 My patients frequent emergency clinics for minor problems such as hot spots and torn dewclaws. Conversely, cats with dyspnea and dogs with heat stroke come through my general practice door too often. Why these venue mismatches? And how can I help my clients make better choices?

 For tiers of care, the offerings in the veterinary field have never been so vast. Not too long ago, the owner had one choice for their pet—their local general practitioner. These veterinarians were likely available 24-7, either in person or by phone after hours, and for anything from eyes to kidneys, topical treatment to emergency surgery. But today, the choices are jumbled.

“The options for triaging pets include general practice visits, urgent care visits during off-hours, emergency services, or telemedicine,” Michael Bailey, DVM, DACVR, president of the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA), said. When pets become sick or injured, he continued, clients are often uncertain where to seek care.

Erik Zager, DVM, DACVECC, head of emergency and critical care at Philadelphia Animal Specialty and Emergency in Pennsylvania, estimates that 20% to 25% of the cases that cross his threshold are not true emergencies and are better suited for their regular veterinarian. “They thought they saw a tick on their dog. Or their cat has been losing weight for 8 months,” he explained.

Urgent care centers are a nice step-down between emergency and general practice. They are for owners to use when the problem is 

, and their own vet is unavailable. They also scratch the itch of 

I don’t think it’s serious, but let’s make sure.

Zager said his emergency cases are frequently referred by nearby urgent cares. He estimates that he sees more second-hand cases from urgent cares or general practices that should have come directly to the emergency department than vice versa.

The pet owner’s first stop is not always the ideal one because most pet owners don’t have the medical background to triage their own pets, said Lenore Bacek, vice president of clinical affairs at Blue Pearl Specialty and Emergency Pet Hospital.

“I’m sure a lot of owners are confused between what an urgent care [facility] would do vs an emergency [team] vs their regular veterinarian,” she said. “But I would rather someone err on the side of caution and go to [the] emergency [department].”

Many owners are doing just this. According to Mordor Intelligence, the veterinary emergency care market is set to hit $20 billion for 2025, with North America taking the lead.

 Millennials and Gen Z populations drive pet adoptions and pursue emergency intervention more readily than their predecessors. Also, pet insurance penetration has grown recently, enabling owners to seek costly emergency and specialty care.

The AVMA lists 13 actual emergencies that warrant immediate veterinary care or consultation. These include seizures, fractures, eye injuries, breathing difficulty, and toxin exposure.

 Owners generally seem to have received the “memo.”

Investigators have found that accidental ingestions (toxins or foreign bodies) represent nearly one-third of the veterinary emergency care market last year, with respiratory distress cases on the rise.

For emergencies, must owners properly call the play? Zager said sometimes “emergency” is in the eye of the beholder. “My most experienced [emergency] doctor used to roll her eyes at every ear infection that came in, until her own dog got an ear infection that couldn’t wait until the morning,” he said.

Zager also said he thinks owners who are not “married” to a particular veterinarian in their usual hospital are more likely to head off to the emergency practice. “Sometimes they come into our emergency hospital because they want to hear better news than what they got from their regular vet,” he added.

Aime Berman, VMD, medical director at Dutton Road Veterinary Clinic in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, said these second opinions, whether the problem is big or small, suggest a lack of trust between the client and their regular veterinarian.

But not always. Berman pointed out cases such as the suspectedintestinal foreign body that everyone is afraid to cut. The client cannot afford the recommended ultrasound to confirm the diagnosis and instead goes to an emergency care provider for a second opinion.

Nationwide Pet Insurance, which covers more than a million pets in the US, has identified 3 different pet owner personas based on how they select veterinary care. The first persona, explained Nationwide’s chief veterinary officer Emily Tincher, DVM, is care focused and prioritizes their pet’s health. They trust their own veterinarian but will go elsewhere if necessary.

The second is cost focused. Less likely to have a regular veterinarian, these owners access care when necessary and are unwilling or unable to pay a lot. The third persona is focused on convenience. These clients are busy and navigate care in ways that work for them.

So whether an owner overshoots or undershoots in their venue selection has much to do with their personality characteristics. “I think many people go to specialists for certain things that maybe a general practitioner can handle,” Berman said.

There are a few problems with this. First, emergency care is expensive. According to the pet health educational resource organization Preventive Vet, emergency care exams for dogs run from $96 to $236 and are slightly lower for cats.

 Emergency treatment for gastroenteritis and pancreatitis, which usually can be addressed at a regular clinic, can run into the thousands.

