Getting a dog in vet school?

[umbrezon]

Hi everyone! I have seen this post by searching but as it has been about five years since it was posted I wanted to ask around here for some advice. I am starting veterinary school in the fall at LMU and have been very tempted to get a dog during the first year. I had a dog growing up until she passed in 2016, and while I love my cat and I think she’s the best, I really want to have a dog to take on walks with me and generally miss having that in my life. I especially want to look at adopting a senior dog as they have a special place in my heart. No puppies for me anytime soon haha

I’ll be living less than 10 minutes from campus so I’d have time to run home on lunch breaks to let a dog out. I just wanted to see what others experiences are and maybe some advice about this? I’m going back and forth with the temptation and while I really want to get a dog, I don’t want to make a wrong decision here if it’s totally not a good idea.

Sorry if I’ve posted this in the wrong area! I wanted to see if anyone else is also struggling with the temptation and hopefully this post might help others who are feeling the same way rn too

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[JaynaAli]

If you search the forums for pets in vet school you’ll get quite a few old threads on the topic. The short version is it’s doable if you make it a priority. Life is probably easier without worrying about a dog but many many students have one or multiple. Getting an older dog is going to be easier than training a puppy. It might be wise to wait a semester to really settle in to school before adding a dog but it’s also probably fine all at once.

I do advise being smart about the number of pets you obtain and breeds you have if you’re renting, especially if you might specialize…it can be hard to find housing in new cities on the internship/residency route if you have more than 2 dogs, large breeds, or “aggressive” breeds, etc. I’m not saying pitbulls or GSDs or Dobermans or whatever aren’t great dogs but the fact is, it’s lots easier to find rentals with just one or two dogs that are small to medium sized and not on common “banned breeds lists”.

 

[MOOSEygoosey]

Hello there, I adopted one of the teaching beagles my first year as a vet student and it turned out to be one of the greatest decisions I've made but also one of the saddest. One of the reasons I was able to get Ralphie was because I had someone willing to foster him to potty-train him and get him used to living in a domestic household setting. She had him from thanksgiving until mid-march so that was huge! Then I found out he had epilepsy and heart disease and cushings! I loved him so much and he brought so much joy to my life. He was 8 (almost 9) when I got him and his #1 joy in life was to sleep. He was independent mostly but enjoyed when I sat down and gave him scratches. He was literally the best. But unfortunately he got sick ~2 weeks ago and last week I had to euthanize him. He had an adrenal tumor that led to secondary vasculitis (paraneoplastic) and there wasn't enough time for him to get the mass removed. So I had him for 3 years. And honestly, in clinics it's broken me. I'm worried that I'm changed as a doctor because emotionally I'm not available. I just don't have it in me to keep trying as hard as I have because I lost my baby and I barely have time to mourn him. I only have 4 weeks of clinics left and I just don't care anymore. I wish I did. To make matters worse, I'm on oncology right now where all I see is cancer. So you have to do it understanding that there's good and bad. I never expected Ralphie to not make it through vet school. I had him on my lease for my internship, I had just switched him to extended release keppra so I didn't have to pill him 3 times a day during my internship (impossible). So, overall, I don't regret it because I loved him and he loved me and he brought so much happiness to my life. But I'm not going to be getting another dog any time soon.

 

[JustPaws]

I'm gonna play devils advocate and say just wait until you are done. First and second year you can run home to take them out on lunch... but what about when you want to attend lunch club meetings or 5pm after class meetings? Maybe you think oh I will have a roommate so no problem. Maybe this is true, or maybe your roommate gets a SO and moves out and your new roommate is not interested in helping. Or maybe your roommate doesn't want that responsibility. During clinics we routinely had clerkship that did NOT allow you to leave for pets and recommended paying a classmate or just a dog walker to take care of your pet. Can you afford that? Do you want to take loans to cover that? What about emergency care? Will you use loans to cover those costs? What about externship? What if you want to do 3-4 weeks out of state for the perfect rotation? Will you pay for boarding? Have family or an SO to care for them? Have your roommate care for them the entire time?

I don't really want these answers, I just want you to consider them truthfully. Lots of my classmates had or adopted pets during school and did fine, but they made choices and gave things up to make it work. In my opinion this is the same as picking the cheapest school. It's only 4 years, you can wait.

 

[max_wildlife]

Hey if you want an illustration of experience, I brought my husky with me to vet school and while I wouldn't have it any other way, everyone's pretty much hit the nail on the head. It's a different life than many of my classmates.

I live 40 minutes away from campus because I was uncompromising on having a fenced in yard. most complexes - 90% or so - have him as a restricted breed. The ones that don't are beautiful, but cost about 2k per month, but I'm more or less in the sprawl of Boston so cost may vary. The fenced in yard has been great for him; i have a wonderful neighbor who lets him out to play with her dogs. I'm lucky. But next year I'm planning to move in with roommates 5 minutes from school because I just can't take the commute, the cost, and anxiety anymore. I'm lucky I found a dog friendly place again.

There are caveats. I'm older (30) which means my parents are older (mid 60s) with moderate-serious cardiovascular health problems. Even though they love him, he can't really go home to them mid-semester. He's going there for 10 weeks this summer while I do fieldwork, and I'm really anxious about that. It's not an option for the school year.

But then there are good things. Less of my identity is wrapped up in being a student. I have a whole existing being that relies on me. We take walks every day. I skip class to take him to the vet if I have to. He's my comfort when I struggle with exams or if my parents' health concerns have me freaking out. I have someone to come home to. He keeps me a person.

But then there are trade-offs; I have a lower gpa. not on probation, but somewhat close. My dog, along with my human family's health, comes first. Then vet school. Many people are not okay with that approach.

