Why Urgent Care is the Next Frontier for Veterinary Practices
In human healthcare, urgent care has become a permanent fixture. Over the past two decades, the number of human urgent care centers in the U.S. has grown to more than 10,700, filling the space between primary care and the emergency room. Many in veterinary medicine believe a similar path is now underway. For general practice (GP) owners, urgent care represents both a service opportunity and a financial lever to strengthen practice performance and long-term value.
A Gap Between GP and ER
Most GPs already treat urgent cases during the day—ear infections, vomiting, lameness, and allergic reactions. The clinical skills are familiar, and the care is routine. The difficulty is timing. Once the doors close at 6 p.m. or on weekends, pet owners are left with no option other than the emergency hospital.
The consequence is inefficiency. Studies estimate that up to 40% of ER cases are urgent rather than emergent, diverting resources from true emergencies. For pet owners, this means long waits and high bills for conditions that could be handled in a GP setting. For ERs, it creates overcrowding. For GPs, it represents lost revenue.
Evidence of Growth
Urgent care has emerged to bridge this gap. UrgentVet has expanded from one clinic in 2015 to more than 80 locations across 20 states. Bond Vet, founded in 2019, operates over 55 clinics with substantial private equity backing. VCA (Mars) has launched an urgent care division with plans to open more than 100 clinics nationwide. Ethos/NVA and VetCheck are pursuing similar strategies.
The drivers mirror those in human healthcare: unmet demand, client willingness to pay for access, and investor recognition of the opportunity. While the total number of veterinary urgent care clinics is still modest, growth is accelerating. Most observers expect this model to become a standard part of the care continuum.
Why Clients Value Urgent Care
Cost and convenience are the main drivers. Emergency hospitals are priced for critical cases, with exam fees exceeding $100–200 and bills reaching hundreds or thousands of dollars. GPs remain the lowest cost option, with exams averaging $50–75, but their hours are limited. Urgent care sits in the middle, with exam fees in the $75–150 range and total bills 20–50% lower than ER for the same conditions.
For clients, this balance is attractive: timely access after hours at a price point that feels fair. For practices, it creates an opportunity to capture revenue that currently flows to ERs, while reinforcing client loyalty.
Strategic Implications for GP Owners
Urgent care is not a departure from general practice—it is an extension of it. The cases are the same as those seen daily; the difference is availability. By extending hours into evenings and weekends, practices can increase patient volume, generate incremental revenue, and improve profits. Because urgent care can be delivered from the existing facility, capital costs are low compared to opening a new clinic.
For owners considering an exit within the next five years, these economics matter. Higher revenues and stronger profits enhance practice value and appeal to buyers. Just as human urgent care reshaped access to healthcare, veterinary urgent care is positioned to do the same. Practices that act now will be better positioned to compete, retain clients, and realize higher exit value.
