Open nights, weekends and holidays, services at UrgentVet are significantly less than at vet ER
Tampa, FL (June 29, 2023) – UrgentVet, the first dedicated urgent care clinic for pets, announced today it is expanding its footprint in Southwest Florida. The company will open a new clinic in Fort Myers and begin serving pets and pet parents on Thursday, July 6.
UrgentVet emphasizes compassion, affordability and convenience within its business model. The groundbreaking concept offers a new solution by bridging the gap between primary practices and 24-hour emergency vets. Open nights, weekends and holidays, the company’s clinics offer pets relief for mild illnesses and minor injuries with rates significantly more affordable than comparable services at an emergency pet hospital.
Located at 6880 Daniels Parkway, Suite 2, UrgentVet-Fort Myers sits along one of the city’s most heavily trafficked routes and is easily accessible via U.S. 41 or Interstate-75. The clinic is 3,000 square feet with three exam rooms exclusively for small dogs, three for large dogs and two for cats.
“Like many places along Florida’s Gulf Coast, the Fort Myers area is best known as a top beach destination–but it’s also an incredible place to be a pet-parent,” said Dr. Jim Dobies, DVM and Founder of UrgentVet. “It became very clear early on in our researching process that this is a community that is pet-friendly and pet-focused, and we couldn’t be happier to now be part of that.”
The Fort Myers clinic comes on the heels of the debut of another Southwest Florida location, with UrgentVet opening its Naples clinic in April. UrgentVet now has 14 Florida clinics and 45 overall.
Along with species- and size-specific exam rooms, UrgentVet-Fort Myers is intentionally outfitted with non-slip flooring, dimmable lighting, soothing colors, soft music, calming pheromones and quiet exam lift tables, all in support of creating a fear-free experience. The clinic also has revolutionary tempered glass pet enclosures from Casco that are 70% quieter than metal cages—a design cue that helps make the enclosures the most Fear-Free product on the market today. As an added nod to pet comfort, all staff members at the clinic have received unique training to become Fear-Free-certified professionals.
As is the case with all UrgentVet locations, the clinic’s treatment area features an in-house laboratory and state-of-the-art equipment, including digital radiography and ultrasound technology.
Along with veterinary staffing shortages resulting in longer wait times and limited care options, the impacts of a continued economic downturn are also a major cause for concern in the industry. Nearly 50% of pet parents say they’ve decided to forego or delay veterinary treatments amidst inflation.
“An unexpected injury or illness can be a traumatic experience for both the pet and pet parent,” Dr. Dobies added. “Our hope is that our arrival helps to eliminate at least some of that stress for those in and around Fort Myers.”
Positioned to provide care for common conditions that require immediate attention but aren’t serious enough for hospitalization, UrgentVet treats vomiting, diarrhea, limping, itching, coughing, not eating, minor wounds, back pain and more.
With all of its clinics, UrgentVet aims to develop strong relationships with neighboring primary care veterinarians, a practice that clinic staff has already started. Approximately 90% of pets seen at UrgentVet are treated on site and referred to their primary vet with a detailed letter and records for follow-up care.
For more information, please visit UrgentVet.com.
About UrgentVet
Founded in Charlotte, North Carolina, by Dr. Jim Dobies in 2015 and owned by American Veterinary Group, UrgentVet is the first dedicated urgent care clinic for pets. Offering after-hours services, its clinics provide pet owners, or pet parents as UrgentVet refers to them, with an affordable and convenient alternative to 24-hour emergency vets. It offers immediate relief for mild illnesses and injuries in dogs and cats with rates that are more affordable than comparable services at emergency vet hospitals. For more information, please visit UrgentVet.com.
For more information, please contact:
Josh Hall | Sage & Sterling Communications
P: 813-884-9333