Anita McMillen, owner of Braden Run Animal Hospital in Waynesburg, Pennsylvania, recalls one of her patients, a 6-lb Yorkshire terrier, that ate some chewing gum. The animal’s owner rushed her to the local emergency practice, where her 4-day stay yielded some eyebrow-raising numbers: 8 veterinarians, 4 catheter changes, and an $8000 bill.

Speaking from her clinical experience, Tincher noted, “As you escalate up the level of care, the cost and the waiting times go up…. If I’ve got a hemoabdomen and a hit-by-car case, it might be hard for me to remember that the ear infection that’s here feels like an emergency to that owner.”

This is stressful for everyone and strains resources. Mary Jane McNamee, JD, VMD, co-owner of Apple Creek Veterinary Hospital in Lebanon, Pennsylvania, said her local emergency department has started to triage cases and send home those that are not true emergencies. “I appreciate that they are trying to break the cycle,” she said, “but really they have to focus their resources on those cases that are truly emergent.”

Nationwide’s Vet Helpline, a teletriage program offering 24-7 video consults with veterinary professionals, steers pet families to the right level of care when problems arise. This improves outcomes while balancing costs and other concerns, Tincher explained.

Human medicine has long embraced the concept of 

right care at the right time at the right place, 

which, Tincher explained, veterinary practices of all types can promote to their clientele in various ways. These include online billboards, TikTok videos, instructional voice mail messages, lobby art, and good verbal communication with owners.

“By providing clear, proactive guidance,” AVMA’s Bailey said, “the veterinary health team can improve efficiency; reduce stress for clients, pets, and staff; and ensure timely, appropriate care for their pets.”

Mordor Intelligence. Veterinary emergency care market size and share analysis-growth trends and forecasts (2025-2030). Accessed September 10, 2025. 2024. https://www.mordorintelligence.com/industry-reports/veterinary-emergency-care-market#:~:text=Veterinary%20Emergency%20Care%20Market%20Analysis,triage%20times%2C%20improving%20clinical%20outcomes

13 animal emergencies that require immediate veterinary consultation and/or care. American Veterinary Medical Association. Accessed September 10, 2025. https://www.avma.org/resources/pet-owners/emergencycare/13-animal-emergencies-require-immediate-veterinary-consultation-andor-care

Pet emergency statistics and veterinary costs. Preventive Vet. Accessed September 10, 2025. https://www.preventivevet.com/pet-emergency-statistics

Articles

Veterinary teams can help guide clients in understanding true emergencies vs conditions that general practitioners can manage.

Veterinary Vexations: The right place at the right time 

A case of New World screwworm (NWS) has been confirmed in Mexico less than 70 miles from the border with the US, according to an announcement by the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS).

 The case marks the northernmost detection of NWS amid the current outbreak, increasing concerns for the American cattle and livestock industry.

Mexico’s National Service of Agro-Alimentary Health, Safety, and Quality (SENASICA) detected the flesh-eating parasite on September 21 in Sabinas Hidalgo, Nuevo León. The city of Sabinas Hidalgo sits along a major highway from Monterrey, Nuevo León, to Laredo, Texas—one of the busiest trade routes in the world. On average, more than 18,500 trucks cross through the Laredo port every day, including more than 15,000 crossings through the World Trade Bridge.

In its announcement, the USDA called the most recent detection the “most threatening to the American cattle and livestock industry.”

US Secretary of Agriculture Brooke L. Rollins said the USDA is moving ahead with a 5-pronged plan to protect the US border from NWS. The plan includes investing in new eradication technologies, 

building sterile fly production and dispersal facilities in Texas

 increasing surveillance and detection efforts, increasing public awareness and education campaigns, and coordinating with Mexico and international partners to contain the parasite.

“USDA urges residents on the southern border to check their pets and livestock for signs of NWS,” the agency wrote in its announcement, encouraging pet caregivers and handlers to look for NWS signs in open wounds, body openings, genitalia, or the navel.

US Department of Health and Human Services authorizes emergency use of animal drugs for New World screwworm

“Look for draining or enlarging wounds and signs of discomfort. Also look for screwworm larvae (maggots) and eggs in or around body openings, such as the nose, ears, and genitalia or the navel of newborn animals. If you suspect your animal is infected with screwworm, contact your state animal health official or USDA area veterinarian immediately,” the USDA continued.

Before the most recent detection, the last northernmost case was confirmed in an 8-month-old cow on July 9, 2025, in Veracruz, which is located approximately 370 miles farther south. According to SENASICA, the affected animal had been recently moved to a certified feedlot in Nuevo León from a region in southern Mexico with active NWS cases.

