Urgent Pet
Urgent Pet is a general practice practice in El Cerrito, CA.
About
Urgent Pet is the Bay Area's first dedicated urgent care veterinary hospital, specializing in rapid, focused treatment for pets with non-life-threatening conditions. The facility is state-of-the-art, equipped with an in-house laboratory, digital radiography, ultrasound, digital microscope, and intensive care equipment. Services include soft-tissue surgery, blood transfusions, fluid therapy, and multimodal analgesia, supported by advanced monitoring capabilities. All veterinarians have extensive emergency room experience.
The clinic offers same-day appointments for urgent cases, distinguishing itself from 24-hour emergency rooms by not providing overnight hospitalization. Pets requiring continuous monitoring are stabilized and referred to nearby 24-hour referral hospitals. Located in El Cerrito, Urgent Pet is accessible from the East Bay, North Bay, and San Francisco. The hospital design aims to minimize patient stress with features like separated housing and fear-free cat condos.
Photos
Photos via Google · Ellie Anvar, Urgent Pet, Ryan Lawrence, Lisa L
Frequently asked questions
- What types of conditions does Urgent Pet treat?
- Urgent Pet treats a wide range of urgent conditions that require prompt attention but may not necessitate overnight hospitalization. These include vomiting, diarrhea, coughing, urinary issues, loss of appetite, lethargy, fever, bite wounds, foreign object ingestion, acute limping, and allergic reactions. The clinic also handles cases of poisoning, vehicle accidents, and seizures.
- What diagnostic capabilities are available at Urgent Pet?
- Urgent Pet's facility is equipped with state-of-the-art diagnostic tools to efficiently assess pet conditions. These capabilities include an in-house laboratory, digital radiography, ultrasound, and a digital microscope. The clinic also performs cytology and urine analysis. Additionally, they utilize a latest-generation ophthalmoscope to aid in diagnoses.
- How does Urgent Pet manage pets requiring overnight care or critical emergencies?
- Urgent Pet does not provide overnight hospitalization. For pets requiring 24-hour care or continuous monitoring, the clinic's emergency-trained veterinarians will stabilize the patient and perform initial diagnostics and treatments. Subsequently, these patients are referred to the nearest 24-hour referral hospital for ongoing care. The team determines if a pet is an appropriate urgent care case during the initial call.
- What measures does Urgent Pet take to reduce stress for pets during visits?
- Urgent Pet has designed its hospital to minimize stress for pets. Measures include a floor-level weighing scale for dogs, separated housing areas for cats and dogs to reduce sound travel, and certified fear-free cat condos. These features aim to create a calmer environment, which the clinic believes leads to better care outcomes for anxious pets.
- What is the experience level of the veterinarians at Urgent Pet?
- All veterinarians at Urgent Pet have extensive emergency room experience, having worked for many years in busy emergency rooms. For instance, Dr. Nilanthi Kulasekara has over 25 years of veterinary experience, including 20 years in emergency medicine. Dr. Audrey Buatois has practiced emergency and urgent care since 2018, and Dr. Julie Lowe has a strong interest in emergency medicine.