Pasco UrgentVet Bridges Gap Between Family Vet And ER Service

ODESSA, FL – UrgentVet, the first dedicated urgent care clinic for pets, has expanded its presence in the Tampa Bay area by opening a third local clinic at 12307 State Road 54 in Odessa.

Officially named UrgentVet-New Port Richey, the clinic at the intersection of State Road 54 and Trinity Boulevard offers convenient access for pet parents residing in New Port Richey, Odessa, Land O’ Lakes, Wesley Chapel and throughout northern Hillsborough County. Its physical location is at the entrance to the Starkey Ranch master-planned development, making it accessible for residents of the booming community.

“Pasco County has some of the fastest-growing neighborhoods in all of Tampa Bay, and we’re excited to open a clinic right in the heart of that growth,” said Dr. Jim Dobies, founder of UrgentVet. “We feel that this new site allows us to serve a huge population of pet parents who may never have had access to a clinic like ours before.”

The new clinic will be UrgentVet’s fifth nationally and the third to open in the Tampa Bay area behind Westchase (August 2019) and Brandon (February 2020). Founded in 2015, UrgentVet also has locations in the Charlotte Metro area.

In response to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, all UrgentVet clinics have adopted new processes to ensure the safety of both pet parents and employees.

Pet parents can use the website to check their pet in, and call or use the clinic’s intercom to alert staff once they arrive. The UrgentVet team will wear masks to limit any potential exposure while retrieving the pet, allowing pet parents to remain safe in the comfort of their car. In cases of euthanasia, a total of two visitors are allowed to accompany the pet inside.

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 year-round.

Like its other Tampa Bay locations, UrgentVet-New Port Richey is open 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. Pet parents in the area should continue to take pets to their primary care veterinarian for wellness care and routine visits, but UrgentVet-New Port Richey offers a trusting and compassionate option after-hours.

UrgentVet clinics routinely treat vomiting, diarrhea, lacerations, wounds, and skin and ear problems among many other presenting complaints.

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 parents who check in online can request that the clinic send a text message when it’s time to come in.

UrgentVet’s stress-free experience for pets is enhanced by the clinic design and special training the staff receives. 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 and their parents to avoid what might be anxiety-inducing situations. 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 2,100 square feet with a total of five exam rooms—two for large dogs, two for small dogs and one exclusively for cats—in addition to a separate comfort room. Other features include an in-house diagnostic lab, digital X-ray machine, ultrasound 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.

With all of its clinics, UrgentVet aims to develop strong relationships with neighboring primary care veterinarians, a practice that the new clinic staff has already started. 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 that they can be informed and schedule a follow-up visit at their location.

“We know how deeply our pet parents care for their pets, and so we do whatever we can to ease what might be a tense or scary situation with compassionate care,” Dobies said. “Our goal is never to replace a primary care vet but rather to be there in the times that those vets aren’t able to be.”

Related stories:

• Brandon UrgentVet Bridges Gap Between Family Vet And ER Service
• UrgentVet Westchase To Host Grand Opening Bash
• Urgent Care Clinic For Pets Scheduled To Open In Westchase