Urgent Care Clinic For Pets Scheduled To Open In Westchase

WESTCHASE, FL — UrgentVet, the first dedicated urgent care clinic for pets, is expanding its presence in Tampa Bay by opening a clinic at 12950 Race Track Road in Westchase Thursday, Aug. 22.

This will be UrgentVet’s third clinic with other locations in Belmont, North Carolina, and Fort Mill, South Carolina

UrgentVet fills the widening care gap that exists between traditional daytime veterinary practices and specialized 24-hour emergency hospitals, providing affordable after-hours relief on weeknights, weekends and holidays.

“We couldn’t be happier about expanding into Florida, and specifically within the Westchase area of Tampa,” said Dr. Jim Dobies, founder. “In a caring community like Westchase, we know that many people consider their pets to be part of the family, and we want to be there when your family needs us.”

UrgentVet-Westchase will be open 365 days a year from 3 to 11 p.m. Monday through Friday, 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, and noon to 8 p.m. on holidays.

The vision behind the UrgentVet practice model is to provide dogs and cats with trusted after-hours acute care just like an urgent care for humans. UrgentVet’s doctors and staff are experts at treating mild pet injuries and illnesses in an outpatient setting.

On average, an UrgentVet bill is about 40 percent less than what a pet parent might pay for comparable services at a veterinary ER. No appointments are necessary, and pet owners can even check in online and request that the clinic send a text message when it’s time to come in.

All veterinarians and support staff are Fear-Free-Certified Professionals, which means they’re skilled in caring for both the pet’s physical and emotional well-being.

In addition, there are separate dog and cat waiting areas for pets to avoid anxiety. All exam rooms have dimmable lighting for anxious animals, relaxing music to soothe the pets and each member of the staff wears sprayable pheromones for a calming effect.

The clinic itself is 2,300 square feet with five exam rooms—two for large dogs, two for small dogs and one for cats—and features an in-house diagnostic lab, digital X-ray machine and cloud-based medical record-keeping software. The large dog rooms contain state-of-the-art lift tables, which also double as a non-slip scale, that lower to the floor for easy access for dogs who may be too heavy to pick up.

Owners always have the choice to remain with their pets during treatment at UrgentVet

UrgentVet aims to develop strong relationships with neighboring primary care veterinarians. After a pet’s visit, UrgentVet delivers lab work and X-rays with a referral letter to that pet’s veterinarian within 24 hours so they can schedule a follow-up visit.

“We know a pet’s illness or injury can be a nerve-racking time for any pet parent, so we’ve designed our clinic to make it as easy as possible for your pet to get the care they need,” Dobies said. “We want to provide relief for your pet quickly, in the most compassionate way we can.”

The Westchase clinic is the organization’s first in Florida and the first of several planned for the Tampa Bay area, including Brandon and New Port Richey, which are expected to open later this year.