As of now, US ports are closed to imports of cattle, bison, and horses from Mexico.

According to the USDA, the agency in collaboration with Mexico has been monitoring nearly 8000 traps throughout Texas, Arizona, and New Mexico, with more than 13,000 screening samples being submitted to date and no NWS flies detected.

“USDA is analyzing all new information related to the recent case in Nuevo León and will pursue all options to release sterile flies in this region as necessary,” the agency wrote.

Mexico Confirms Case of New World Screwworm in Nuevo Leon. US Department of Agriculture Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service. News release. September 21, 2025. Accessed September 22, 2025.

Economic Outlook Report. Laredo Chamber of Commerce. May 2024. Accessed September 22, 2025. 

https://laredochamber.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/202405-Vision.pdf?utm_source=chatgpt.com

Bautista-Alejandre A. Clinic center: USDA announces sterile fly facility at Texas base for screwworm eradication, and more. 

. July 9, 2025. Accessed September 22, 2025. 

https://www.dvm360.com/view/clinic-center-usda-announces-sterile-fly-facility-at-texas-base-for-screwworm-eradication-and-more

Bautista-Alejandre A. US Department of Health and Human Services authorizes emergency use of animal drugs for New World screwworm. 

. August 19, 2025. Accessed September 22, 2025. 

https://www.dvm360.com/view/us-department-of-health-and-human-services-authorizes-emergency-use-of-animal-drugs-for-new-world-screwworm

The case is the closest the parasite has come to the US during the current outbreak.

New World screwworm detected less than 70 miles from the US-Mexico border

Happy Monday dvm360 readers, and happy first day of Fall! A recent update has disclosed that there is a new reported case of New World Screwworm (NWS) closer to the US than it has been for the duration of this current outbreak. Our editorial team, along with host of dvm360’s Vet Watch Christopher Lee, DVM, MPH, DACVPM, will continue to cover the outbreak and provide updates. Be sure to continue checking in on dvm360.com and our social channels for the latest updates.

Here is what you can find this week on dvm360.com:

Mexico’s National Service of Argo-Alimentary Health, Safety, and Quality confirmed a new case of NWS less than 70 miles from the US-Mexico border in Sabinas Hidalgo, which is located in the state of Nuevo Leon. Currently, this latest case is the northernmost detection of NWS during the current outbreak.

Presidents from Iowa State University and Kanas State University recently traveled to Dublin, Ireland, last month to sign a memorandum of understanding to establish an academic exchange program to help foster research collaboration among the schools.

This week, we have a special treat for our Vet Blast Podcast listeners, we will have 2 podcasts launch! First, this Tuesday, Anthony Coronado, DVM, to discuss ways to help veterinary teams be more prepared for emergency medicine without having any panic. Then this Thursday, Zachary Neumann, MS, DVM, DACVIM (Oncology) and Dana Connell, DVM, MPH, MS, DACVIM (Oncology), join the show to talk more about the new era of canine cancer screening.

During an interview with dvm360 during our 2025 Fetch National Harbor conference, Kristi Fisher, CVT, VRCE, shares more on the difference between empathy and sympathy in the veterinary clinic, and how it can help teams connect with clients, especially during emergencies.

A recent study led by the University of Maryland that was published in 

 demonstrated promising results when a cat is infected with bird flu and gets early care and treatment.

Check out this week’s upcoming headlines on dvm360.com.

Sneak peek: New World Screwworm now within 70 miles of the US, and other news 

Officials with the FDA have approved an oral lincosamide antibiotic for canines. Clindamycin Hydrochloride Tablets (Felixvet Inc.) is indicated to treat skin infections, deep wounds and abscesses, dental infections and osteomyelitis caused by susceptible bacterial strains, according to the manufacturer. The drug has demonstrated activity against bacteria such as 

The newly approved therapy from Felixvet offers generic bioequivalence to Antirobe (Zoetis) clindamycin hydrochloride capsules. However, Felixvet’s product is manufactured in tablet dosage form, rather than capsule.

“With the approval of Clindamycin Hydrochloride Tablets, we’re expanding access to a trusted treatment option that veterinarians rely on for managing common yet potentially serious infections,” Vince Palasota, President of North America at Felixvet, said in a news release.

 “This product reflects our ongoing commitment to quality, affordability and clinical relevance.”

According to the FDA, bioequivalence was demonstrated in a study that compared the 150 mg Clindamycin Hydrochloride Tablets to the 150 mg Antirobe capsule. Thirty dogs between the ages of 6 months and 5 years were enrolled in the randomized, masked study.

