Urgent Veterinary Care
When your pet needs immediate attention, Texas West Animal Health is here. We provide daytime urgent veterinary care for dogs and cats in Santo and throughout Palo Pinto County. Call us right away, and our team will do everything we can to get your pet seen quickly.
When Your Pet Can’t Wait
Not every health concern can be scheduled in advance. Accidents happen, symptoms come on suddenly, and sometimes you just know something isn’t right with your animal. When that happens during our clinic hours, our urgent care vet team is ready to help. We offer daytime urgent care services for pets experiencing sudden illnesses, injuries, and other urgent health concerns, and we treat every urgent situation with the same seriousness and attention we bring to every appointment.
What Our Urgent Veterinary Care Includes
Our urgent care vet services are designed to address a wide range of acute conditions in dogs and cats during clinic hours. Here’s how we approach urgent cases:
Triage and immediate evaluation
When you arrive for urgent care, our team moves quickly to assess your pet’s condition and prioritize treatment. Every urgent visit begins with:
- A rapid physical assessment to evaluate stability
- Vital sign monitoring, including heart rate, respiratory rate, and temperature
- A review of your pet’s health history—readily available for existing patients
- A clear explanation of what we’re seeing and what we recommend
Treatment and stabilization
Once we’ve assessed your pet, our urgent care vet team acts promptly to provide appropriate treatment, which may include:
- Wound care and laceration repair
- IV fluid support and stabilization
- Pain management and anti-nausea medications
- Diagnostic imaging or lab work to identify underlying causes
- Emergency medication administration
Referral coordination when needed
We will always be honest with you about what your pet needs. If your pet’s condition requires specialist care, surgical intervention, or 24-hour monitoring beyond what our clinic can provide, we’ll tell you directly and help coordinate next steps. For pets who do need pet surgical services following an urgent visit, our team is equipped to discuss that pathway and plan accordingly.
After-hours guidance
Our urgent care services are available during regular clinic hours. If your pet’s emergency falls outside those hours, our after-hours emergency clinics page provides a current list of emergency providers serving the region. We want you to always know where to turn—day or night.
Common Urgent Care Situations
Urgent pet care situations are those that require prompt attention but may not require a 24-hour emergency hospital. Some examples of conditions we see and treat include:
Trauma and injuries
- Injuries from vehicle accidents, falls, or animal attacks
- Lacerations, puncture wounds, or bite wounds requiring evaluation and repair
- Eye injuries or sudden changes in eye appearance
- Suspected fractures or severe lameness
Sudden illness
- Unexplained lethargy, collapse, or loss of coordination
- Sudden difficulty breathing or labored respiration
- Seizures or disorientation
- Suspected toxin or foreign object ingestion
- Severe allergic reactions, including facial swelling, widespread hives, or sudden intense itching following a known or suspected exposure—these may warrant a pet dermatology follow-up after stabilization.
Digestive emergencies
- Repeated vomiting or diarrhea, especially with signs of pain or blood
- Distended, hard, or painful abdomen
- Inability to keep food or water down
Urinary concerns
- Straining to urinate or crying out during urination
- Producing little to no urine—particularly in male cats, where urinary blockage can become life-threatening quickly
If you’re ever unsure whether your pet’s situation warrants urgent care, call us. We’d much rather reassure you over the phone than have you wait too long on something serious.
Signs Your Pet Needs Immediate Attention
Knowing the warning signs can make a real difference when time matters. Seek prompt veterinary attention if your pet is experiencing any of the following:
- Difficulty breathing or labored respiration
- Pale, white, blue, or grayish gums
- Suspected poisoning or toxin ingestion
- Seizures or loss of consciousness
- Inability to stand or severe loss of coordination
- Continuous or heavy bleeding
- Obvious broken bones or severe lameness
- Distended or painful abdomen
- Suspected urinary blockage, especially in male cats
- Sudden behavioral changes paired with physical symptoms
Why Having a Trusted Urgent Care Vet Matters
When a pet emergency happens, the last thing you want to do is explain your animal’s history to a team that’s never met them. Here’s why having an established relationship with an urgent care vet makes a genuine difference:
- Faster, more informed triage: Our team already knows your pet’s health history, current medications, and prior diagnoses—critical information in an urgent situation.
- Continuity from urgent care to follow-up: If your pet needs follow-up treatment or a recheck after their urgent visit, there’s no gap in care—the same team handles it. Our ongoing pet wellness checks also help us maintain a complete picture of your pet’s health.
- Dental and surgical context: Pets who have received dental services or surgical services at our clinic have records on file that directly inform how we approach urgent situations involving those areas.
- Coordinated large animal and companion animal care: For clients with both livestock and companion animals, our mixed animal practice means urgent care for your dog or cat is handled by the same team providing your large animal services—no starting over with someone new.
- Familiar faces reduce stress: For pets who board with us or visit regularly, our clinic is already a known environment—which can meaningfully reduce anxiety during an already stressful situation.
- Transparent referral process: When specialist care is needed, we facilitate that transition clearly and quickly—because our goal is always your pet’s best outcome.
Urgent Pet Care From a Team That Knows Your Animal
Urgent health concerns can be unpredictable, but the quality of care your pet receives doesn’t have to be. At Texas West Animal Health, our urgent care vet services are delivered by the same team responsible for your pet’s wellness exams, dental care, surgical procedures, and long-term health management.
Pet owners across the Santo area and throughout Palo Pinto County know they can call us when something goes wrong, and that call will be answered by a team ready to help.
FAQs About Urgent Veterinary Care
Should I call before coming in for urgent care?
Yes—please call ahead whenever possible. Giving us advance notice allows our team to prepare for your pet’s arrival and provide guidance on any immediate steps to take on the way in. Our number is (940) 769-2222.
Do I need to be an existing client to receive urgent care?
No. If your pet needs immediate attention, please don’t hesitate to call. We’ll do our best to help regardless of whether we’ve seen your pet before. New clients are welcome to complete our new client form online when appropriate, but if your pet needs immediate attention, please call us first.
What if my pet needs more care than you can provide?
We’ll be straightforward with you. If your pet’s condition requires a level of care beyond what we can provide—whether that’s specialist surgery, intensive overnight monitoring, or advanced imaging—we’ll tell you clearly and help you get to the right place as quickly as possible.
Can you handle urgent care for large animals?
Our urgent care services are primarily focused on companion animals—dogs and cats. For large animal emergencies, please call our team directly, and we’ll advise you on the best course of action based on your situation.