WisCARES is a full-service general practice clinic. We offer the following services:
- Routine wellness: boost vaccines, get preventatives and discuss ways to keep your pet healthy
- Sick pet visits: treat routine problems like itchy skin, urinary problems, chronic illness, behavior problems and more
- Limited urgent care: treat problems that arise without much warning and can be solved or stabilized with out-patient care.
Note: these are not available every day and can only be scheduled by phone. We do not take walk-in or emergency patients.
- Routine surgical and dental care are offered on a limited basis. Please call to find out more about these services.
WisCARES currently offers
- Vaccines
- Flea and tick prevention
- Medical and maintenance (non-medical) pet diets
- Blood tests
- X-rays and ultrasound
- Pharmacy
- Pet supplies
- Social workers
When you are at WisCARES with your pet, your case will be managed by a combination of a licensed veterinarian, a licensed veterinary nurse and veterinary students. We always have a licensed veterinarian examining, working with your pet and finalizing every medical decision, even if a student is managing the case.
We provide most veterinary services by pre-scheduled appointments. We do not require your pet to be spayed or neutered to access services. We are experienced in offering compassionate and comprehensive care regardless of your financial situation.
Am I Eligible?
If you’re interested in WisCARES, call us at (608) 262-3950 and leave a message on line 4 or send an email to wiscares@vetmed.wisc.edu. We will get back to you within 72 hours to go through a brief questionnaire.
We will do our best to schedule appointments in a timely manner. If your pet needs to be seen by a veterinarian sooner, we are happy to provide names and contact information for other veterinary clinics.
How to Prepare for First Visit:
- Bring physical or electronic copies of your previous records.
- Call your previous clinics and ask them to send us records.
- Bring a list of medications, preventatives, and supplements that your pet is taking.
- Let us know if your pet needs anti-anxiety medicine for visits.
- Let us know if you have a tight schedule, need accommodations or if your pet needs a carrier or leash.
WisCARES is Not An Emergency Clinic
Do you believe that your pet may be experiencing an emergency? Emergencies can look like a lot of things, so if you know your pet is experiencing an emergency, you should seek help immediately. If you are unsure if your pet is experiencing an emergency, see the guidelines for recognizing veterinary emergencies below. If you still are not sure, your safest option is to call a clinic or ER and ask someone to help you navigate this decision.
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HOW TO RECOGNIZE AN EMERGENCY
Emergencies can be scary, and it isn’t always clear if an illness or injury requires a trip to our small or large animal emergency hospitals.
Symptoms that may be life-threatening and require emergency care:
- Trouble breathing
- Seizures (loss of consciousness, paddling of limbs)
- Ingestion of poisons or intoxicants
- Collapse, loss of consciousness or significant lethargy (dullness)
- Trauma
- Straining to urinate or inability to pass urine
- Nonproductive retching or multiple episodes of vomiting
- Eye injuries
- Difficult labor
If you are unsure whether you should bring your animal to our ER, please call 608-263-7600.
In Dane County there are 4 major facilities that can help in emergency situations. Always call prior to arriving at these facilities. If they are full, they can offer you other options and if they know you are coming, they can start to prepare for your visit.
UW Veterinary Care – (608) 263-7600
Madison Veterinary Specialists – (608) 274-7772
VCA Veterinary Emergency Services – (608) 222-2455
Veterinary Emergency Group (VEG) – (608) 716-3255
If you are not in Dane County, you can look for certified national veterinary emergency facilities at VECCS.
Some problems need attention within 24 hours but are not true emergencies. These would fall into the category of urgent care veterinary needs. Some examples of urgent care problems are diarrhea, bad ear infections, sudden limping or mild injuries. WisCARES can help with many of these problems, so if you think that your pet is stable enough to wait, call us and we will respond by our next business day. If we are closed and you don’t feel you can wait for our next business day, here are other facilities around Dane County that specialize in urgent care solutions.
Capital City Veterinary Clinic – (608) 318-5060
Lodi Veterinary Care – (608) 592-3232