NARRAGANSETT — A new veterinary clinic plans to open later this spring in Narragansett as needs for veterinary care increase following the aging of many pets acquired during the pandemic years.
Many people during COVID acquired pets to ease the solitary nature of home confinement during the early days of the disease. Now those pets are aging and in need of increased veterinary care.
Called the Veterinary Urgent Care Center, it will be located at 91 Point Judith Road and will provide general and emergency services, according to Dr. Christie D’Andrea, founder of VUCC. It will be one of eight VUCC locations in Massachusetts and Rhode Island.
“The Narragansett community is one that is very similar to our Plymouth, Massachusetts location, where there is a large spike in the number of people who live and vacation there in the summer months,” she said.
“We want to be a good partner to the general practices in the area when their pets need same-day care and another option for folks when they don’t need to visit emergency medical centers for non-emergent injuries and illnesses,” she added.
Recent industry trends indicate that the U.S. veterinary market has been experiencing growth, which includes an increase in the number of new veterinary clinics. Several factors contribute to this trend:
Rising Pet Ownership: The pandemic saw a significant increase in pet adoption, which in turn boosted demand for veterinary services.
Increased Focus on Pet Health: With pets increasingly considered family members, owners are more willing to invest in preventive and specialized care.
Market Investment and Consolidation: The veterinary sector has also seen more investment and consolidation, which can facilitate the opening of new clinics in both urban and suburban areas.
D’Andrea, who worked in general practice and for emergency medical centers, started her own practice in 2017 in Quincy, MA. It was also an urgent care clinic with five employees and herself that featured an after-hours hospital from 3-10 p.m.
The COVID boom in pet ownership really spurred growth, and now VUCC has eight clinics, including the soon-to-open Narragansett site. The company’s only other Rhode Island clinic is in East Providence while the other seven are located in Massachusetts communities Braintree, Dedham, Easton, Plymouth, Saugus and Worcester.
In 2021, VUCC partnered with Southern Veterinary Partners, and VUCC is part of its network of nearly 400 affiliated veterinary hospitals and pet resorts in 25 states.
D’Andrea is a graduate of Tufts Veterinary School of Medicine and has been in the Northeast for 20 years. Her training and experience have brought many different circumstances to her attention.
“We see a variety of different cases, and our goal is to be a resource for anything that a pet owner may need help with. We can see anything from vaccines to ear infections to urinary tract problems to mild to moderate vomiting and diarrhea, etc.,” D’Andrea explained.
In some cases, the clinic will be able to offer surgical services for uterine infections and foreign bodies that pets like to eat that cannot pass. It also will be equipped with a radiology suite for imaging and can run several diagnostics, including blood and urine, in-house, she said.
“We also have point-of-care ultrasound in our office to help our team give a thorough examination and guide therapeutic intervention,” D’Andrea noted. Subspecialties such as internal medicine and orthopedics will not be available at this site. Those will require a referral to veterinarians offering the services.
She also pointed out that since the clinic will not be open 24 hours, staff will help triage pets to 24/7 emergency medical centers if they need critical care.
“During our business hours, we have a veterinarian on staff at all times. There will be times during the busy summer and on higher volume days when we may have a swing and/or double doctors to meet the needs,” she said.
“We always recommend folks check our website (veturgentcare.com) and click ‘Book Online Now’ to see our hours. We do offer walk-in services daily as well,” D’Andrea added.
Costs of treatment for pets can be high and can reach into the thousands of dollars for those with complicated conditions for which they can be treated, allowing owners to avoid putting them down.
D’Andrea suggested owners consider pet insurance if they qualify, but her clinic is not affiliated with insurers.
It will have CareCredit applications at the clinic. She said that the base exam fee will be $162, and staff will assist pet owners with understanding both care and payment options before treatment begins.
Office hours will be Monday to Friday, 9 a.m.-10 p.m., and Saturday and Sunday from 11 a.m.-6 p.m.
“We are aiming for the end of May. Construction is moving along, and we will have a confirmed date sometime in April. We will be up and running just as the summer kicks off!” she said.
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