the Cost of Emergency Veterinarian Care

Our cat had been missing for twelve days when my brother noticed paw prints on the floors of a house he was building behind ours. We then extracted her from an HV/AC duct she had been trapped in. She was responsive, but obviously very dehydrated and possibly in shock. We immediately rushed her to a vet here in town who keeps (limited) emergency hours. She was seen by the vet within a minute or two of our arriving. He took her vitals, examined her for injury, and decided to treat her dehydration with a subcutaneus injection of saline and to administer an injection of broad-spectrum antibiotics. The costs broken down on my receipt were:

Emergent care exam - $20

SubQ saline - $5

Antibiotics (injectable) - $10

This was for me the best emergency veterinary care visit I've had with any of my pets. The vet himself promptly saw to my pet and performed a thorough exam. He explained to me everything that he was doing or looking for as he examined her. He did not recommend treatments or tests that would most likely prove to be expensive and unnecessary. He explained that if her condition did not improve he'd like to be called as soon as possible to meet us at his practice and perform further tests. The costs were jaw-droppingly impressive to me, as was the vet's attitude towards treatment. I cannot think of any aspect that could've been improved upon. The emergency care provided was unquestionably worth the cost.

I would talk to your vet about whether or not they are willing to be called upon in emergencies or if they can recommend someone for after hours.