KNOW BEFORE YOU GO: Understanding The Different Levels Of Veterinary Care

HEALTH & WELLNESS

WRITTEN BY JEANNE TAYLOR, Staff Writer

Navigating the complex healthcare system in America can be daunting to the average consumer. There are a multitude of plan types and services, requirements for referrals for diagnostics and specialty care, different facility types to consider – the list seems endless and that’s before you even consider quality of care!

As any pet guardian will attest, it seems no different when it comes to our pets. We are tasked with the ultimate responsibility, which is caring for creatures who cannot speak for themselves. They can’t tell you why they aren’t well, or how they injured themselves. You just have to know your pet so you can identify when it’s ‘go-time.’

There are four main levels of veterinary care –let’s take a look:

Primary Care – this is your regular vet who you see for wellness visits and care, spay/neuter, vaccine updates, routine bloodwork and other complaints that can often wait a day or two. Many clinics these days maintain in-house labs and other diagnostic offerings, reducing the need for additional third-party visits.

In this same category, you will find three types of vets: traditional, holistic, and integrative, which is a combination of traditional and holistic, and can be viewed as a vet having one foot each in eastern and western medicine. Many pet parents choose to utilize a lower cost wellness practice for their pet’s primary care. In this scenario, patients are often walk-ins (first come first served) and wait times may be longer. Only you know which type will align with your preference for care.

The next care level is urgent care. These stepup facilities are popping up all over, thankfully, to meet the need for a more affordable option of after-hours care for our pets. It rarely fails - our pets often become sick or injured five minutes after their regular vet closes for the day! The urgent care veterinary clinics serve as a bridge supporting you and your pet in the hours when you are unable to see your regular vet. Dr. Anastasio of Acute Pet Urgent Care further clarified, “There is significant crossover between what urgent care and emergency centers can provide when your pet is in need. Urgent care practices are viewed as a more economical option than rushing to the emergency room if a condition or injury doesn’t seem immediately life threatening. They offer a convenient and streamlined approach through both appointment and walk-in availability.” Once treated and released, they will often refer you back to your vet for follow-up the next day or as soon as you can be seen, or they will stabilize and send you to the emergency vet nearest to you.

But when your pet is suffering, and you recognize they are truly not themselves, or when they are obviously painful, a 24/7 emergency vet is what you will pop in your GPS as you jump in the car. Consumers report the costs of emergency care can sting – another great reason to consider pet insurance. But as with human medicine, critical care is just that: critical – defined as “having the potential to become disastrous; at a point of crisis.” Locally, we have three emergency veterinary practices – one is true 24/7/365 care; the other two sometimes are not open at times due to staffing shortages.

Always call ahead to verify an ER’s open status so as not to waste precious time in emergency situations. Note: In an ER, the most critical patients will always be treated first (determined by triage) so if your pet presents as stable, your wait may be longer while other more distressed pets are seen.

Lastly, there are specialty vets, those practicing in niche areas such as oncology, neurology, ophthalmology, orthopedics and more. You likely won’t see a specialty vet without a referral from your primary or another veterinarian providing care during distress.

“AcutePet Urgent Care offers a more affordable and convenient alternative to ER visits for unexpected issues with your pet. We’re here to provide immediate attention for things like infections, injuries, gastrointestinal upset, or respiratory issues, all while saving you time and reducing stress for both families and pets. With a compassionate, streamlined approach, we can get your pet back to feeling better without the long wait and high costs often associated with emergency care,” according to Dr. Anastasio.

The following information is not intended to diagnose or treat a condition, or to offer any medical/veterinary advice. These lists are not all-inclusive as to conditions warranting care.

While really knowing your pet is key, there are tell-tale signs your pet may be in an immediate life-threatening situation requiring an ER visit, including, but not limited to:

• Serious traumatic injury – i.e., car strike or other trauma

• Obvious or suspected broken bones or acute (non-medical) amputation

• Excessive bleeding via wound or other output

• Labored breathing, stopped breathing, cardiac arrest

• Sudden loss of consciousness

• Heatstroke

• Paralysis

• Choking

• Seizures (active, ongoing)

• Snake bites

• Severe lethargy

• Distressed labor/delivery

Like human medicine, urgent care can help your pet through serious, but perhaps not life-threatening concerns such as the following; there are certainly more conditions that could be considered urgent as well:

• Traumatic injuries

• Infections – urinary tract, ear, eye, upper respiratory

• Coughing, sneezing

• Runny nose

• Eye irritations, redness, swelling

• GI complaints – vomiting, regurgitation, diarrhea

• Sting (bee)

• Hives, swelling, vaccine or other reactions

• Rashes, skin issues

• Snake bites

• Seizures

• Accidental poison/toxin ingestion

• Lameness, limping, torn or broken nails

• Back injury/pain

• Bottom scooting

• Wounds

• Lethargy

• Refusing food/water or excessive drinking/ overeating

• Euthanasia/end-of-life care

Your primary care vet will know your pet best. They will see them regularly throughout the year and can monitor trends in your pet’s health. If you have a pet, you NEED a vet, plain and simple.

And while we hope your pet never has to experience care beyond routine, it’s important to understand the other resources that are available should you need them.

Inclusion on the list should not be construed as an endorsement of any listed resource.

Thank you to Dr. John Anastasio, Chief Veterinary Medical Officer at AcutePet Urgent Care, for reviewing this article prior to publication.■

VETERINARY EMERGENCY HOSPITALS (always call ahead!)

VEG ER

2183 N. Highway 17, Mount Pleasant SC 843-879-4280

Blue Pearl Pet Hospital (two locations)

985 Johnnie Dodds Blvd, Mount Pleasant, SC & 319 East 3rd North Street, Summerville, SC 843-216-7554

Charleston Veterinary Referral Center 3484 Shelby Ray Court, Charleston SC 843-614-8387

URGENT CARE FACILITIES

Acute Pet Urgent Care

966 Houston Northcutt Blvd, Suite E., Mount Pleasant, SC

843-625-6690 (2nd location opening May 2025 in Summerville)

Island Pet Urgent Care

2817 Maybank Highway, Johns Island 843-386-5404

PetMedic Urgent Care (opening late April 2025)

695 Johnnie Dodds Boulevard, Suite 100, Mount Pleasant, SC

PawMed Veterinary Urgent Care (two locations)

1200 Sam Rittenburg Blvd. Suite B2, Charleston SC

102 Gosling Way, Suites C and D, Summerville SC (Carnes Crossroads)

843-895-3513