Having pets while in school

[WizardOfPaws]

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Hey everyone, so just wondering if it's a good idea to have a pet during the the first few years of vet school.

I've been fostering this underweight chihuahua mix for a couple months and really want to adopt him but my parents, who will be helping a little, are worried about added expenses.

I think having a pet, especially such an easy-going tiny guy, will keep me sane throughout vet school.

What could be some potential pros and cons of having an animal?

Just one, I don't intend on adopting another and he's well under the 20lbs weight limit most complexes have

 

[JaynaAli]

There have been plenty of threads on this topic in the past it might be helpful to read.

https://forums.studentdoctor.net/threads/pets-in-veterinary-school.1091453/#post-15564803
This one has some replies, but the first post also links to like8 old threads in case you can't figure out how to search.

https://forums.studentdoctor.net/threads/owning-a-dog-while-in-vet-school.1049461/#post-14778544
Here's another.

Many students have pets. There are lots of discounts available for vet students. We got free/discounted heartworm meds, free/discounted flea and tick preventatives, discounts on dog food, and a discount at the teaching hospital. Occasionally free treats and shampoos or other products from certain companies. That said, it can be a significant expense, particularly if a medical emergency arises that you weren't planning or have an emergency fund for. I wouldn't have traded having a dog for anything though, but you just need to think it through for yourself.

 

[LetItSnow]

There have been plenty of threads on this topic in the past it might be helpful to read.

https://forums.studentdoctor.net/threads/pets-in-veterinary-school.1091453/#post-15564803
This one has some replies, but the first post also links to like8 old threads in case you can't figure out how to search.

https://forums.studentdoctor.net/threads/owning-a-dog-while-in-vet-school.1049461/#post-14778544
Here's another.

Many students have pets. There are lots of discounts available for vet students. We got free/discounted heartworm meds, free/discounted flea and tick preventatives, discounts on dog food, and a discount at the teaching hospital. Occasionally free treats and shampoos or other products from certain companies. That said, it can be a significant expense, particularly if a medical emergency arises that you weren't planning or have an emergency fund for. I wouldn't have traded having a dog for anything though, but you just need to think it through for yourself.

Ditto everything, but be careful not to assume that "a discount at the teaching hospital" translates to "low cost care." (Jayna didn't mean it that way, either, I'm just cautioning you not to misinterpret it.)

That may be true at some teaching hospitals for all I know, but at UMN even with the discount the teaching hospital was more expensive than most private practices. That said, if you hunted around you could find some super nice practicing vets who would help you out a bit. When my dog needed an abd ultrasound midway through vet school, a local doc did the $400+ procedure free of charge because I was a vet student. That was incredibly generous.

 

[pp9]

Ditto everything, but be careful not to assume that "a discount at the teaching hospital" translates to "low cost care." (Jayna didn't mean it that way, either, I'm just cautioning you not to misinterpret it.)

That may be true at some teaching hospitals for all I know, but at UMN even with the discount the teaching hospital was more expensive than most private practices. That said, if you hunted around you could find some super nice practicing vets who would help you out a bit. When my dog needed an abd ultrasound midway through vet school, a local doc did the $400+ procedure free of charge because I was a vet student. That was incredibly generous.

Illinois is the same way. Almost all the students go elsewhere in town for GP services because our 20% discount isn't much given how expensive routine things are. The local clinics give students discounts on services that are already cheaper, and it's significantly easier to get a last minute/sick appointment at a local clinic since teaching hospitals tend to book out entire weeks by Monday morning (at least Illinois does for most services).

Also, remember that come clinics, if not before, you may not be able to run home to take care of your dog's needs all the time. I know many fourth years who pay 1st/2nd years to walk their dogs and be on standby in case they get stuck at the hospital. It may not be the end of the world, but it could be an additional stress/expense. I don't know about other schools, but Illinois does not allow students to use any cage/run for day boarding and they recently instated a ban on that for everyone else in the hospital as well. There's also dealing with your pet for externships should you plan for any. Some people take their pets with them across the country for these things, but that won't always work.

