“Oh my! Is that really the color of my coat? It used to be such a luxurious chocolate, which is how my people came up with my name. What dog can proudly bear the name Coco, when all you notice is that gray muzzle?!”

Desperate to return her beautiful brown coat to its former glory, Coco the aging chocolate Labrador devises a plan.

“Hmmmm, flamingos eat certain shrimp to keep their feathers pink… I bet I could gobble down some brown treats to get rid of my gray!”

Services at Urgent Pet Care Omaha

At Urgent Pet Care Omaha, our services are meant to fill the gaps when your family veterinarian is unavailable during an emergency situation. We do not issue routine treatments, such as vaccinations, dental cleanings, spays, or neuters. But, if your pet experiences an emergency—like the chocolate ingestion situation with our friend Coco—we’re here to help. “Routine” situations we see include:

  • Gastrointestinal distress, such as vomiting and diarrhea
  • Lacerations and wounds
  • Pain
  • Limping
  • Skin or ear issues
  • Lethargy
  • Inappetence
  • Seizures
  • Pets hit by cars

What to expect in an emergency situation

As loving pet owners ourselves, we know there’s nothing more terrifying than when pets need immediate care. That’s why we’re available outside normal veterinary hours. While appointments aren’t required, we’d love a call giving us a heads-up so we can prepare for your pet’s emergency, but we understand there isn’t always time. When we know an emergency is on the way, we prepare as much as possible based on the size, species, and condition of the pet, and then:

  1. We triage patients as they come in. Since many emergency appointments walk in the door without a call, we evaluate the stability and condition of each pet to determine the most critical of cases. Occasionally, our emergency center may be packed full of pets with life-threatening illnesses. If your pet is stable, your wait time may be longer than we’d like while we work diligently to care for the more critical patients.
  2. Each pet is examined by a veterinarian after being triaged by our support staff.
  3. After a physical examination, our veterinarian will discuss recommended testing, treatment options, and the cost of care. A treatment plan with the estimated cost will be designed based on the options discussed.
  4. Prompt medical treatment is necessary in a crisis. During the entire course of treatment, we will stay in close contact with you regarding any change in your pet’s status.

In Coco’s case, immediate care was required to prevent the chocolate toxicity from escalating. Already showing cardiac signs, she moved to the top of the list, edging out a cat with an ear mite infection and a dog with a cough.

Hours and location

Between our two locations, we are almost always available to care for your pet in times of need. Our Papillion office has recently moved to a new building, allowing us more opportunities to provide pet health care. Regardless of location, our services offered will be the same, but the hours will be different. When in doubt, call for availability.

Papillion hours and location
8455 South 73rd Plaza, Papillion, Nebraska
402-597-2911

    • Monday–Friday: 8 a.m.–1 a.m.
    • Saturday: 8 a.m.–12 a.m.
    • Sunday and holidays: 7 a.m.–10 p.m.

Millard hours and location
4257 South 144th Street, Omaha, Nebraska
402-991-9444

    • Monday–Friday: 5 p.m.–1 a.m.
    • Saturday: 8 a.m.–12 a.m.
    • Sunday and holidays: 7 a.m.–10 p.m.

With our daytime hours at our Papillion location, we are able to help more pets in need. And, as always, we will still continue to dispense quality, affordable, emergency pet care on nights, weekends, and holidays at both locations.

“After scarfing down a bar and a half of the baking chocolate my human was using to make cookies, I wasn’t feeling so great. I could feel my heart beating out of my chest, and I was really shaky, like I had been chasing squirrels all day. I felt so bad, I even threw up all over my mom’s favorite rug. She rushed me to Urgent Pet Care in Papillion straight away! They gave me medicine to settle my tummy and fluids to remove all the nasty toxins they said the chocolate gave me. I guess my hair dye plan was a flop. I think this whole situation even caused a few more gray hairs on my head! My mom told me I was turning her hair gray, too… I’m so thankful to Urgent Pet Care for making me feel much better!” *

When devising an emergency plan for your pet, be sure to add the phone numbers for both our locations to your list of contacts.

 

*Obviously dogs can’t type. But, if Coco could tell her story, we’re sure this is what she would have said.