Editor’s note: The University of Illinois Veterinary Teaching Hospital is a sponsor of Chambanamoms.com.
By Dr. Canaan Shores, University of Illinois Veterinary Medicine
As you roll out of bed in the morning, your feet sink not into your soft carpeting but into
something cold and wet. You immediately know that your pet has had a rough night.
You call your veterinarian’s office, only to learn that they’d love to help you, but the doctor is
double-booked all day. What can you do?
One option when you need same-day care for your pet is to see the urgent and convenient care
service at the University of Illinois Veterinary Teaching Hospital. And don’t worry — we always
inform your primary care veterinarian of the visit and any follow-up care that may be needed.
For many years in Champaign-Urbana, if a pet required medical attention and could not be seen
by their primary care veterinarian, the only option was to visit an emergency service, like the
one open around-the-clock at the Veterinary Teaching Hospital. When it comes to true
emergencies, there’s no better place to take your pet.
Since fall 2022, however, the urgent and convenient care service has been helping cases that
don’t require a trip to an ER. We provide an option for people to have their pet seen for a minor
illness or injury when their primary care veterinarian is not available.
We are frequently asked “When should I bring my dog/cat to the urgent and convenient care
service and when should I go to the emergency room?”
While it’s not always clear-cut, the answer is intuitive: Bring your pet to urgent and convenient
care for the same types of conditions for which you might visit your local urgent care clinic.
Conversely, take your pet to the ER for problems that would send you to a hospital’s ER.
The lists below may be helpful for further guidance.
Urgent care:
• Vomiting, diarrhea
• Mild limping
• Small wounds or cuts
• Excessive scratching of skin or ears
• Urinary problems
• Coughing, sneezing
• Eye conditions
• Low appetite and/or energy level
Emergency Room:
• Severe or persistent vomiting, diarrhea
• Severe or prolonged limping
• Severe bleeding
• Large wounds, lacerations
• Unable to urinate
• Difficulty breathing
• Collapse, seizures, loss of consciousness
• Trauma (e.g., hit by vehicle)
We know how scary it can be when a beloved pet is experiencing urgent health issues. For those
moments when your pet isn’t feeling well and you are unable to take them in to see your
primary care veterinarian, we’re here for you!
The University of Illinois Veterinary Teaching Hospital offers a full range of emergency, specialty, urgent, and primary care for dogs and cats, horses, zoological companion animals, and farm animals within its Large and Small Animal Clinics and Veterinary Medicine South Clinic.
The Urgent and Convenient Care service, led by Dr. Canaan Shores, is located in the South Clinic, 2100 South Goodwin Avenue, Urbana, across Hazelwood Drive from the Large and Small Animal Clinics. The Urgent and Convenient Care service sees dogs and cats. Its hours are Monday through Thursday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Call 217-244-2555 if you need to see the urgent care veterinarian.