Urgent Care for Dogs and Cats in
Huntington Beach

Huntington Beach Pet Hospital is a full-service general veterinary practice that also offers same-day urgent care for dogs and cats. Abstract background with a thick, wavy orange curve on the left side against a light gray and pale blue backdrop. The modern design features smooth, flowing lines—perfect for a contemporary veterinarian or vet clinic brand. A blue silhouette of a palm tree with detailed fronds stands against a light gray background, offering a calm and soothing design perfect for any veterinarian’s office or vet clinic. A simple blue silhouette of a tall palm tree with a long curved trunk and a wide, leafy crown, set against a plain white background—a calm scene perfect for any veterinarian or vet-themed space.

If you're Worried About Your Pet Right Now,
Call Us

If your pet is suddenly sick or hurt, the best first step is simple: call us. You don't need to be a current client, and you don't need to know how serious it is. Tell us what's happening, and we'll help you figure out what to do next, whether that's a same-day visit here, something you can safely watch at home, or a trip to a 24-hour emergency hospital. Sometimes helping means seeing your pet today. Sometimes it means pointing you to the right place, fast. 

If you're already part of the Huntington Beach Pet Hospital family, our advice is the same. Call us when something comes up, and we'll do our best to fit your pet into the day. We already know your pet's history, and that head start helps us move quickly when it counts. Light blue abstract wavy background shape Subtle, white line drawing of a leafy plant with long, slender leaves on a light gray background. The delicate illustration evokes a calming atmosphere, perfect for a veterinarian's office or vet clinic waiting area. Blue line drawing of a tropical plant with large, elongated leaves, featuring visible veins and detailed shading—an elegant design perfect for a veterinarian’s office or vet clinic, set against a plain white background. Happy yellow Labrador sitting at veterinary clinic A simple illustration of light blue, branching seaweed or coral, featuring long, thin stems and sparse, delicate fronds on a white background—perfect décor for a veterinarian's office or vet-themed space.

Does My Pet Need Urgent Care, the ER,
or a Regular Vet Visit?

Most of us already understand how urgent care works for people. There's your regular doctor for checkups and everyday concerns. There's the emergency room for anything life-threatening. And in between, there's urgent care, for the problems that can't wait for a regular appointment but don't need an emergency room. Veterinary medicine works the same way.

Huntington Beach Pet Hospital is your regular vet, a full-service general practice for wellness visits, illness, and long-term care. But we also hold room in our schedule for same-day urgent visits. That's the in-between lane: a pet who is suddenly sick or hurt and needs to be seen today, but isn't in a life-threatening crisis. Blue line art illustration of a tropical plant with long, detailed leaves, drawn with fine lines and shading on a white background—perfect décor for a veterinarian or vet’s office seeking a calming, botanical touch. Fluffy Ragdoll cat with striking blue eyes looking up Adorable Shih Tzu puppy wearing harness at veterinary clinic Subtle, white line drawing of a leafy plant with long, slender leaves on a light gray background. The delicate illustration evokes a calming atmosphere, perfect for a veterinarian's office or vet clinic waiting area. A blue line drawing of a spiky-leaved plant with long, narrow leaves radiating outward, set against a light background—perfect wall art for any vet or veterinarian’s office.

The gap between “urgent” and “emergency” is wider than most pet owners realize. A lot of what feels alarming enough to be an emergency is something we can take care of right here in Huntington Beach:

Your regular vet Urgent care 24-hour emergency hospital
Best for Wellness, checkups, ongoing care, and non-urgent illness A pet who’s suddenly sick or hurt and needs to be seen today, but is stable Life-threatening emergencies
Examples Annual exams, vaccines, dental care, chronic conditions Vomiting, limping, ear and eye problems, wounds, urinary issues Trouble breathing, severe trauma, collapse, seizures, possible poisoning
Huntington Beach Pet Hospital This is us This is also us, the same day We give you guidance on when to go
Cost Standard rates Standard rates plus a $125 urgent care exam fee Premium, for advanced capabilities and round-the-clock staffing

What We Can Treat In-House,
and When We Refer to an Emergency Hospital

Because we're a general practice with a full surgical suite, in-house diagnostics, and an experienced team, we can handle a lot of urgent problems that pet owners assume require an emergency hospital. That often saves you a second trip, a longer wait, a higher cost, and it means the veterinary team you already know is the one taking care of your pet.

Depending on the cases already in the hospital that day, we can also perform urgent surgery. If a dog comes in with a pyometra, a serious uterine infection that can turn life-threatening, we can take her into surgery here. The same goes for removing an object a pet has swallowed and can't pass, removing bladder stones, and repairing wounds and bite injuries that need surgical closure. Most pet owners don't expect a general practice to handle these. We do.