It helps if you have roommates who are willing to take care of your dog as needed, but that's asking a lot of someone who will be equally as busy as you are.

 

[genny]

I vote for keeping the lil guy. We get free/discounted HW and flea+tick for listening to a lecture by the companies offering products, and we get cheaper prices on food through industry reps. The benefits of having a dog far outweigh the costs.

 

[vetmedhead]

Also, remember that come clinics, if not before, you may not be able to run home to take care of your dog's needs all the time. I know many fourth years who pay 1st/2nd years to walk their dogs and be on standby in case they get stuck at the hospital. It may not be the end of the world, but it could be an additional stress/expense.

This is a huge part of why I have a cat instead of a dog (beyond the fact that I am just a cat person in general). I love dogs but I'm not in the place in my life where I can easily get back to let them out/walk them/tend to their needs during the day and I know it will only get worse on clinics. With a cat he can tolerate eating dinner a little later than normal if necessary and if not he only needs about a five minute visit from someone to give him some food and I can tend to the rest (litter box and whatnot) when I get home.

Also, I personally advocate against people bringing childhood pets with them to veterinary school, as much as that hurts to hear. Unfortunately I just know far too many people who had pets die on them during school and a huge part of it was because their pets were old to begin with when they started and it was just their time. Lots of older animals also develop more serious conditions that can need more attentive or time consuming care than normal and I know lots of people who really struggled to deal with awful things like hemangiosarcoma or diabetes or osteoarthritis or osteosarcoma or thyroid problems because of limited funds and time. It sucks and I feel very bad for those who have to deal with the death of a beloved pet in the middle of the black hole that is vet school, which in my experience is more common for those whose pets were older when school started.

 

[wallydo]

Lots of older animals also develop more serious conditions that can need more attentive or time consuming care than normal and I know lots of people who really struggled to deal with awful things like hemangiosarcoma or diabetes or osteoarthritis or osteosarcoma or thyroid problems because of limited funds and time. It sucks and I feel very bad for those who have to deal with the death of a beloved pet in the middle of the black hole that is vet school, which in my experience is more common for those whose pets were older when school started.

Yep, you are stating pretty much my fear of starting vet school with my Setter who will be close to 10. She's not a childhood pet but is the first dog I got on my own and I'm an older applicant. I feel like it is reasonable to hope she makes it to 15-16, but I also realize her time could come at 14 or so, right towards the end of school. We've been through a LOT together, including a $12,000 arthrodesis and two MRSP infections. My boyfriend once looked at her lovingly and said "you know Miriam, you have to be okay until mom is through school, right?"... *sob*

 

[vetmedhead]

Yep, you are stating pretty much my fear of starting vet school with my Setter who will be close to 10. She's not a childhood pet but is the first dog I got on my own and I'm an older applicant. I feel like it is reasonable to hope she makes it to 15-16, but I also realize her time could come at 14 or so, right towards the end of school. We've been through a LOT together, including a $12,000 arthrodesis and two MRSP infections. My boyfriend once looked at her lovingly and said "you know Miriam, you have to be okay until mom is through school, right?"... *sob*

Yeah, it's very hard. 🙁

I was talking to my roommate about this the other day and she claims the second year path class is a pet killer. Her class had tons of pets die that semester, almost always of something they were actually covering in path that week. I know my roommate's dog was diagnosed with hemangiosarcoma a few weeks after they covered it in class because when they went over symptoms of it she realized her dog had all of them and took her in for diagnostics after.

 

[wallydo]

Yeah, it's very hard. 🙁

I was talking to my roommate about this the other day and she claims the second year path class is a pet killer. Her class had tons of pets die that semester, almost always of something they were actually covering in path that week. I know my roommate's dog was diagnosed with hemangiosarcoma a few weeks after they covered it in class because when they went over symptoms of it she realized her dog had all of them and took her in for diagnostics after.

Ugh, that's awful and made me sick to my stomach to think about. 🙁 The only two times I've seen hemangiosarcoma in dogs, it was bad bad bad. Miriam just had a suspicious growth removed in January and she got a pretty thorough work up (lab work, UA, abdominal ultrasound, and full body radiographs) and everything looked great - I guess that gives me a little peace but I know how quickly things change in older pets. BRB, gonna go snuggle my dog forever now.

