When your pet is sick, injured, or behaving differently, deciding what to do can feel overwhelming. Jog Lantana Animal Clinic evaluates sick and urgent patients during regular business hours, subject to the patient’s medical needs and our ability to provide the appropriate level of care.

Dr. Miriam Delbene brings more than 20 years of emergency and critical care experience to the evaluation and thoughtful management of urgent medical problems. This background helps her recognize risk, prioritize diagnostic and treatment needs, provide initial stabilization, and determine whether a patient can continue receiving care safely at JLAC or requires transfer to a 24-hour emergency or specialty hospital.

If possible, please call us at (561) 964-3144 before coming to the clinic. Calling ahead allows our team to understand what is happening, assess the urgency, prepare for your arrival, and advise you whether to come to JLAC or proceed directly to an emergency hospital.

Sick and Urgent Conditions We Commonly Evaluate

Please contact us promptly during regular business hours if your dog or cat is experiencing:

  • Vomiting or diarrhea
  • Loss of appetite or decreased water intake
  • Unusual tiredness, weakness, or changes in behavior
  • Ear pain, head shaking, or ear discharge
  • Persistent itching, inflamed skin, sores, or a sudden skin flare-up
  • Limping, pain, stiffness, or reluctance to move
  • Coughing or changes in breathing
  • Changes in urination, straining, or blood in the urine
  • Eye redness, squinting, discharge, or apparent eye pain
  • Minor wounds, swelling, or localized discomfort
  • Possible infection or fever
  • Another sudden change that concerns you

These signs can vary greatly in severity. After speaking with you, our team may recommend an urgent evaluation at JLAC or direct you to a 24-hour emergency hospital based on your pet’s symptoms, apparent stability, travel time, and the level of care that may be required.

Signs of a Potentially Life-Threatening Emergency

Some situations require immediate medical attention. Do not submit an online appointment request or wait for an electronic response if your pet has:

  • Severe difficulty breathing, gasping, or blue, gray, or very pale gums
  • Collapse, loss of consciousness, or inability to stand
  • An active seizure lasting several minutes or repeated seizures
  • Uncontrolled or excessive bleeding
  • Major trauma, including being struck by a vehicle or falling from a significant height
  • Suspected poisoning or ingestion of a toxic substance
  • Choking or a suspected airway obstruction
  • Severe allergic reaction with facial swelling, breathing difficulty, collapse, or rapidly worsening signs
  • Heatstroke or dangerously elevated body temperature
  • A swollen or painful abdomen accompanied by retching, weakness, or collapse
  • Sudden paralysis or inability to use one or more limbs
  • Inability to urinate, especially in a male cat
  • Severe pain, rapidly worsening distress, or another potentially life-threatening condition

If one of these situations occurs during JLAC’s regular business hours, call us immediately at (561) 964-3144. Based on the information you provide and our current ability to receive the patient, our team will advise you whether to bring your pet directly to JLAC for immediate evaluation and stabilization or proceed to a 24-hour emergency hospital.

If your pet is received at JLAC, Dr. Delbene will assess the patient, begin medically appropriate stabilization, and determine the safest next step. Depending on the condition and response to initial treatment, your pet may continue receiving care at JLAC or be transferred to an emergency or specialty hospital for continuous monitoring, advanced treatment, or specialized care.

If the clinic is closed, you cannot reach our team promptly, or coming to JLAC would delay care for an unstable patient, proceed directly to the nearest open emergency hospital.

Initial Evaluation and Stabilization at JLAC

Urgent care begins with determining how stable the patient is and identifying the most immediate medical concerns. Depending on your pet’s condition, evaluation and care at JLAC may include:

  • A focused or comprehensive physical examination
  • Assessment of breathing, circulation, neurological status, pain, and hydration
  • IDEXX in-house laboratory testing
  • Urinalysis or other targeted diagnostic testing
  • Digital radiographs
  • Pain control, nausea control, or other medically appropriate medication
  • Fluid therapy and supportive care when indicated
  • Initial stabilization before continued treatment or transfer
  • Observation or hospitalization when the required level of care can be provided safely at JLAC
  • Coordination with an emergency or specialty hospital when referral is necessary

Not every patient requires every test or treatment. Dr. Delbene develops recommendations according to the examination findings, severity of illness, medical history, and individual needs of the patient. We explain the available options and include you in decisions about your pet’s care.

Experienced Urgent Care Within Our General Practice

JLAC offers urgent evaluation and initial stabilization within the personalized environment of our independently owned general veterinary practice. Care provided at JLAC follows our regular practice fee structure rather than the fee model of a 24-hour emergency hospital.

Before proceeding whenever the medical situation allows, we will explain the recommended diagnostics and treatment and provide an estimate. In a rapidly developing emergency, immediate stabilization may need to begin before the complete extent of the patient’s condition or treatment needs can be determined.

Our goal is to make experienced urgent care more accessible during regular business hours while remaining honest about the resources each patient requires. Financial considerations will be discussed openly, but the decision to continue treatment at JLAC or recommend transfer must remain guided by the patient’s safety and medical needs.

Hospitalization and After-Hours Medical Care

Depending on the individual case, JLAC may hospitalize carefully selected stable patients whose medical needs can be managed safely within our practice. This may include certain patients recovering after surgery or receiving treatment for an illness who do not require continuous intensive-care staffing or specialized 24-hour equipment.

When Dr. Delbene determines that hospitalization at JLAC is medically appropriate, she may provide after-hours medical care according to the patient’s condition and individualized treatment plan. The decision to accept or continue hospitalization is made case by case and may change if the patient’s condition or monitoring needs change.

This individualized after-hours medical care is not the same as continuous, on-site, 24-hour emergency staffing. Before hospitalization, we will explain the anticipated care plan, how the patient will be monitored, and any limitations relevant to the individual case.

When Transfer Is Safer

Patients who are unstable or require uninterrupted observation, advanced imaging, oxygen support, blood products, specialty surgery, intensive monitoring, or continuous critical care may be safer at a 24-hour emergency or specialty hospital.

Sometimes a patient can be evaluated and stabilized initially at JLAC before transfer. In other situations, going directly to a 24-hour hospital will provide the fastest access to the resources the patient is likely to need. Dr. Delbene makes this determination according to the patient’s condition, available information, response to initial care, and medical needs.

If transfer is recommended, we will explain why it is the safer option and, when possible, communicate relevant medical findings and treatment information to the receiving hospital. Recommending transfer does not mean stepping away from your pet’s care—it means recognizing when another facility has the staffing, equipment, or specialty resources needed at that moment.

After-Hours and 24-Hour Emergency Hospitals

JLAC is not responsible for the hours, availability, fees, or policies of independent emergency hospitals. Because availability can change, please call the facility or confirm its current information before traveling whenever your pet’s condition allows.

Call Us When Something Does Not Seem Right

You know your pet’s normal behavior better than anyone. If you notice a meaningful change, do not feel that you must wait until the next wellness visit. Call us and describe what you are seeing. We will help you determine whether your pet should be evaluated at JLAC or taken directly to an emergency hospital.

Call JLAC: (561) 964-3144

For non-life-threatening concerns that do not require an immediate response, you may also request an appointment online.

Healing Hands & Caring Hearts for Your Pets. It’s Our Promise to You!