Some situations need a 24-hour hospital, and we'll help you understand when that's the case. A cat with a urinary blockage usually needs overnight IV fluids and monitoring. A pet that's been hit by a car can look stable and still be bleeding internally, so we recommend that they’re watched overnight at a hospital to be safe. A broken bone often needs an orthopedic surgeon. Being transparent about what we can and can't do here is part of helping you make the right call. A large owl wearing glasses sits on a tree branch, reading a red book about becoming a veterinarian. Green leaves and little light blue birds surround the owl against a pale background. A blue silhouette illustration of a palm tree with detailed, textured leaves, set against a plain white background—perfect wall art for a veterinarian or vet clinic waiting room. Five wavy, white, leaf-like shapes with subtle line details are arranged vertically on a light gray background, creating an abstract design that could appeal to a veterinarian or vet with its natural, calming feel. Blue line drawing of a palm tree with multiple fan-shaped leaves extending from long stems, shown on a plain white background—perfect wall art for any veterinarian or vet clinic seeking a calming touch. Happy Cavalier King Charles Spaniel relaxing on gray couch Blue line art illustration of a spiky, bushy plant with long, slender leaves radiating outward in all directions, set against a light background—perfect for brightening up any vet or veterinarian's office.

Urgent Problems We See Every Day in Huntington Beach

Living near the beach affects what we see, too. In the warmer months, we treat dogs for heat exhaustion, heat stroke, or paw pads burned by hot pavement which can come on fast on a sunny afternoon walk. Foxtails are another Southern California problem: those barbed grass seeds burrow into paws, ears, noses, and eyes, and they don't work their way back out on their own. If your pet has been hiking or running through dry grass and is suddenly licking a paw raw, squinting, or shaking their head, call us.

We also see a lot of flat-faced breeds like French Bulldogs; they can struggle to breathe when it's hot or after hard exercise. Any sudden breathing trouble is worth calling about right away. If what's worrying you isn't something we touched on above, call us anyway—we’ll help you figure out if it’s urgent. Many urgent visits aren't dramatic—they're everyday problems that come on fast and benefit from seeing a vet before they get worse. On a typical day, we treat dogs and cats for issues like:
  • Sudden vomiting and diarrhea
  • Head-shaking, scratching, redness, or discharge in your pet’s ears
  • Limping or holding a paw up and refusing to put weight on it
  • Straining to go to the bathroom, or more frequent urinary accidents
  • Red, tearing, or squinty eyes from injuries, infections, or ulcers
  • Broken skin and bleeding from cuts, wounds, and bite injuries
  • A general feeling of “they’re just not acting quite right”
 Fluffy Persian cat with grumpy expression resting indoors

When you arrive for a scheduled urgent visit, you'll go straight into an exam room, and a technician will take your pet's history before the doctor comes in. If your pet arrives in a true emergency, it works differently. A technician takes the history from you while your pet goes directly to the treatment area. Emergencies don't wait.

Once your pet is being seen, our in-house diagnostics keep things moving. Bloodwork run in our in-hospital lab comes back in about 15 to 20 minutes. X-rays and ultrasound can often happen within a few minutes, as long as your pet doesn't need sedation to stay comfortable. The goal is for you to leave with information and a plan to help your cat or dog feel better.

What To Expect When You
Bring Your Pet In

Timing matters more than most people realize: the earlier in the day you call, the better the chance we can fit you into a same-day appointment. If your pet seems off in the morning, call us even if you're only a little concerned. It's better to talk it through early and have a plan than to wait, watch, and call in the afternoon when our schedule is already full. If your pet's problem turns out to be something that can wait until we're open again, we can get you set up with an appointment (or you can request one online instead).

If the day is already full, we can often still help through a drop-off visit. You bring your pet in and leave them with us, and the team works them into our day between scheduled appointments. For an urgent problem, this means we can keep an eye on them throughout the day—if anything changes, we see it happen and can act on it right away. Light blue abstract wavy background shape Subtle, white line drawing of a leafy plant with long, slender leaves on a light gray background. The delicate illustration evokes a calming atmosphere, perfect for a veterinarian's office or vet clinic waiting area. Blue line drawing of a tropical plant with large, elongated leaves, featuring visible veins and detailed shading—an elegant design perfect for a veterinarian’s office or vet clinic, set against a plain white background. Gray bulldog wearing harness at veterinary clinic A simple illustration of light blue, branching seaweed or coral, featuring long, thin stems and sparse, delicate fronds on a white background—perfect décor for a veterinarian's office or vet-themed space.

An urgent care visit at Huntington Beach Pet Hospital begins with a $125 urgent care exam fee. That covers a veterinarian seeing your dog or cat on the same day, outside of our pre-booked appointment schedule.

From there, your visit total depends on what diagnostics or medications your pet needs. If we need more information than an exam alone can provide, we may recommend additional diagnostics like x-rays, ultrasounds, or lab work. If your pet needs take-home medications, those are also additional costs. The benefit of an urgent care visit at Huntington Beach Pet Hospital is that you’re not paying the higher rates that an emergency hospital would charge. There, the entire bill carries a premium for specialists and around-the-clock staffing. Diagnostics, anesthesia, surgery, and treatment are billed at our standard general-practice rates, the same prices as any other day.

You'll also know the cost before the work begins. Dr. Lewis goes over the options with you, often at more than one price point. When affordability is a concern, he'll recommend the tests that give us the most useful information that are within your budget. You can review current pricing on our pricing page anytime.

What Does an
Urgent Vet Care Visit Cost?

