Finding Large Animal Vet Experience?

[david594]

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Just wondering if anyone had any thoughts or suggestions on the best way on finding large animal experience.

For small animal experience I went door-to-door with vets till I found one willing to take a volunteer.

For large animal though I cant really seem to even find any vets in the area who do it.

 

[Truth74]

I would go with the state vma. They usually have a list of vets that can be searched. Go with a zip code you would feel comfortable traveling to or through, and start calling. You may have to draw up a liability waiver to make them feel more comfortable, as well.

 

[Pigsfoot]

i asked the stable where i take riding lessons. i also did a search online and found a few different vets and cold-called. oddly enough-many of them were pretty unwilling to take a 'shadow', but i landed someone from the stable and it worked out. it also depends-if you want dairy experience-that may be harder to find if you are in an urban area.

 

[Kymmy16w]

I got lucky and have been volunteering at an equine critical care/emergency hospital for 3.5 years. It is absolutely amazing.

Volunteering for a vet who does barn calls, works at a racetrack, a farm, or even a hospital, is the best way to go. As my dad says "the squeaky wheel gets the grease."

 

[OSJ]

I have found that alot of horse vets are happy to have someone riding along, it keeps them company on the car ride and it's nice to have someone else there to help restrain the horse, jog the horse for lameness exams, etc.

 

[wivet2011]

You can also trying asking the small animal vet you volunteer with...sometimes they have ideas. My boss actually went to school with a large animal vet in the same area and was able to help me set something up.

 

[cubs11]

You can also trying asking the small animal vet you volunteer with...sometimes they have ideas.

This is how I found a large animal vet to shadow!

 

[Sweetcaroline14]

I googled large animal vet internships a few years ago, and for some reason, came across a ton of possible vets in my area. I wish I could remember where I found this page, as I'd pass it on to all of you. I wrote to them all, volunteered to work for free(that helps!), supplied them with my resume and vet tech credentials and WooHoo....🙂 ! I was lucky enough to gain a ton of experience with several vets. Just keep up the search. It can be tedious, but it'll pay off in the end.

 

[georgie339]

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[sumstorm]

Lambs Farm in Libertyville
Brookfield Zoo (has a petting zoo along with exotic)
Lincoln Park Zoo
Banbury Fair petting zoo in Bartlett

 

[blkjkvet]

I am somewhat new to the SDN formums, and have recently become addicted to reading and learning. I am fortunate to live in a small town where most of the vets are in general practice and also do some large animal stuff. I have a couple of ideas of resources to look at...

1) Academy of Rural Vets - association providing support for rural veterinarians www.ruralvets.com
2) American Association of Bovine Practitioners - aabp.org
3) If you have any farms near where you live (horse or cow) stop in at one of the farms and ask who they use as a vet, explain that you are trying to find someone to shadow. Most farmers are very nice when I go on farm calls with the vet that I am working with.

Allison

 

[StillDreaming]

I would check out this link. These people are advertising for someone to come shadow them, and depending on your area depends on how many opporunities are available.
http://www.aaep.org/shadow_a_vet.htm

Start with that link, and if it doesn't help, just broaden your search. Many of the ideas listed above can probably help you find experience. You seem pretty willing (going door to door for SA exp), so just find a different techinque for LA experience. Call around, talk to people, go to local stables and ask whot heir vet is, etc.

But i wish i knew about that link when i first started undergrad, there are A LOT of vets on it that i didn't even know about.

GOOD LUCK! and let us know what works for others in the future reading this thread! 🙂

 

[Ben and Me]

It can also help if you already have experience handling large animals. I didn't have a problem finding several vets in the area to let me shadow, but I think that was because I'd been riding and showing since I was tiny.

So, it may help you to start out getting large animal experience by volunteering with a therapeutic riding program, working at a stable, etc to make yourself more marketable and show that you know how to put on a halter, restrain, jog, lunge, etc. My undergrad even had a horsemanship PE class. Do something that shows them that you're comfortable around large animals and have a basic grasp of how to handle them. Plus, any large animal experience can go on your application, so you're really benefiting in 2 ways! 😉

Most equine vets are insanely busy because they have to travel so far, and I don't know many that would have the patience to hand-hold you through basic horsemanship. Make yourself more marketable to them by going ahead and learning basic horsemanship, and I don't think you'll have a problem. (But remember to be honest if you only have limited experience, since you don't want to get your kind-hearted vet bitten or kicked!)

 

[georgie339]

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[bmichs75DVM]

Hey David,
I think that most vets (large or small) would be willing to have you shadow them. I would maybe google some large animal vets in your area or ask your local small animal vet(s) is they know any large animal vets practicing around where you live. Then call them and set up a date to shadow.

When you say large animal, I assume equine, bovine, etc? If this is the case, plan on wearing old jeans and boots and I hope you like getting dirty (at least from the bovine aspect of it 😀).

 

[tpad40]

bmichs - i think you need to look at the date of the thread 😉

 

[bmichs75DVM]

😱 oops. Ya definately did not look at that. Never mind David. Thanks tpad40 for the catch.

 

[Truth74]

Hi georgie339,

The zoos in the Chicago area generally require a bachelors or an intent to complete one to apply. The internship programs are competitive and require application and a 6 week, 40 hrs a week commitment, at least.

It's not a bad idea, if you plan to take a gap year, or want to work in a non-animal related area of the zoo. the zoos downstate (like Scovill)are not as picky.

I would recommend talking to your vet and seeing if there are LA vets that he is aware of in suburban or rural areas. Unfortunately, the ISVMA website lumps the LA and SA vets together, so they are not much of a help in finding an active large animal vet. If you live near a race track, or have relatives that live a bit farther south that do, you could contact them and get the names of vets that are in the area.

You may also want to call the cops. Chicago has a mounted police force. I'm not sure which precinct they are based out of, but they may have the name/s of vets that service their horses.

Unfortunately, since they are few and far between, you may need to take time out during a break to spend a week downstate or on the Iowa side of the state to get that experience you're looking for.