Frequently Asked Questions

Santa Clarita Animal Urgent Care & Wellness Center is a state-of-the-art veterinary hospital providing after-hours urgent care and comprehensive pet services for dogs and cats in Santa Clarita, CA and the surrounding communities.

Our team focuses on compassionate, affordable, and high-quality care for pets who need help now—whether it’s a sudden illness, an injury, or a more complex medical or surgical concern.

You’ll find us at:
Santa Clarita Animal Urgent Care & Wellness Center
18597 Soledad Canyon Road
Santa Clarita, CA 91351

We proudly serve families from Santa Clarita, Canyon Country, Valencia, Agua Dulce, Acton, Castaic, Stevenson Ranch, Palmdale, Lancaster, Los Angeles, Saugus, Newhall, and surrounding areas.

We primarily care for dogs and cats. If you have another type of pet and are not sure where to go, you are welcome to call us so we can advise you on the best next step, but we do not advertise exotic pet care as a core service.

Because we are an urgent care hospital, many of our visits are same-day. To keep your wait time as short as possible, we recommend you:

• Call us first at (661) 888-8838
• Or submit a request form through our “Request an Appointment” page

This allows our team to triage your pet’s condition, offer guidance, and let you know whether to come in immediately or within a specific time window.

We are primarily an after-hours urgent care and emergency-focused veterinary hospital, and we are expanding to offer more general practice and wellness services.

That means we can help with:

• Sudden illnesses (vomiting, diarrhea, lethargy, loss of appetite)
• Injuries (lameness, wounds, minor trauma)
• Pain, breathing changes, urinary issues, and more
• Many surgical and orthopedic needs
• Ongoing follow-up for certain conditions

For very complex, critical cases requiring intensive 24/7 monitoring, we may stabilize your pet and refer you to a dedicated 24-hour emergency or specialty hospital.

If your pet has a life-threatening emergency when we are closed, please:

• Seek care at the nearest 24/7 veterinary emergency hospital, and
• Bring or send any records from that visit to us so we can assist with follow-up care when appropriate

If you are not sure how urgent your pet’s situation is, you can still call us during our open hours and our team will help you decide the best course of action.

Our urgent care and wellness services in Santa Clarita include, but are not limited to:

• Urgent and emergency medical cases
• Orthopedic surgery, including same-day procedures for many ligament injuries and fractures
• Soft tissue and general surgery
• State-of-the-art diagnostics: full-body imaging, ultrasound imaging, dental imaging, and in-house lab testing
• Dental care and dentistry
• Rehabilitation and therapy, including water treadmill therapy and cold laser
• Vaccinations and parasite prevention
• Spay and neuter
• End-of-life care
• Travel health certificates for dogs and cats
• Preventive and wellness care services

If you’re unsure whether we can help with your pet’s specific concern, please call us so we can advise you.

Yes. Our hospital was designed as a state-of-the-art veterinary facility. We offer:

• Full body imaging (digital radiography)
• Ultrasound imaging
• Dental imaging (dental radiographs)
• In-house laboratory systems for same-evening results in many urgent cases

These tools allow us to diagnose problems quickly and accurately, which is especially important in urgent care situations.

Yes. Santa Clarita Animal Urgent Care & Wellness Center offers:

• General and soft tissue surgery
• Same-day orthopedic surgery for many cruciate (ACL-type) injuries such as TPLO/TTA, as well as certain fractures
• Post-operative rehabilitation therapy using water treadmill therapy and cold laser

Your pet’s surgeon will discuss the recommended procedure, risks, expected recovery, and home care so you know exactly what to expect.

Yes. Our rehabilitation and therapy services can help pets:

• Recover after surgery or injury
• Improve mobility and strength
• Manage chronic pain, including arthritis

We use tools such as water treadmill therapy and cold laser therapy to provide low-impact, targeted support tailored to your pet’s needs.

Yes. We offer pet travel health certificates for dogs and cats traveling domestically or internationally.

Travel regulations can be strict and time-sensitive, so we recommend you:

• Contact us well in advance of your departure date
• Let us know your destination, airline, and travel date
• Bring any previous records or vaccination history

Our team will guide you through the process to help ensure your pet’s paperwork is correct and submitted on time.

Yes. We understand how painful it is to say goodbye to a beloved pet. We provide gentle, compassionate end-of-life care, including:

• Quality-of-life discussions and guidance
• Pain management and comfort care
• Humane euthanasia
• Aftercare options

Our goal is to support both you and your pet with empathy and respect during this difficult time.

At Santa Clarita Animal Urgent Care & Wellness Center, we accept:

• Major credit cards (Visa, MasterCard, American Express, Discover)
• Debit cards
• Cash

We do not accept checks.

Payment is generally due at the time of service. Our team will provide an estimate and discuss options with you before moving forward whenever possible, especially for urgent or surgical cases. For more information, please review our payment options.

Yes. We accept CareCredit at this hospital, and each location has its own dedicated CareCredit link. CareCredit may help break a larger veterinary bill into manageable payments for qualifying clients.

If you are interested in using CareCredit, please let our team know and we can help guide you to the correct link for our hospital.

We are happy to work with most major pet insurance providers.

Here’s how it usually works:

• You pay for your pet’s care at the time of service
• We provide a detailed invoice and medical records
• You submit a claim to your insurance provider
• The insurance company reimburses you directly, according to your policy

If you are unsure what is covered, we recommend contacting your insurer before your visit so there are no surprises.

To help us treat your pet as efficiently and safely as possible, please bring:

• Any medical records, if your pet has been seen elsewhere
• A list of current medications and supplements
• Any recent test results (bloodwork, x-rays, ultrasound reports)
• Your pet’s travel details, if coming for a travel health certificate
• A secure lead or carrier so your pet stays safe in the parking lot and lobby

If your visit is very time-sensitive, just focus on getting here safely. We can help request records from your regular vet once your pet is stable.

Yes. We understand that many pets are nervous, especially in an urgent situation. Our team takes a calm, gentle approach and aims to:

• Keep noise and handling to a minimum
• Use low-stress handling techniques
• Allow you to stay with your pet when it is safe to do so
• Provide pain relief and anxiety support when appropriate

Please let us know when you arrive if your pet is particularly fearful or has bitten in the past so we can help keep everyone safe and comfortable.

We are expanding our services so that Santa Clarita Animal Urgent Care & Wellness Center can support both urgent care and ongoing wellness needs in many cases.

• If you already have a family vet, we are happy to work alongside them, sharing records and updates after an urgent visit.
• If you do not currently have a general practice vet, we can discuss whether ongoing care with our team is a good fit for your pet.

Our priority is always to make sure your pet receives consistent, high-quality veterinary care.