 A large owl wearing glasses sits on a tree branch, reading a red book about becoming a veterinarian. Green leaves and little light blue birds surround the owl against a pale background. A blue silhouette illustration of a palm tree with detailed, textured leaves, set against a plain white background—perfect wall art for a veterinarian or vet clinic waiting room. Five wavy, white, leaf-like shapes with subtle line details are arranged vertically on a light gray background, creating an abstract design that could appeal to a veterinarian or vet with its natural, calming feel. Blue line drawing of a palm tree with multiple fan-shaped leaves extending from long stems, shown on a plain white background—perfect wall art for any veterinarian or vet clinic seeking a calming touch. Gray tabby cat sitting on hardwood floor looking up Blue line art illustration of a spiky, bushy plant with long, slender leaves radiating outward in all directions, set against a light background—perfect for brightening up any vet or veterinarian's office.

An Independently Owned Practice,
Led by Dr. Lewis

Taking your pet into an urgent visit requires a lot of trust in whoever walks into the exam room. Huntington Beach Pet Hospital is independently owned by Dr. Lewis, who has practiced veterinary medicine for more than 20 years. That independence shapes how urgent care works here. 

We don't follow a corporate handbook that dictates which tests to run or how a case has to be handled. When your pet comes in, the plan is built around what you tell us and the condition your pet is actually in, and the decisions are made by an experienced veterinarian rather than a policy written somewhere else.

Dr. Lewis's approach to urgent care is straightforward: see the pet today when timing matters, provide options, and recommend a 24-hour hospital when overnight or specialty care is the better choice for your cat or dog. When you bring your pet here, you're seen by the veterinarian who owns and built this practice, and you're supporting an independent, locally owned business. A large owl wearing glasses sits on a tree branch, reading a red book about becoming a veterinarian. Green leaves and little light blue birds surround the owl against a pale background. Subtle, white line drawing of a leafy plant with long, slender leaves on a light gray background. The delicate illustration evokes a calming atmosphere, perfect for a veterinarian's office or vet clinic waiting area. Blue line drawing of a tropical plant with large, elongated leaves, featuring visible veins and detailed shading—an elegant design perfect for a veterinarian’s office or vet clinic, set against a plain white background. Smiling male doctor in white coat headshot A simple illustration of light blue, branching seaweed or coral, featuring long, thin stems and sparse, delicate fronds on a white background—perfect décor for a veterinarian's office or vet-themed space.

Frequently Asked Questions

An urgent care visit at Huntington Beach Pet Hospital starts with a $125 urgent care exam fee, which covers a veterinarian seeing your pet the same day. The final total depends on what your pet needs from there. We know that cost is always a consideration, which is why we publish our veterinary prices online, so that you can know what to expect before coming in. Everything beyond the urgent care exam is billed at our standard general-practice rates, and you’ll see an estimate before anything is done.

Urgent care is for a pet who needs to be seen today but is stable. A 24-hour emergency hospital is for life-threatening situations: trouble breathing, severe bleeding or trauma, collapse, a seizure that won’t stop, or a pet that may have swallowed something toxic. Those need an emergency team right away. Huntington Beach Pet Hospital handles urgent same-day problems, and many urgent surgeries, in-house, and we refer you to a 24-hour hospital when a pet needs overnight monitoring or specialty care.

The clearest signs that a situation is an emergency, not urgent care, are trouble breathing, severe bleeding or trauma, collapse or sudden weakness, a seizure that won’t stop, a swollen or distended abdomen, or any sign your pet may have swallowed something toxic. Those need a 24-hour emergency hospital right away. Most other sudden problems, like vomiting, limping, wounds, and eye or ear issues, fall under urgent care. If you’re not sure, call us and describe what you’re seeing. We’ll help you tell the difference.

Take your pet to urgent care when a problem has come on recently and shouldn’t wait for a routine appointment, but isn’t life-threatening. Sudden vomiting or diarrhea, a new limp, a painful or swollen eye, a wound, a possible urinary problem, or breathing that seems off all fit. A simple rule: if a symptom showed up today or yesterday and seems to be getting worse, call us. You don’t need to be certain it’s serious. That’s part of what we’re here for.

Huntington Beach Pet Hospital is not a 24-hour hospital. We offer same-day urgent care during our regular hours, and for many urgent problems that’s the right level of care. For a life-threatening emergency, or any time your pet needs to be monitored overnight, you’ll want a 24-hour emergency hospital. If you call us when we’re closed, our phone message will point you toward the nearest emergency services. When you’re not sure where to go, call us first and we’ll help you find the right place.

No. If your pet needs urgent care, you’re welcome to call whether or not you’ve been here before. We’ll do our best to see your pet, and if your situation would be better handled somewhere else, we’ll help you get to the right place. Current clients have a head start, since we already know the pet’s history, but you don’t need to be one to call us for help.

Call Us When Your Pet Needs Urgent Care

If something feels off with your dog or cat, the best time to call is now. You don’t have to be sure it’s serious, and you don’t have to be a current client. If your pet has an emergency when we’re closed, go straight to a 24-hour emergency hospital.