Urgent Care for dogs and cats in Ottawa

Open Thursday, Friday & Saturday, 2:00pm - 12:00am

Sometimes your pet needs to be seen today — not because they're in crisis, but because something is clearly wrong and waiting isn't the right answer. That's what our Urgent Care service is here for.

Urgent Care at Cedarview Animal Hospital in Ottawa is designed for dogs and cats with time-sensitive conditions that need same-day attention, but aren't currently life-threatening or in need of intensive monitoring. It fills the gap between your regular vet appointment and a full emergency hospital visit, giving Barrhaven, and Ottawa-area pet owners somewhere to turn when primary vet equivalent is closed and your pet can't wait until morning.

Our urgent care veterinary team can examine your pet, manage pain, run diagnostics including bloodwork and radiographs, and start treatment on the spot. If your pet turns out to need a higher level of care than we can provide, we'll stabilize them and arrange a smooth transfer to a 24/7 emergency hospital. You'll never be left to figure out the next step alone.

Urgent Care vs. Emergency: What’s the Difference?

Urgent care and emergency care aren't the same thing, and knowing the difference can save you time and stress when your pet is unwell.

URGENT CARE - CEDARVIEW

Time-sensitive, but not immediately life-threatening

Your pet is clearly not well, but they're alert, breathing comfortably, and not in immediate danger. They need to be seen today, not in a week, but not in the next ten minutes either.

EMERGENCY - 24/7 ER HOSPITAL

Immediately life-threatening

Your pet is collapsed, not breathing normally, seizing, in shock, or rapidly declining. Emergency hospitals have round-the-clock critical care teams and the equipment for intensive monitoring and intervention.

Not sure which one your pet needs? Give us a call and describe what you are seeing. We'll help you decide the safest next step — even if that means directing you somewhere else.

Common Examples: Who to Call

The table below gives a general sense of which situations tend to be a fit for urgent care versus an emergency hospital. Every pet is different, and our team triages each patient individually, so when in doubt, call us.

Go to Emergency (ER)

  • Bloat / unproductive retching in deep-chested breeds (eg. Dobermans, Great Danes, Irish Wolfhounds, etc.)

  • Severe bloody diarrhea

  • Severe burns

  • Anaphylaxis (swelling of the airway, collapse, vomiting)

  • Hit by car with difficulty breathing, obvious broken bones, unconsciousness

  • Uncontrolled bleeding

  • Severe eye trauma

  • Severe head trauma

  • Seizures that won’t stop, or occur multiple times in a row

  • Blue, grey or white gums

  • Antifreeze ingestion

  • Ingestion of ADHD medications, cocaine or stimulants

  • Collapse and unconsciousness

Come See Us (Urgent Care)

  • Vomiting

  • Mild to moderate diarrhea

  • Bloody diarrhea (unless severe)

  • Constipation

  • Suspected swallowing of a foreign object

  • Hot spots or skin infections

  • Ear infections

  • Mild facial swelling

  • Broken nails

  • Cuts and lacerations, dog bites

  • Abscesses

  • Porcupine quills

  • Limping

  • Mild eye irritation or inflammation

  • Blood in urine

  • Mild cough

  • Mild increase in breathing rate

  • Cannabis / THC exposure (if not seizing)

  • Chocolate ingestion

  • Grape / raisin ingestion

  • Vaginal discharge

  • Whelping (birthing concerns) if there is not active distress or prolonged straining

This table is a general guide, not a definitive list. Our team assesses every patient individually — some cases that look like emergencies may be safely managed in urgent care after triage, and some cases may turn out to need more intensive care once we've had a look. When in doubt, call us first.

If your pet needs emergency care, we'll get them there. If we assess your pet and determine they need a higher level of care, we'll stabilize them, run any diagnostics that will help the receiving team, and arrange a transfer to a 24/7 emergency hospital. You won't be navigating that on your own.

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What to Expect When You Arrive

01

Check-In

Let our front desk team know you're here and give a brief description of what's going on with your pet.

02

Triage

Our registered veterinary technician will assess your pet to prioritize care based on urgency.

03

Examination

Our urgent care veterinarian will examine your pet and talk through what they're finding with you.

04

Treatment & Next Steps

We'll start treatment, run diagnostics as needed, and make sure you leave with a clear plan — or arrange next steps if more care is needed.

Urgent Care is available Thursday, Friday and Saturday, 2:00 PM to 12:00 AM at our Nepean location. Please call ahead to let us know you are coming so we can best prepare for your pet’s arrival. Walk-ins are welcome, and will be triaged accordingly. If you're unsure whether your pet's situation is right for urgent care or needs an emergency hospital, give us a call at 613-825-5001 and we'll help you figure out the best next step.

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