 

[gjsmize88]

My unofficial plan is to try and adopt a dog this summer so that I have time to train it before I get to vet school (not sure yet if that will be this fall or not). The unfortunate thing is that I am in LOVE with pit bulls and I think they are the perfect dog for my life style...of course a lot of renters/landlords don't necessarily agree. Does anyone have any experience trying to find pit bull friendly housing? Is it difficult or significantly more expensive?

 

[pp9]

This is a huge part of why I have a cat instead of a dog (beyond the fact that I am just a cat person in general). I love dogs but I'm not in the place in my life where I can easily get back to let them out/walk them/tend to their needs during the day and I know it will only get worse on clinics. With a cat he can tolerate eating dinner a little later than normal if necessary and if not he only needs about a five minute visit from someone to give him some food and I can tend to the rest (litter box and whatnot) when I get home.

Also, I personally advocate against people bringing childhood pets with them to veterinary school, as much as that hurts to hear. Unfortunately I just know far too many people who had pets die on them during school and a huge part of it was because their pets were old to begin with when they started and it was just their time. Lots of older animals also develop more serious conditions that can need more attentive or time consuming care than normal and I know lots of people who really struggled to deal with awful things like hemangiosarcoma or diabetes or osteoarthritis or osteosarcoma or thyroid problems because of limited funds and time. It sucks and I feel very bad for those who have to deal with the death of a beloved pet in the middle of the black hole that is vet school, which in my experience is more common for those whose pets were older when school started.

Idk, as long as I'm not directly compromising my animal's QOL by moving it/introducing it to a vet student schedule, I'd much rather spend those last few years with my pet than leave it with my parents. If your dog is going to get cancer, it's going to get cancer whether it goes with you or not. I'd rather have it happen when I'm five minutes away from a veterinary oncologist, personally. It does add immeasurable stress, but I'd be willing to take that on it if means being there for my pet every step of the way. Just how I feel.

 

[alohacat319]

I adopted a kitten like two weeks after I started school, and she is 100% the best decision I have made in vet school. I cannot imagine going through it without a pet to come home to. With that being said, having a dog would be super hard because I'm just not home enough to meet their needs, lots of people make it work though.

 

[awesomenessity]

I'm like the extreme version of pet ownership in vet school... I have three of my horses at school with me. They're all staying in competition shape, and we've been to a couple of shows this already winter on the weekends. One of them is part-leased out to a classmate (@SARdoghandler <3) who is helping get him in shape, but for the other two I'm on my own. It is a lot of work, and requires time management skills I don't really have, but I'm making do. I absolutely could not make it through vet school without being able to go to the barn at the end of the day and hang out with my nerds... It's the only time I have where I'm not thinking about school and stressing about upcoming exams. So probably don't be me and go crazy with the pets, but a dog or a cat would be very reasonable 🙂

 

[Trilt]

My zoo kept me sane, no regrets at all for having pets in vet school. Didn't (still don't) have a dog, but cats, ferrets, fish, snakes, occasional foster turtles were all fair game.

 

[vetmedhead]

Idk, as long as I'm not directly compromising my animal's QOL by moving it/introducing it to a vet student schedule, I'd much rather spend those last few years with my pet than leave it with my parents. If your dog is going to get cancer, it's going to get cancer whether it goes with you or not. I'd rather have it happen when I'm five minutes away from a veterinary oncologist, personally. It does add immeasurable stress, but I'd be willing to take that on it if means being there for my pet every step of the way. Just how I feel.

I recognize this, and obviously the level of care your parents can/do provide changes the equation a bit. If my dad had all of my pets I probably would take a few from him because he's not a very attentive pet owner. My mom, on the other hand, I trust completely to take great care of pets and to have good judgment about treatments and euthanasia.

I just know that I'm usually a mess about things like that and have been hesitant to bring old pets into my house ever since my beloved cat threw a saddle thrombus a few years ago and my mom had to have him euthanized. I couldn't shake the feeling that if I had been the one who owned him when that happened I wouldn't have gotten home in time to be able to have him euthanized because of how busy I always am.

