News

WOBURN, MA – March 2023: Ethos Veterinary Health is excited to announce the opening of its first Veterinary Urgent Care facility in New Hampshire. The practice, located in the Daniel Webster Shops Plaza near Panda Express, will serve pet owners with same-day and next-day appointments for dogs and cats needing medical attention.

Urgent care facilities are an adjunct service to primary care veterinarians and critical care emergency hospitals. They typically open later in the day and evening to care for pets in stable condition who need immediate veterinary attention after their primary veterinarian has closed.

Pet Emergencies and Urgent Care: Wait Times

At an emergency veterinary facility, pets are triaged to determine whose issues are the most serious and who should be seen first. On arrival, a veterinary technician takes a brief history, assesses your pet’s condition, and uses this information to decide on the urgency of your pet’s condition and prioritizes them in relation to other patients. Once the most urgent cases are stable, an emergency veterinarian evaluates your pet.

All pets who visit an urgent care clinic are in stable condition, so your pet will be seen at their scheduled appointment time, eliminating long waiting periods at an ER hospital. Having a scheduled appointment can help reduce stress and anxiety for you and your pet.

Conditions we Treat at Urgent Pet Care Clinics

Common issues that veterinary urgent care facilities address include:

• Gastrointestinal (GI) upset — If your pet vomits or has one diarrhea episode and seems perfectly normal, you can wait to talk to your usual veterinarian, but if they have an excessive episode or are exhibiting other signs, such as fever or a behavior change, your pet should be seen at an urgent care practice.

• Eye abnormalities — Eye injuries can escalate quickly, and your pet with a red, squinty eye or excessive eye discharge should be evaluated at an urgent care practice.

• Wounds — Small lacerations and punctures can be addressed at an urgent care facility, but large wounds and those bleeding excessively should be treated at an emergency hospital.

• Ear infections — Ear infections can be extremely painful for pets and, left untreated, can lead to serious consequences, such as hearing loss and neurologic complications.

• Broken nails — A broken nail can be extremely painful and bleed excessively, and the nail bed can become infected without proper treatment. If your pet breaks their nail, schedule a same-day appointment at an urgent care practice.

If you are unsure about the type of care your pet needs, call ahead, and describe your pet’s condition to an urgent care team member, who will determine where your pet can receive the most appropriate care. In some cases, they may divert you to a local veterinary emergency hospital.

The new veterinary urgent care in Nashua will be a valuable resource for pet owners to ensure their four-legged friends get the care they need when they need it.