Courtesy Photo Dr. Ryan Knight, left, and Dr. Daniele Knight show off a litter of kittens. The couple recently opened the Thunder Bay Veterinary Urgent Care in Alpena, which will offer weekend visits for sick or injured pets.

ALPENA — Pet owners in the Alpena area experiencing an emergency with their pets now have another option to get the help they need.

The Thunder Bay Veterinary Urgent Care now offers extended hours on weekends and can address most pet emergencies and help ensure people’s pets remain safe and healthy.

The new urgent care is located in the Switzer Veterinary Clinic, but operates independently. Veterinarians Daniele Knight and Ryan Knight have opened the clinic, which provides people a place to go when most other veterinary offices are closed.

According to Daniele Knight, the clinic is open from 6-8 p.m. on Friday, but it is on Saturdays and Sundays where the service will become most valuable.

She said on Saturdays, the clinic is open from 8 a.m. until 8 p.m. and on Sunday from 11 a.m. until 8 p.m.

“It really does cover most of the hours when something is likely to happen and we are the first clinic in the area that will be open on the weekend,” she said. “It is for pets who are experiencing an illness, been hit by a car, had an encounter with a porcupine, and many other things.”

Although the business is new, there is a website and Facebook page promoting it and explaining different services that are offered.

People are asked to call the clinic before arrival, so staff can prepare for treatment, and to triage the animals so those with the most serious cases are addressed first.

People can call 989-340-0975 to reach the clinic and brief the staff on what their pet’s needs are before arrival.

According to the urgent care’s website, some of the emergencies the staff can handle include serious trauma, broken bones, choking or difficulty breathing, loss of consciousness, labor, inability to defecate or urinate, lacerations, bite wounds or porcupine quills, toxin or foreign body injection, ear or eye infections, and diarrhea, constipation or vomiting.

Knight said if an emergency happens after the urgent care closes, people should call their regular veterinary provider.

Knight said the new urgent care is more affordable than after-hours appointments and care, but a little more expensive than a traditional visit.

The new pet urgent care is also able to offer services to out-of-town visitors, who may be miles away from their regular veterinarian.

People visiting the urgent care with their pets are urged to bring the pet’s medical records, especially if they have recently seen a family veterinarian for the same condition. This step could save time and money as repeat diagnostic tests may not be needed.

People are also asked to be patient because it is unknown when a more serious emergency will call or arrive.

Steve Schulwitz can be reached at 989-358-5689 at sschulwitz@thealpenanews.com. Follow him on Twitter @ss_alpenanews.com.