“Clindamycin is an incredibly important anti-infective, or antimicrobial, for the management of multiple different infectious diseases and infectious conditions in pets,” Douglas Shane, DVM, PhD, veterinary director at Felixvet, said in a 

interview. “So, we're just going to continue to bring that Felix value to our vet clinics so that they have another partner for them, in their practices, they go [for] this widely used antimicrobial.”

Felixvet representatives noted that Clindamycin Hydrochloride Tablets is considered a “value-added generic,” which differs from a traditional generic product in that something has been changed. Palasota said creating a flavored chewable instead of recreating an unflavored chewable is an example of a value-added generic product. “We're taking the pioneer’s product, and we made some differentiation in the marketplace to try to do what we can do increase compliance with the pet or [provide] something different for the pet owner,” Palasota said in the interview.

“Clindamycin is a proven, versatile therapeutic, and we’re proud to add it to our growing portfolio,” Palasota added in the release.

 “We look forward to continuing to deliver solutions that meet the daily needs of veterinarians and their patients.”

Clindamycin Hydrochloride Tablets will be available only through a prescription. The product will be supplied as 25 mg tablets in 400-count bottles, 75 mg tablets in 200-count bottles, and 150 mg tablets in 100-count bottles.

Patients are dosed with Clindamycin Hydrochloride Tablets every 12 hours. The duration of treatment varies by infection type, typically a few days for acute infections and up to 28 days for osteomyelitis, according to Felixvet.

According to Felixvet, the company currently holds more than 20 FDA approvals and has a development pipeline with approximately 70 products in development, including 30 in stages along accelerated paths towards approval. “When you think of generic drugs in the animal health marketplace, there's only about 12% of the marketplace that has been genericized. So, there's a world of opportunities of new generics,” Palasota said in an interview with 

Felixvet receives FDA approval for Clindamycin Hydrochloride Tablets. News release. Felixvet. September 22, 2025.

Freedom of Information Summary: ANADA 200-813. FDA. June 27, 2025. Accessed September 22, 2025. 

https://animaldrugsatfda.fda.gov/adafda/app/search/public/document/downloadFoi/17171

Felixvet's Clindamycin Hydrochloride Tablets gain FDA approval, offering a new oral antibiotic option for treating various canine infections.

FDA approves new antimicrobial drug for canine infections 

People in Fort Collins, Colorado recently reported seeing what seem to be horned rabbits in recent weeks, resulting in these animals getting the nicknames “Frankenstein bunnies,” “zombie rabbits,” and “demon rabbits.”

Wild rabbits in Fort Collins, Colorado, have gained traction on social media as well as news outlets all over the world for their wart-like tumors that look like horn projections (Image courtesy of the American Veterinary Medical Association)

However, according to American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA), these ‘demon rabbits’ actually have Shope papillomavirus (SPV), a well-known viral infection which was first described almost a century ago.

The virus is an endemic in cottontail rabbits and is transmitted primarily by fleas, mosquitoes, and ticks. It tends to appear in rabbits more often during warmer months when insect activity peaks.

SPV causes wart-like tumors that could keratinize into dark, hard, horn-like projections that grow on the rabbit’s head, ears, and eyelids, which can sometimes impair their vision or feeding. For most wild rabbits, their immune system resolves the infection and the growths regress eventually. This viral infection is rarely diagnosed in domestic rabbits, but it is serious when it is because the papillomas are more likely to become malignant. For domestic rabbits, if left untreated, it can progress to malignant cancer.

If a domestic rabbit is presenting with signs of SPV, veterinarians need to surgically or manually remove the nodules and send them to a pathologist for evaluation via histopathology. This will help the veterinary team determine the cause of the papillomas, whether they are benign or malignant, and if they have transformed to squamous cell carcinomas. These nodules occasionally go away on their own, but surgical removal is recommended because they can become malignant and can potentially metastasize to lymph nodes and lungs.

"Based mostly on experimental work, we know that malignant transformation happens in about 75% of infected domestic rabbits, compared to only around 5% of infected cottontails," Javier Asin Ros, DVM, PhD, DECVP, associate professor and diagnostic veterinary pathologist at the California Animal Health and Food Safety Laboratory at the University of California-Davis School of Veterinary Medicine, explained to the AVMA.

Although rare in domestic pets, veterinary professionals believe this is still something veterinarians should know its potential risks.

This recent wave of attention to SPV is due to residents in Fort Collins sharing photos and videos on social media of the rabbits with protrusions, gaining local, national, and international media attention within days of posting. The Colorado Parks and Wildlife confirmed the SPV diagnosis and emphasized that it poses a minimal risk to pets, humans, or other wildlife species. Veterinary professionals should recommend to pet owners to keep their rabbits away from cotton tails and to keep them up to date on their rabbit hemorrhagic disease vaccine.