It's definitely a personal preference but I know I do worse with stress and grief when it's very immediate to me/I'm the primary person in charge and I think I would struggle with those things a lot more than is reasonable during school vs having my parents take care of my pets. I think there's also an argument to be made about the fact that (for me at least) they're my parents pets too and I'm sure they would also like to be able to spend the remaining years of the pet's life with an animal they've loved/owned/cared for since I was a child.

 

[alohacat319]

I left my beloved childhood cat with my parents when I moved. She is an extremely timid cat and although I would have loved to take her with me, I didn't think it was fair to move her across the country and out of the one house she has lived in for fifteen years. The move itself would have also been difficult because she would have been petrified on the two day car trip, not to mention trying to travel home with her over holidays. My parents love her as well and I know they take good care of her and when the time comes, if it is during the parts of the year when I am not home, I know they will take her in to her vet and help her pass peacefully. I think it is great if people bring their pets, but I see nothing wrong with leaving them with your parents as well. Every situation is unique.

 

[LetItSnow]

Idk, as long as I'm not directly compromising my animal's QOL by moving it/introducing it to a vet student schedule, I'd much rather spend those last few years with my pet than leave it with my parents. If your dog is going to get cancer, it's going to get cancer whether it goes with you or not. I'd rather have it happen when I'm five minutes away from a veterinary oncologist, personally. It does add immeasurable stress, but I'd be willing to take that on it if means being there for my pet every step of the way. Just how I feel.

Yeah, I agree.

I understand @vetmedhead 's point, but it's basically saying "don't bring your pet with you because they're going to die so it's better to not spend the last two years with them because that's a lot to deal with when you're a vet student."

I mean, ouch.

I went into vet school with two dogs. I came out with one. I euthanized (or rather, had a classmate euthanize because I just couldn't) the other shortly after graduation. Obviously, a different scenario for me since I was a local homeowner, an older student with family, etc., but .... part of learning to adult and manage difficulties in life is going through them. It might not be the worst thing in the world (as bad is that sounds, and not that I wish anyone's pet's death on them, obviously) to have to learn to deal with managing 'work' (vet school) and a pet's death/illness at the same time.

That second dog I euthanized? I had to go to work the day before, the day of, and the day after. And I had to euthanize something like 10 patients in that stretch. I pretty much cried in all of them because I'm a sap and all I could think about was my dog.

That's just the real world.

So on the whole, I'd disagree with @vetmedhead . If you want to bring your pet and feel you can adequately care for them and that it's the best thing for them as well as you .... by all means, do it. Especially given what a positive impact pets can be for your mental health.

I do think a student should consider whether they can provide as good a quality of life for the pet. If mom 'n dad back home are going to take the dog on a walk every morning and to the park every afternoon, and the dog loves mom 'n dad just as much as the vet student kid .... maybe it's better for the dog to stay back home.

 

[vetmedhead]

Yeah, I agree.

I understand @vetmedhead 's point, but it's basically saying "don't bring your pet with you because they're going to die so it's better to not spend the last two years with them because that's a lot to deal with when you're a vet student."

I mean, ouch.

I went into vet school with two dogs. I came out with one. I euthanized (or rather, had a classmate euthanize because I just couldn't) the other shortly after graduation. Obviously, a different scenario for me since I was a local homeowner, an older student with family, etc., but .... part of learning to adult and manage difficulties in life is going through them. It might not be the worst thing in the world (as bad is that sounds, and not that I wish anyone's pet's death on them, obviously) to have to learn to deal with managing 'work' (vet school) and a pet's death/illness at the same time.

That second dog I euthanized? I had to go to work the day before, the day of, and the day after. And I had to euthanize something like 10 patients in that stretch. I pretty much cried in all of them because I'm a sap and all I could think about was my dog.

That's just the real world.

So on the whole, I'd disagree with @vetmedhead . If you want to bring your pet and feel you can adequately care for them and that it's the best thing for them as well as you .... by all means, do it. Especially given what a positive impact pets can be for your mental health.

