Walking through an Urgent Care Visit at VET CROSS

We are a completely walk in hospital with no 'scheduled' appointments, so we can see you and your pet any time we're open! However, if you call ahead of time and give us some basic information, we can add your pet to the active patient list to be seen and usually reduce your wait time. Please keep in mind that true emergencies will always take precedence over more stable patients, so we always appreciate your patience when these cases arrive! It's also possible that we will pause or stop intaking patients towards the end of a shift if we are experiencing an overload of more critical cases or surgical procedures in order to dedicate our full attention to these cases. 

Upon arrival, one of our staff members will confirm you and your pet's information, and obtain relevant history regarding your concern and prior medical history for your pet. A veterinary assistant or technician will triage your pet to obtain vitals (weight, temperature, heartrate). If there is an anticipated wait before your pet is evaluated by the veterinarian, you can wait for your visit in our comfortable lobby or in your vehicle with your pet. We will reach out via text or in person when your room is ready!

Upon entering the exam room, a veterinary nurse will prepare the doctor for your visit and share your concerns. The veterinarian will come in and perform a comprehensive examination of your pet, then discuss initial thoughts and recommendations.  The veterinary nurse will assist in creating and reviewing a financial estimate for any recommended diagnostics or treatments.

If recommended and approved by you, the veterinary nurse may borrow your pet to obtain samples for additional diagnostics (this may include blood, urine, feces, or obtaining images for radiology) and get these tests running. Our staff are highly skilled at venipuncture and restraint, so you can rest assured we will provide the least stressful and most efficient experience possible.

After receiving diagnostic results, the veterinarian will discuss a treatment plan. This may include outpatient care, prescription medications, or potentially a drop off with hospitalization or sedation/surgical intervention if indicated. The veterinary nurse team will provide you with an updated estimate and ensure your approval and understanding before proceeding with any treatments. The treatments may be performed in the room with you, or your pet may be taken to our treatment area to perform and any dispensed medications will be filled (or a written prescription provided for some cases).

You will financially check out for your visit, the veterinary nurse will review all medication instructions, and you will receive typed out discharge notes (either printed, or emailed to you) for a summary of services provided and medical notes regarding your visit. We will also send these notes to your primary care veterinarian, if given this information at check in. We will provide a recommended date for recheck (if indicated) and offer a recheck visit at our facility if your primary veterinarian is unavailable.