life-threatening situation may be asked to wait.

An urgent care situation involves issues that need medical attention but are not life-threatening. These patients might be uncomfortable, but they are stable and can be seen at regular appointments.

Doctors in emergency hospitals use the patient severity index to decipher your pet’s condition. This index includes the following levels:

• Level one: Resuscitation – the patient is seen before all others, exhibiting a severe physical trauma or cardiac arrest.
• Level two: Emergent – these traumas are not life-threatening but are time-sensitive, including a venomous snake bite and heat stroke.
• Level three: Urgent – these patients are seen after levels one and two are taken care of. Examples of urgent care include sudden illness, severe cuts, vomiting, trouble walking, allergic reactions or difficulty urinating.
• Level four: Non-urgent – minor cuts, prolonged low appetite, limping, fever, and mild injuries are non-urgent conditions can be treated after the first three levels.
• Level five: Stable – the patient is uncomfortable but stable, experiencing diarrhea, low appetite, ear infection, or skin irritation.

As a rule of thumb, pets in the first two levels should be taken to the emergency room. Levels three through five can receive veterinary urgent care services.

Contact Ottawa Animal Hospital West

At Ottawa Animal Hospital, we provide call-ahead appointments. After you have made your Urgent Care appointment by calling us, please fill out our New Client Form.

At the office, we will assess your pet’s symptoms and walk you through the next steps, so you always know what to expect.

We commit to providing your pet with the services and care they deserve.  Our urgent care clinic is open from 5 pm – 9 pm on Wednesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays: ready for you when you need us. For more information, contact us today by calling 616-399-2540.