Vital Vet Urgent Pet Care, Norman’s first veterinarian urgent care, opens Thursday on Flood Avenue.
The urgent care is owned by primary veterinarian and OU alum Dr. Brittany Daily, who has worked in clinics across the country.
“I was actually a veterinary assistant at University Animal Hospital for a few years … that’s where I got my start, …” Daily said. “I got to see how reception worked, how a veterinarian technician works, running blood, holding animals, giving medications, doing hospital treatments, helping with anesthesia, and then also running the front and learning finances to know all that as well.”
Daily said the new clinic hopes to address the community's need for emergency veterinary services.
“Our goal here is to bridge the gap between your primary doctor for your pet and the (emergency room), so we’re hoping to help with wait times and cost,” Daily said. “Instead of being open right when your vet closes, we open right before they close so that they can triage stuff to us or call us if they need to.”
According to Daily, Vital Vet Urgent Pet Care seeks to address the need for pet urgent care in Norman.
“(City Paws Urgent Care) bridged the gap, which is what we’re trying to do, between your primary care veterinarian, (who) usually closes between five and six, to the ER that opens at that time and gets bottlenecked,” Daily said. “People also don’t want to wait all the time or have the crazy bills that an ER can provide.”
Daily said becoming a veterinarian has been her dream since childhood, and the clinic has been a long time coming.
“It’s taken a long time to get where I am right now, so it means the world to me to have a dream come true and a staff that is willing to help with all the issues that can come up as we’re learning,” Daily said.
Brett Napolitano, a Norman resident and veterinary technician with about six years of experience, will be the clinic’s lead surgery technician.
“Every day is different,” Napolitano said. “You’ve got 18 emergencies, and it’s a horrible day, and then the next day you’ve got an emergency you’re able to fix. That’s what drives me,” Napolitano said. “I want to be there, definitely. If I can help in any way, I want to do that.”
Napolitano said the clinic can also be used for non-emergencies that need to be seen that day.
“Let’s say your dog ran through part of a fence and got a cut on its arm. Instead of having to go and spend $3,000 at the ER, we’re here. Spend a couple of hundred, and get it done,” Napolitano said.
According to Daily, the clinic will eventually offer opportunities to university students, and one of the current technicians at Vital Vet Urgent Pet Care is a pre-veterinary student.
“We’re going to offer, for sure, preceptorships for vet students that want to come here. I don’t mind shadowing once we get up and running because I think everybody has to start somewhere,” Daily said. “I think it’s really important to give back, and we’re always open for that.”
Daily said people from out-of-state can look up the clinic and have a place to go when they can’t access their pet’s primary vet.
“It’s important that people understand your pet's care is vital any time, and we want to be here to support you in that, wherever you are and whatever state you’re from,” Daily said.
This story was edited by Madisson Cameron and Macey Thaxton. Andrew Higgins, Kennedy Johnson and Tori Pham copy edited this story.
