Every pet owner has experienced that moment of uncertainty.
Your cat suddenly starts squinting one eye. Your puppy has swallowed something it shouldn’t have, and your regular veterinarian has already closed for the day. Your first thought is simple: “What do I do now?”
Those moments of uncertainty are exactly why I returned home to Arkansas to open Animal Urgent Care of Bentonville.
I’ve spent my career practicing veterinary medicine across the United States and abroad, and no matter where I practiced, I saw the same dilemma. When something unexpected happened after hours, pet owners were left with two choices: wait until their family veterinarian reopened, or seek care at a 24-hour emergency hospital.
Neither option was ideal for every situation.
As veterinarians, we all share the same goal: getting pets the care they need as quickly as possible. But I saw a consistent gap between routine wellness care and emergency medicine—one that left families unsure of where to turn. Opening Animal Urgent Care of Bentonville was my opportunity to help fill that gap. Just as importantly, I wanted owners to feel informed at every step–providing clarity and reassurance during some of the most stressful moments a pet owner will face.
Understanding the Three Levels of Veterinary Care
There are three levels of care—primary care, urgent care, and emergency medicine—that work together to support a pet’s health.
Primary Care
Primary care is the foundation of a pet’s long-term health and wellness, focused on prevention, early detection, and ongoing quality of life. Your primary care veterinarian is your partner in routine health management. These visits include wellness examinations once or twice a year, vaccinations, parasite prevention, dental care, and elective procedures such as spay and neuter surgeries or scheduled mass removals. They also include guidance on nutrition, behavior, weight management, and chronic disease monitoring.
Urgent Care
Urgent care exists for medical issues that cannot wait for a routine appointment but are not necessarily life-threatening emergencies. This is the role our hospital was designed to fill. Many conditions improve significantly when treated early. Common urgent care cases include eye irritation such as redness or squinting, coughing without labored breathing, bite wounds, lameness, broken nails, ear infections, skin infections, and allergic reactions. We also frequently evaluate minor snake bites, single seizure events in stable patients, and early suspected toxin or foreign body ingestion. Urgent care helps determine whether a pet can safely return home or requires escalation to emergency care.
Emergency Medicine
Emergency medicine is reserved for the most serious situations requiring immediate intervention. These include toxin or foreign body ingestion when more than three hours have passed. It also includes labored breathing, collapse, or unconsciousness, as well as major trauma. Pets unable to stand or walk, those with multiple snake bites, or those experiencing difficult labor require immediate emergency attention. Neurologic emergencies such as continuous seizure activity are also life-threatening and require immediate care.
Understanding where to seek care is only part of the equation. Equally important is recognizing when your pet is trying to tell you something is wrong.
Decoding Your Pet’s Behavior
As veterinarians, we evaluate a moment in time using physical exams, diagnostics, and medical history. But pet owners live with their animals every day and notice subtle changes long before they become obvious.
- Not greeting you at the door.
- Changes in appetite or energy.
- Social behavior changes, like hiding.
- Something seems “off.”
If your instincts tell you something isn’t right, trust them. I would always rather evaluate a pet that turns out to be okay than have an owner wait too long out of uncertainty.
A Community Resource for Pet Owners
Every wagging tail, every purr, and every loyal companion reflects a bond built on trust and care. Returning home to Arkansas to open Animal Urgent Care of Bentonville allowed me to build the kind of hospital I wished more communities had—a place where families could find answers when they needed them most. My hope is that every family leaves feeling informed, supported, and confident in the decisions they make for their pet.