I do think a student should consider whether they can provide as good a quality of life for the pet. If mom 'n dad back home are going to take the dog on a walk every morning and to the park every afternoon, and the dog loves mom 'n dad just as much as the vet student kid .... maybe it's better for the dog to stay back home.

Again, I understand the opposing viewpoint and recognize it's a personal decision. Also I do have a pet at vet school, just not one that I would have difficulty providing good care/QOL for.

Of course pets are going to die at some point in the course of my real adult life, and of course I'm not going to be able to take time off to deal with those deaths whenever that happens. I can't provide as good a quality of life as my parents can right now, and it's not the best decision for me to have my childhood/older pets with me while in school. Not to mention that it's not like I'm not affected when my childhood pets die and I'm not the one who is the primary caretaker for them.

I also know it seems heartless to point out that it may not be the best idea to bring pets that are approaching the end of their lifespan with you while you're in vet school, but it is something to think about. I also think a lot of people's approach to that conversation is to just say "Well, he'd better make it through vet school" and to not do much realistic planning for what will happen if/when that pet goes downhill. I just think it's a big consideration to keep in mind and that people should be cognizant of it.

 

[Filly Bay]

I started vet school with 2 rats (knowing there was no chance they were making it to graduation) and my childhood cat who was 13 at the time.

I have zero regrets bringing them along. I would have missed most of my rats lives if I left them at home. They both passed away 2nd year and I'm glad I could spend the time I had with them. My cat got really sick 2nd year as well. If she was at home where we had no emergency clinic/overnight hospital nearby my parents would have probably euthanized her. I'm glad I was able to hospitalize her at school where they worked with me to keep the bill down and I could check on her everyday between classes. Now she's about 17 and healthy as can be! She's super social with people and the chillest cat ever so I had no worries about the stress of moving.

I also acquired my SO's little yorkie mix a few weeks into vet school. About a week later I found a kitten outside my apartment and took her in too... Right before 2nd year started I got a German Shepherd puppy. Yes I'm crazy but it all worked out fine [emoji23]

My pets keep me sane and give me something to look forward to at the end of the day. They help me stay motivated, even to get out of bed on the hard days. Puppy training classes and obedience courses with my GSD were the perfect amount of study break during what was a hell of a year, class-wise. You can't just do vet school 24/7 for 4 years. And if pets are part of what will keep you happy, you'll find a way to work it out.

 

[LetItSnow]

Again, I understand the opposing viewpoint and recognize it's a personal decision. Also I do have a pet at vet school, just not one that I would have difficulty providing good care/QOL for.

Of course pets are going to die at some point in the course of my real adult life, and of course I'm not going to be able to take time off to deal with those deaths whenever that happens. I can't provide as good a quality of life as my parents can right now, and it's not the best decision for me to have my childhood/older pets with me while in school. Not to mention that it's not like I'm not affected when my childhood pets die and I'm not the one who is the primary caretaker for them.

I also know it seems heartless to point out that it may not be the best idea to bring pets that are approaching the end of their lifespan with you while you're in vet school, but it is something to think about. I also think a lot of people's approach to that conversation is to just say "Well, he'd better make it through vet school" and to not do much realistic planning for what will happen if/when that pet goes downhill. I just think it's a big consideration to keep in mind and that people should be cognizant of it.

Not sure why you're defending yourself. You presented a viewpoint. I presented a different one. It's ok to have different views on it, you know.....

 

[vetmedhead]

Not sure why you're defending yourself. You presented a viewpoint. I presented a different one. It's ok to have different views on it, you know.....

I'm aware, just trying to articulate my point a little better

 

[pp9]

I adopted a kitten like two weeks after I started school, and she is 100% the best decision I have made in vet school. I cannot imagine going through it without a pet to come home to. With that being said, having a dog would be super hard because I'm just not home enough to meet their needs, lots of people make it work though.

