Art City Vets

The site publishes a Care Policy setting out client rights and responsibilities. Client rights listed include receiving accurate and timely information about a pet's health, being informed about the costs of evaluation and treatment options along with available payment options, understanding evaluation and treatment options including treatments available via referral to a specialist, participating in care decisions including declining treatment, and confidential handling of information. Responsibilities listed include disclosing complete history, keeping dogs on leashes and cats in carriers, and being understanding of potential wait times.

For other veterinary hospitals, Art City Vets publishes a referral policy stating it provides urgent care services to patients in Philadelphia and surrounding counties, functions as an extension of the primary care facility, and has strict policies to return patients to the referring hospital for continued care. It says a Direct Doctor Line exists for referring vets to call its veterinarians directly, and that the number is available by contacting the practice.

On pet insurance, the site says insurance can help offset the cost of unexpected illness or injury, and notes that pet insurance typically does not cover pre-existing conditions, requires the owner to pay upfront and be reimbursed later, and determines coverage independently of the veterinarian. It points to Pawlicy Advisor and Pet Insurance Review for unbiased plan comparisons. The FAQ states the practice requires full payment for any appointment at the time of service, and that its team will provide records and invoices for a claim within a few days of the appointment.

On estimates, the FAQ explains why general surgical costs are not quoted before an initial appointment: each pet's surgical and anesthetic needs vary, and an initial examination and assessment is required to provide an accurate estimate. During an urgent care visit, the team says it reviews treatment recommendations and costs before moving forward. For any quote or estimate, contact the practice on (215)-563-8387.

Contact details are phone 215-563-VETS (8387), fax 215-689-4145 and email info@artcityvets.com. To book or schedule, the site provides an Appointment Request form, and separately a Prescription Request form, a New Patient Form, a Medical Records Request and a Pet Travel Inquiry Form. The FAQ states the practice is currently accepting new patients, asks for full medical records, and says to get added to the system with the New Client Form and then set up an appointment by either calling or using the Appointment Request Form.

The site also publishes a holiday hours table covering Easter, Memorial Day, Juneteenth, July 4th, Labor Day, Thanksgiving Eve, Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, New Years Eve, New Years Day and MLK Jr. Day, with separate columns for the Wellness Center, Urgent Care and Surgery; hours on those dates vary between closed, early closing and normal opening, so the holiday table on the hours page should be checked or the practice called rather than assuming regular hours. The page notes holiday hours may impact surgery availability and asks people to contact staff with questions.

Art City Vets provides walk-in emergency and urgent veterinary care for dogs and cats at 2001 Hamilton Street, Philadelphia, PA 19130, seven days a week. No appointment is required for urgent care; walk-ins are welcome. The published urgent care hours are Monday to Friday 8am-7pm, Saturday 8am-5pm and Sunday 8am-3pm. The phone number to call for guidance is 215-563-8387, and the page tells owners who are unsure whether their pet needs urgent care to call the team.

About after-hours and emergency arrangements, the site is limited in what it publishes. It does not advertise 24-hour, overnight or after-hours service, and the hours above are the only hours given. The emergency page states that urgent care "is designed for pets experiencing illnesses or injuries that require prompt medical attention but may not require a visit to a 24-hour emergency hospital", and that "some pets with critical or life-threatening illnesses or injuries may be referred to a 24-hour emergency or specialty hospital if advanced care, surgery, or hospitalization is needed." No referral hospital is named anywhere on the pages published. The FAQ page, answering what to do about a suspected toxin, says to contact the practice and ASPCA poison control (888) 426-4435 immediately, and that if the pet seems sick, go to an emergency hospital as soon as possible.

The site lists signs it says warrant immediate veterinary care: difficulty breathing, choking, uncontrolled bleeding, collapse or ongoing seizures. Reasons it lists for an urgent care visit include vomiting or diarrhea, refusal to eat or drink, severe lethargy, wounds and lacerations, limping, eye injuries, ear infections, skin infections, allergic reactions, difficulty urinating, suspected ingestion of a foreign body, heat stress, and seizures or staggering. A visit is described as check-in, triage and history, veterinary examination, then a discussion of findings, treatment recommendations and costs before proceeding.

The canine core vaccinations listed are Rabies, DHPP, Leptospirosis, and Bordetella/Parainfluenza. Feline core vaccinations listed are Rabies, FVRCP and FeLV. The site notes rabies vaccination is required by law in Pennsylvania. Cat Days are described as blocks of time at the Wellness Center for cats only, with cat-friendly appointments by veterinarians who focus on feline medicine. Sick visits are described as available same-day. To schedule or book an appointment, call (215)-563-8387 or use the Appointment Request form on the site.

Ask anyway — the agent will say plainly that it is not published rather than guess.