That said, I think you can always start vet school, see how you fare, and maybe make a move second semester. I have a few friends that did that and they're doing fine. I agree with getting a lower-energy older dog if you can.

 

[Kaharian]

Maybe consider fostering for your local shelter first and see how that feels? That way you’re testing the waters with what you can handle without making a permanent commitment quite yet and you get to do a good deed by helping shelter animals in need.

 

[battie]

I'm also of the devils advocate train of thought. Some of the worst dog owners I've ever seen are veterinary students. You have to be *very good* at time management if you're going to be active in clubs and such while having a dog. Some people just weren't good at that and their dog suffered for it unfortunately. As others have said, you'll have to sacrifice opportunities and such for the benefit of the dog. I didn't bring a dog with me and the dog I acquired stayed in my home state with my then fiance because I already had extensive obligations on top of clinics.

Be honest on what kind of person you are. There's nothing wrong with saying that you'll be too busy or won't want to compromise potential experiences for the sake of a dog. Bot you and the dog would be better off.

 

[puppydogtor]

I am not currently in vet school, but I will be bringing two dogs with me when I start this fall.
I think there are a lot of things to consider like everyone is mentioning. Do you have time to train a new dog? Will you have help taking care of the dog? Can you afford a dog? What type of environment will you be living in- will the dog have plenty of space in your home or be cooped up in a crate?

I've had my dogs since they were 3 mos. and 1 year old, they are both 5 now. They are trained and I know their habits, quirks, and needs. I've had them during my gap year and undergrad, so I could not even imagine not bringing them with me to vet school. However, my one dog needs 3 doses of medication a day. Not only do I have to make sure that someone can give it to her, but it's over $100 a month for that medication alone which she will need for her whole life. I am very fortunate that my SO is moving with me. He works from home, so he will be able to care for our dogs when I am not around and also provide financial stability. If I didn't have an SO with me, I would be extremely stressed about budgeting for my dogs' needs and making sure that my dog gets her medications on time. Our house is also spacious - the dogs will not be crated and there's a fenced in yard for them to play in which is another thing to consider.

I understand the want to get a dog. I honestly believe that I need a dog. I have had dogs my whole life so they are part of my lifestyle without question. I don't view the things I do for them as sacrifices or chores, they are just things built into my life and routine. I think if you are like me, you should be fine caring for a dog and won't neglect them. However, you also have no idea what you are getting into with any dog you purchase or adopt. I thought my 3 mos. old puppy wasn't getting potty trained because there was a disconnect in her training. Turns out she has a birth defect and can't hold her bladder well, so she needs frequent potty breaks and 3 doses of proin a day. I was told my 1 yr old pup was perfectly healthy when I adopted him, turns out he had heartworm and I had to drop lots of $$ to treat it. I just mention this because whichever dog you get, you are committed to them and everything they need. If you get a dog, I wish you the best and hope your pup is as healthy as they can be

 

[EngrSC]

Sooooo I've had at least 1 dog since I was 19 and a sophomore undergrad student (I'm 34 now). I will never live without dogs. However, I feel like vet school with a dog really requires the right dog. The 2 dogs I have currently are older (5 and 9), do not have separation anxiety or behavioral problems of any sort, and are happy to sleep on my bed all day long. BUT we walk 30-60 minutes every morning (which is good for me on so many levels), my Lab runs ~20 miles/week with me, and we walk 10-15 minutes before bed time (which really helps me turn my brain off). I live pretty close to school and don't feel like I've ever had to miss out on anything I've wanted to do. Our spay labs were pretty long days but my neighbor (a classmate) let my pups out for me mid-day and I did the same for her on her spay days. I'll be in clinics this summer and am paying a first year to let my dogs out mid-day since I likely won't be able to run home. I've found having dogs to be perfectly do-able but they are a priority in my life. I also have a very part time job in the teaching hospital and my dogs don't seem to care at all when I spontaneously leave in the middle of the night.
So I think for the right person and the right dog it's totally fine. But I definitely wouldn't want to be managing a puppy or nervous wreck of a dog during vet school 🙂

 

[alleycat03]

@umbrezon Here is a recent thread on this same topic. I am also going to say that I personally would recommend against getting a dog unless you feel you are completely prepared for everything dog ownership entails. Personally, I have 2 cats and they have been great companions. Many of your classmates will have dogs, maybe you'll even have a roommate that will own a dog. My bf has a dog, so I get to hang out with her all the time and don't feel like I need a dog of my own. I also know that I could not own a dog right now since I frequently stay at school during lunch and I stay after classes to study, attend exam reviews, or attend club meetings multiple nights a week. The other posters in this thread brought up many good points, as did the posters in the thread I have linked below. Hope that helps!

Getting a pet and starting school

I've applied to schools for starting Fall 2022 and fingers crossed I get an acceptance. I have horses who will be coming with me (that's non-negotiable) but I haven't had my own dog since I lost my last one a couple years back. I don't want to go for another 4 plus years without a dog and my...

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[umbrezon]

Hi everyone! Just wanted to thank everyone for your comments - I've decided I'll hold off on a dog for awhile and to appease my wish for pets I will likely look to adopting/fostering a pocket pet since I have more experience with them as an owner! I made that decision based off things you guys told me, thinking about what would make my cat most comfortable (she's a grumpy old lady) and costs as well (I own much of the basics already for a pocket pet vs nothing for a dog, pet deposits are also a lot).

Thank you again everyone for your comments, @MOOSEygoosey you especially gave me a lot to think about and I'm so sorry for your loss. My cat is getting into her old years (approx 13 years old right now) and the possibility of losing both a dog I adopt and my cat during vet school I think would be too much for me.