This is why I left my dog with my parents (she's also only turning 9 this year, so I'm not too worried about her reaching the end of her lifespan quite yet). It just wouldn't be fair to her. However, neither of my parents are the most attentive, so I'm not very happy about it. They feed her and she gets her bathroom breaks just fine, but other than that...nothing. It took me all of five minutes to find her first lipoma when I got home for Thanksgiving break last year and neither of them could tell me when it started since neither of them had noticed it (and it's on her flank...you can see it just looking at her). I took both of my cats and rabbit. I also took my betta fish, but the intent was to have someone at school with fish experience look at him +/- euthanize because he was terribly sick yet refused to die.

I have to leave all of my pets with someone this August for my externship...leaving my rabbit with anyone but me is extremely stressful for me. I just worry constantly. Plus now I have a turtle and I think my mom would be too afraid/grossed out to handle him at all. The turtle may be small enough to take with me, but this 6 hour drive to/from school and home is the max I'll put my rabbit through in the foreseeable future. My 22 hour cross country drive with him was not only stressful for him, but for me as well.

 

[genny]

My unofficial plan is to try and adopt a dog this summer so that I have time to train it before I get to vet school (not sure yet if that will be this fall or not). The unfortunate thing is that I am in LOVE with pit bulls and I think they are the perfect dog for my life style...of course a lot of renters/landlords don't necessarily agree. Does anyone have any experience trying to find pit bull friendly housing? Is it difficult or significantly more expensive?

Depends on where you're going to school, since this "breed" is banned in a lot of locations. If you're not sure where you'll be attending, you might want to hold off on adopting one until you know you can take him/her with you.

 

[Doctor-S]

That second dog I euthanized? I had to go to work the day before, the day of, and the day after. And I had to euthanize something like 10 patients in that stretch. I pretty much cried in all of them because I'm a sap and all I could think about was my dog.

I am the same way with my pets.

Whenever I lose one of my pets, I feel devastated because I love them. I'm a huge, huge, huge sap who often cries for days.

 

[DVMDream]

Again, I understand the opposing viewpoint and recognize it's a personal decision. Also I do have a pet at vet school, just not one that I would have difficulty providing good care/QOL for.

Of course pets are going to die at some point in the course of my real adult life, and of course I'm not going to be able to take time off to deal with those deaths whenever that happens. I can't provide as good a quality of life as my parents can right now, and it's not the best decision for me to have my childhood/older pets with me while in school. Not to mention that it's not like I'm not affected when my childhood pets die and I'm not the one who is the primary caretaker for them.

I also know it seems heartless to point out that it may not be the best idea to bring pets that are approaching the end of their lifespan with you while you're in vet school, but it is something to think about. I also think a lot of people's approach to that conversation is to just say "Well, he'd better make it through vet school" and to not do much realistic planning for what will happen if/when that pet goes downhill. I just think it's a big consideration to keep in mind and that people should be cognizant of it.

I get your point, but you have to remember that not everyone can send Fido to mom/dad while they are in vet school because not everyone is a fresh out of undergrad student.

And, honestly, I'm probably more busy now out of vet school/working than I was during the first 3 years of vet school. Life is constantly changing and the best thing you can do for your pets is to care for them as best as possible, whatever that may be.

 

[pp9]

I get your point, but you have to remember that not everyone can send Fido to mom/dad while they are in vet school because not everyone is a fresh out of undergrad student.

And, honestly, I'm probably more busy now out of vet school/working than I was during the first 3 years of vet school. Life is constantly changing and the best thing you can do for your pets is to care for them as best as possible, whatever that may be.

Lol, so true. Some students throw a fit if a lecturer goes over into our 10 minute break. Like...you do realize how far over their appointment times clients will go, right? There is no break in the real world.

 

[DVMDream]

Lol, so true. Some students throw a fit if a lecturer goes over into our 10 minute break. Like...you do realize how far over their appointment times clients will go, right? There is no break in the real world.

Haha... I was one of those students that hated that...I started sitting in the back and walking out when the instructors went over.

 

[LyraGardenia]

Idk, as long as I'm not directly compromising my animal's QOL by moving it/introducing it to a vet student schedule, I'd much rather spend those last few years with my pet than leave it with my parents. If your dog is going to get cancer, it's going to get cancer whether it goes with you or not. I'd rather have it happen when I'm five minutes away from a veterinary oncologist, personally. It does add immeasurable stress, but I'd be willing to take that on it if means being there for my pet every step of the way. Just how I feel.