Although unsettling to see these rabbits with SPV, veterinary professionals can see this story as a reminder of a long-known virus with occasional clinical significance, according to the AVMA.

"It can foster interest in this viral disease and perhaps encourage surveys in different states to see what wild rabbit species are affected and what factors influence malignant transformation," Ros said. "It’s also a good opportunity to remind people not to touch wild rabbits and to keep their pets protected," he concluded.

Nolen RS. Frankenstein rabbits? Veterinarians tell the real story. American Veterinary Medical Association. Published September 4, 2025. Accessed September 22, 2025. https://www.avma.org/news/frankenstein-rabbits-veterinarians-tell-real-story

PetMD Editorial. Shope Papilloma Virus in Rabbits: What It Is and How To Keep Your Bunny Safe. Petmd.com. Published October 2008. Accessed September 22, 2025. https://www.petmd.com/rabbit/conditions/viral/c_rb_shope_papilloma_virus

Wild rabbits in northern Colorado have been seen with horn-like lesions due to a viral infection. 

Are there Frankenstein rabbits in Colorado? 

Photos courtesy of UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine

An avian patient gets prepared to be scanned in the small animal CT machine at the All Species Imaging Center in California. 

A new veterinary facility has opened at the University of California-Davis (UC Davis). The All Species Imaging Center is designed to be a central hub for advanced diagnostic imaging at the UC Davis William R. Pritchard Veterinary Medical Teaching Hospital (VMTH), according to the university.

The new center consists of 4 diagnostic imaging suites, 2 control rooms, a patient waiting room, a room used by radiologists for image interpretation, and staff office spaces. Each of the imaging suites have a unique purpose and house advanced technology as follows

Computed tomography (CT) for small animals

High field magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) for small and large animals

Positron emission tomography (PET) and CT for small and large animals

The large animal CT scanner is used with an equine patient.

The new MRI machine has replaced an older scanner that was used by the university for about 25 years. The CT scanner for small animals replaces a machine that was used by the VMTH for 15 years, according to the university.

"With these advanced scanners, we have been able to image areas of animals that we had never been able to scan before, such as the lumbar spine of horses and cows, the pelvis and stifles of horses, a full equine cervical spine, and the abdomen of a llama," Mathieu Spriet, DVM, MS, DACVR, DECVDI, DACVR-EDI, director of Imaging Services at the VMTH, said in a news release.

 "We believe this to be the best veterinary imaging facility on the West Coast and one of the top veterinary imaging facilities in the world."

The diagnostic imaging facility is also a home to the university’s advanced radiology training program. In this space, a dozen veterinary residents are trained by 8 board-certified radiologists.

The veterinary hospital at UC Davis is accredited by the American Animal Hospital Association. It is the main hospital in a university network that includes the UC Veterinary Medical Center in San Diego, and the UC Veterinary Medicine Teaching & Research Center in Tulare.

 The opening of the imaging center marks a milestone in the planned expansion of the veterinary medicine complex that will allow the university to eventually increase the student capacity from 600 to 800 individuals and help ease a veterinarian shortage in the region.

“We know that there are people every day that want to come for our care, and we can't fit them in,” Mark Stetter, DVM, DACZM, dean of the School of Veterinary Medicine, said in a 

 “The expansion allows us to train more students. It allows us to take care of more animals, and it allows us to do more of our groundbreaking research.”

Expansion of the veterinary medicine complex is expected to continue with multiple new facilities that will enable the university to provide care annually to approximately 20,000 more animals. Future structures planned as additions to the complex include a veterinary education pavilion, a primary care hospital, an equine hospital, a cancer center, a spay-neuter clinic, and a raptor center, according to the 

Warren R. UC Davis opens All Species Imaging Center. News release. University of California-Davis. September 17, 2025. Accessed September 19, 2025. 

https://www.vetmed.ucdavis.edu/news/uc-davis-opens-all-species-imaging-center

William R. Pritchard Veterinary Medical Teaching Hospital. UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine. Accessed September 19, 2025. 

Denyer LA. UC Davis veterinary school undergoes major expansion, increasing capacity and addressing veterinary shortage. 

3. September 18, 2025. Accessed September 19, 2025. 

https://www.kcra.com/article/uc-davis-veterinary-school-major-expansion/67954651

The facility is used for all species and is part of a larger planned expansion for the university’s veterinary medicine complex.