Open 365 days a year, the clinic offers an affordable alternative to veterinary ER
LAKEWOOD RANCH, Fla. – Sept. 22, 2021 – UrgentVet, the first dedicated urgent care clinic for pets, announced today it is expanding its presence in Florida with the opening of a clinic in Bradenton’s Lakewood Ranch. The new clinic, which is located at 9620 State Road 64 E., is expecting to open its doors the first week of October.
Located on the heavily trafficked State Road 64, the clinic’s location offers convenient access for residents living in Lakewood Ranch and throughout eastern Manatee County.
“We couldn’t be more excited about opening our newest clinic in Lakewood Ranch, one of the fastest-growing communities in America,” said Dr. Jim Dobies, Founder, UrgentVet. “We love entering communities that are very pet-friendly and pet-focused, and Lakewood Ranch definitely checks those boxes.”
The new clinic will be UrgentVet’s 11th nationally and the eighth to open in Florida behind three locations in the Tampa Bay area, and locations in Gainesville, west Orlando, Sarasota and The Villages. Founded in 2015, UrgentVet also has locations in the Charlotte Metro area.
Pet parents can use the website to check their pet in, and text, call or use the clinic’s intercom to alert staff once they arrive. If they prefer, pet parents can remain in their car or be escorted by a member of the UrgentVet staff into the clinic.
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.
UrgentVet will be 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 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% 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.
All dog and cat 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 2,362 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.
“There are some incredibly compassionate primary care veterinarians in and around Lakewood Ranch,” Dr. Dobies said. “But we know they can’t stay open every night, and when they aren’t available, we want to be there when pet parents need us.”
For more information, visit UrgentVet.com.
Media Contact:
Josh Hall, Sage & Sterling Communications
Phone: 813-884-9333
Email: josh@sageandsterling.com
About UrgentVet
Founded by Dr. Jim Dobies, UrgentVet is the first dedicated urgent care clinic for pets. Offering after-hours services, UrgentVet provides pet parents with an affordable and convenient alternative to 24-hour emergency vets. UrgentVet currently operates clinics in Belmont, North Carolina and Chapel Hill, North Carolina; Fort Mill, South Carolina; Westchase (Tampa), Florida; Brandon, Florida; New Port Richey, Florida; Gainesville, Florida; west Orlando (Ocoee), Florida; Sarasota, Florida; The Villages, Florida; and Lakewood Ranch, Florida.