I agree with this, I brought my cat that I've had since I was 12 (she'll be 13 next month) with me to school, and I don't regret it one bit. Having her here keeps me sane, I prefer not having human roommates but I love being able to come home to her and have my baby to snuggle. Also when she was living back with my parents for a couple years, she had to be confined to a separate room because she doesn't get along with my parents' other cats. They took decent care of her, but I'm sure she's a lot happier here getting more attention and having the run of the place.

She was diagnosed hyperthyroid last month, which was stressful and sucks, but when I need to bring her in for bloodwork it's great being able to drop her off at the teaching hospital before class and know that she's right next door, and of course the clinicians are great. I went with methimazole for her due to cost, but if I had decided to do radioiodine therapy it's nice to know I could have it done right there; I don't think there's even a clinic that can do it back home. And if she does go downhill while I'm in school, I'd rather have her here and be able to be there for her. I don't know if I could justify making the five hour drive home for a euthanasia. 🙁

 

[LyraGardenia]

Also I've had a lot of classmates adopt pets this year, I think if you're going to adopt a pet in vet school first year is probably the ideal time to do it (second semester or midway through first semester, so you've had a bit of time to adjust to classes). But I also know a lot of third years tend to adopt their junior surgery dogs. Every person's situation is different, but my friend adopted a lab puppy last semester and absolutely loves him (and she also has two cats and a guinea pig ). It helps that she lives with her boyfriend who can help take care of the animals, and she's owned labs before.

 

[vetmedhead]

Also I've had a lot of classmates adopt pets this year, I think if you're going to adopt a pet in vet school first year is probably the ideal time to do it (second semester or midway through first semester, so you've had a bit of time to adjust to classes). But I also know a lot of third years tend to adopt their junior surgery dogs. Every person's situation is different, but my friend adopted a lab puppy last semester and absolutely loves him (and she also has two cats and a guinea pig ). It helps that she lives with her boyfriend who can help take care of the animals, and she's owned labs before.

I know so many people with junior surgery dogs lol

 

[gjsmize88]

I started vet school with 2 rats (knowing there was no chance they were making it to graduation) and my childhood cat who was 13 at the time.

I have zero regrets bringing them along. I would have missed most of my rats lives if I left them at home. They both passed away 2nd year and I'm glad I could spend the time I had with them. My cat got really sick 2nd year as well. If she was at home where we had no emergency clinic/overnight hospital nearby my parents would have probably euthanized her. I'm glad I was able to hospitalize her at school where they worked with me to keep the bill down and I could check on her everyday between classes. Now she's about 17 and healthy as can be! She's super social with people and the chillest cat ever so I had no worries about the stress of moving.

I also acquired my SO's little yorkie mix a few weeks into vet school. About a week later I found a kitten outside my apartment and took her in too... Right before 2nd year started I got a German Shepherd puppy. Yes I'm crazy but it all worked out fine [emoji23]

My pets keep me sane and give me something to look forward to at the end of the day. They help me stay motivated, even to get out of bed on the hard days. Puppy training classes and obedience courses with my GSD were the perfect amount of study break during what was a hell of a year, class-wise. You can't just do vet school 24/7 for 4 years. And if pets are part of what will keep you happy, you'll find a way to work it out.

I have rats too! Definitely plan on bringing them with, they are the best 😍

 

[PrincessButterCup]

Plug for small animals:

Rabbits are great! I had a pet bunny growing up, and I inherited my sister's 4-H flock and had them through college. Low maintenance - you can be gone all day and they don't mind. They're snuggly (depending on the breed), and they're so cute, just looking at them melts away stress. Guinea pigs are the same. And most apartments (in my area at least) don't care about small animals, meaning finding housing isn't as difficult as with dogs/cats. Also your apartment will smell like hay 24/7, which is obviously a plus.

 

[emacc]

I'm going in to vet school with a 7yr old atypical Cushings and HCM pup and a 3yr old male with urinary incontinence and chronic constipation. I'm a little worried. They're crate trained together and they just sleep in a pile all day, but even still I specifically chose an apartment close enough to be able to come and check on them during most days and have already scouted and budgeted daycare for days when I won't be able to.

