When should a patient with a concerning but stable bite visit an Urgent Care center?

When experiencing moderate pain or swelling not improving with home measures

Urgent care centers are strategically placed for acute conditions that require attention faster than a routine primary care appointment but are not immediately life-threatening, thus avoiding the ER unless necessary. This level of care is appropriate when a bite is causing moderate symptoms, such as pain or swelling, that have not resolved satisfactorily with basic home treatments like ice and elevation. Urgent care facilities are equipped to clean wounds, manage localized infections, assess escalating but stable systemic symptoms, and provide initial prescriptive treatment that steps up the management beyond simple over-the-counter remedies.