Urgent Care
When your pet is in distress, it can be challenging to think clearly. Pet owners want the best for their pets, including seeking the treatment they need. Until recently, there weren’t many options for veterinary services, but Den Herder Veterinary Hospital is excited to offer urgent care services from 4pm – 8pm on Monday – Friday and from 10am – 4pm on Saturdays.
Give us a call at (319) 232-5292. We will also accept walk in appointments on a triage basis.
If your pet is experiencing a medical emergency outside of our business hours, please see the list of emergency referral clinics we have put together for your pet here.
Urgent Care vs. Emergency Care
What Cases Will We See?
- Minor Injuries: cuts, scrapes, bite wounds, lacerations, soft tissue injuries, minor orthopedic injuries
- Gastrointestinal Issues: vomiting or diarrhea, dehydration, ingestion of non-toxic foreign objects
- Mild Respiratory Problems: coughing, sneezing, allergic reactions, mild respiratory difficulty
- Skin Conditions: hot spots, rashes, allergic reactions, ear infections, skin infections, contact dermatitis
- Urinary Issues: difficulty urinating, blood in the urine, urinary tract infections
- Eye conditions: conjunctivitis, minor eye injuries/irritation, corneal ulcers
- Pain management: post surgical discomfort, mild trauma related pain
- Behavioral Concerns: sudden changes in behavior, anxiety or stress related symptoms, unusual lethargy
- Vaccination Reactions
- Parasite Infestations: flea or tick infestations, intestinal parasite infections
- Post surgical concerns: suture concerns, minor post-op infections
- Toxicities
- Mild seizures or neurologic changes: falling over, loss of coordination
- General health concerns: sudden changes in appetite or drinking habits
Emergency veterinary hospitals prioritize and treat patients based on their symptoms or condition severity. Any patient needing medical attention but not in a life-threatening situation may be asked to wait.
An urgent care situation involves issues that need medical attention but are not life-threatening. These patients might be uncomfortable, but they are stable and can be seen at regular appointments.
Doctors in emergency hospitals use the patient severity index to decipher your pet’s condition. This index includes the following levels:
- Level one: Resuscitation – the patient is seen before all others, exhibiting a severe physical trauma or cardiac arrest.
- Level two: Emergent – these traumas are not life-threatening but are time-sensitive, including a venomous snake bite and heat stroke.
- Level three: Urgent – these patients are seen after levels one and two are taken care of. Examples of urgent care include sudden illness, severe cuts, vomiting, trouble walking, allergic reactions or difficulty urinating.
- Level four: Non-urgent – minor cuts, prolonged low appetite, limping, fever, and mild injuries are non-urgent conditions can be treated after the first three levels.
- Level five: Stable – the patient is uncomfortable but stable, experiencing diarrhea, low appetite, ear infection, or skin irritation.
As a rule of thumb, pets in the first two levels should be taken to the emergency room. Levels three through five can receive veterinary urgent care services.
