Urgent care practice for pets to open in Pinellas

UrgentVet, a dedicated urgent care clinic for pets, will open its first clinic in Pinellas County this month in the Tyrone community.

UrgentVet has three existing clinics throughout Tampa Bay and is a similar concept as an urgent care clinic for humans, filling the gap between primary care and emergency care by providing medical services that do not require hospitalization.

The 2,600-square-foot clinic at 1470 66th St. N. in West St. Petersburg will open to the public on Feb. 16.

“Tampa’s UrgentVet-Westchase was our very first Florida location, so the Tampa Bay area has always been special to us,” Dr. Jim Dobies, founder of UrgentVet, said in a news release. “After adding a clinic in Hillsborough and one in Pasco, we knew we wanted to establish a presence in Pinellas, and this spot in Tyrone could not be more perfect.”

A significant factor in selecting St. Pete as the next clinic location was the city’s achievement of being named America’s most dog-friendly city in America, Dobies said.

The clinic will have three exam rooms exclusively for small dogs, two for large dogs and one for cats.

UrgentVet.

All the UrgentVet locations feature an in-house laboratory and state-of-the-art equipment, including digital radiography and ultrasound technology.

The UrgentVet-St. Petersburg is intentionally outfitted with non-slip flooring, dimmable lighting, soothing colors and music, calming pheromones and quiet exam lift tables to create less fear and anxiety for animals. The clinic also has revolutionary tempered glass pet enclosures from Casco that are 70% quieter than metal cages, according to the release.

The clinics treat cases involving vomiting, diarrhea, limping, minor wounds, back pain, fevers, infections and other issues. Some of the life-threatening concerns that will not be treated include treating a pet that was hit by a car or is suffering from kidney failure or pneumonia.

Pets are referred to their primary vet for a follow-up visit.