the Cost of Emergency Veterinarian Care

My cat received emergency after hours vet care for a critical urinary tract condition.

The price above reflects two visits; one cost $300, and one cost $200, including prescribed medications.

I was actually less than satisfied with my service. Emergency vet care can be tough in rural areas, since it relies on working vets being on call after hours. My cat actually had to be seen twice, once in the middle of the night and once on a Sunday, when no vet was open.

When he had to see the vet in the middle of the night, she wasn't terribly friendly, which is understandable since she had to wake up in the middle of the night, but it added to my stress. The vet didn't clearly answer my questions and I left feeling slightly confused and significantly poorer. She was also not my regular vet, as he was not on call that night, and that was rather upsetting.

The $300 charge reflected a pain relief shot and compensation for the vet having to get out of bed.

When I saw the vet on a Sunday, things went much better, I think because she already at the clinic seeing another emergency case. She prescribed an anti-inflammatory medication and was much more friendly and helpful.

In both cases, she sent incident reports to my regular vet; if you do receive emergency vet care, make sure to get copies of your pet's intake record and notes to show your regular vet.

Emergency vet care is stressful by nature because it's an emergency. If you have pets, you should find out whether or not there is an emergency clinic in your area, so that you can be prepared when situations like this arise. If you don't have an emergency clinic, ask your vet about what you should do in case of emergency.

Remember that even if it seems frivolous, it is really important to get immediate medical care for some conditions. If you have to disturb an on-call vet for emergency care, be prepared to have clear, concise answers to questions like "When did your pet last eat/drink," as they will help the vet decide how serious the problem is.