I'm so glad to hear there's nothing serious going on with Otter!
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ER Vet Wont Answer - Need Advice!
- Thread starter jreiger
- Start Date
Excellent news! 
I"d been following this but not posting. DOn't think I skipped any posts - but if I'm saying somethng someone else already did, I apologize upfront!
Firstly - GREAT news Otter is ok!
Secondly - personal experience. Obviously you did the right thing going to the ER vet. ER vets ABSOLUTELY have their place. But remember that EVERYTHING (in our town at least) costs almost double at the ER vet. I'm absolutely not saying you shouldn't have gone - I defintely would have too. But two things I've tried to remember after my only very very expensive ER vet experience. They absolutely saved one of our cat's lives so I'd go again in a heartbeat in the correct situation (which it sounds like yours was). But after doing what you absolutely had to do (I'm guessing because your vet wasn't open) don't forget once you take him back to your vet, most procedures will cost quite a bit less.
And here's my big (very subjective, very personal advice)....I utilize the "regular" vet I use for one very specific reason (ok - aside from the fact that I love, love, love him and he's kind, compassionate, and very cat-knowledgeable)...but after ER vets became available in our town, 99.9% of the vets in our town stopped offering any kind of after hours treatment - forcing their clients to utilize the ER clinics for any evening/night/weekend emergency. However - the vet I will now keep forever (and he's a "country vet" that I drive 45 minutes to in large part because of this) - he's the only one I know in our entire area that will STILL come in for emergencies ---night, weekend, holiday. You pay a little more - but nowhere CLOSE to what the ER vet clinic charges. So as much as switching vets is a huge pain (as is researching who might do this in your area) the very, very few times I've had to take advantage of this over the years, it has been a huge mental and financial comfort to know if absolutely necessary I can call our "regular" vet 24/7 and he, personally, wlll meet me at his clinic. So you might research that (see if anyone in your town works that way too) just in case it ever happens again! It's saved me countless dollars over the years versus what other friends pay when they have to go to the animal ER!!!!
Again - know it's a pain and may not even be possible in your area - but it's been invaluable to us!!!
Firstly - GREAT news Otter is ok!
Secondly - personal experience. Obviously you did the right thing going to the ER vet. ER vets ABSOLUTELY have their place. But remember that EVERYTHING (in our town at least) costs almost double at the ER vet. I'm absolutely not saying you shouldn't have gone - I defintely would have too. But two things I've tried to remember after my only very very expensive ER vet experience. They absolutely saved one of our cat's lives so I'd go again in a heartbeat in the correct situation (which it sounds like yours was). But after doing what you absolutely had to do (I'm guessing because your vet wasn't open) don't forget once you take him back to your vet, most procedures will cost quite a bit less.
And here's my big (very subjective, very personal advice)....I utilize the "regular" vet I use for one very specific reason (ok - aside from the fact that I love, love, love him and he's kind, compassionate, and very cat-knowledgeable)...but after ER vets became available in our town, 99.9% of the vets in our town stopped offering any kind of after hours treatment - forcing their clients to utilize the ER clinics for any evening/night/weekend emergency. However - the vet I will now keep forever (and he's a "country vet" that I drive 45 minutes to in large part because of this) - he's the only one I know in our entire area that will STILL come in for emergencies ---night, weekend, holiday. You pay a little more - but nowhere CLOSE to what the ER vet clinic charges. So as much as switching vets is a huge pain (as is researching who might do this in your area) the very, very few times I've had to take advantage of this over the years, it has been a huge mental and financial comfort to know if absolutely necessary I can call our "regular" vet 24/7 and he, personally, wlll meet me at his clinic. So you might research that (see if anyone in your town works that way too) just in case it ever happens again! It's saved me countless dollars over the years versus what other friends pay when they have to go to the animal ER!!!!
Again - know it's a pain and may not even be possible in your area - but it's been invaluable to us!!!