Would I add more? Heck no. But I love my monsters and even if they could stay with my husband at his base I think I'd worry about them too much.

The girl had heart issues when I got her but the medication for that is affordable, Cushings treatment and lab work for potentially the next 7-9yrs? Very expensive. Fortunately I have good pet insurance. The boy was totally healthy on paper from the rescue, turned out not so much. So sometimes you get unexpected issues even with the best planning.

I'm glad I have them, and hopefully they'll hold off a few years on any more catastrophic medical problems, but I think if I were choosing now I'd stick to a cat or something smaller.


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[ResoluteMike]

I shouldn't have woken up so early. My first thought when I saw the title of this thread was imagining a gunner having kittens or maybe a cow, looking around at their classmates and wondering, "What am I going to do now?"

 

[that redhead]

And, honestly, I'm probably more busy now out of vet school/working than I was during the first 3 years of vet school. Life is constantly changing and the best thing you can do for your pets is to care for them as best as possible, whatever that may be.

And my current lifestyle is WAY more suited to having a dog now than in vet school - just for a comparison 🙂 But I now own a home, have my husband to share dog duty with, local family who can watch him while we're out of town, a workplace that allows me to bring him (the dog, not the husband) along if needed, and MUCH more free time than I did in school.

I did have an old lady dog during school, euthanized before third year started. It was nice to have the companionship (I lived alone, and happily) and she slept most of the day, couldn't make it too far on walks, pretty easy keeper. In that regard, I think an older/more mature dog is great. The hardest part was traveling: I left her with a classmate over one winter break and she did not get the proper care. The alternative was schlepping her in the car for two day, 1200 mile hauls, staying overnight in a hotel, etc. Remember that if you are not local to school, you will need to figure out what to do with them; many of your classmates will also be leaving for breaks and those remaining are going to be watching other peoples' pets!

 

[deleted498041]

I get your point, but you have to remember that not everyone can send Fido to mom/dad while they are in vet school because not everyone is a fresh out of undergrad student.

And, honestly, I'm probably more busy now out of vet school/working than I was during the first 3 years of vet school. Life is constantly changing and the best thing you can do for your pets is to care for them as best as possible, whatever that may be.

As someone that's almost on the other side, and knows the lifestyle of my internship, holy crap this rings so true. I got a dog (my first dog that was just mine) about 1-2 weeks before my first set of midterms in vet school. Bad timing? Yes. Best decision of vet school? Unequivocally yes. Having her with me throughout vet school wasn't super easy, but it wasn't hard. First two years were fine, for third year my parents had to watch her a bit, and fourth year has been a breeze. Yeah, she sits at home for 12+ hours sometimes but I just try to satisfy her endless energy with fetch, food puzzles, etc.

Come internship time, I have no idea. I'm lucky to be moving in with my boyfriend but even finding housing is a struggle. I matched to an internship in Boston and Boston is not dog friendly when it comes to housing. I wanted to live within walking distance of work and, with a dog, that's about $300/month more! That's a no go for me. My hours are going to be insane next year and while I'm lucky that I'm allowed to take my dog to work, it's not like I get a lunch break to entertain her.

All that being said, life is constantly changing, just as DVMDream said. If you want a dog, sure, go for it. A lot of people make it work. Just keep in mind that doing what's best for your dog will not always be the easiest for you.

 

[JaynaAli]

There is never a good time for pets to get old. That young adult dog you adopt first year or even after junior surgery will be middle aged to old (particularly if a large breed) by the time you are at the end of a residency, which also is a highly stressful time to have a sick pet. Maybe its when you finish school and are finally having your first child. We love them like family and it's always going to suck when they get sick and/or die. It's reasonable to try and mitigate that as much as possible if that's something you feel like you should do, but there comes a point where you just have to commit to it and take life as it comes.

 

[WizardOfPaws]

Well I don't leave until July so I'm going to try and find him a home first.

I refuse to let him go on the adoption floor at the shelter so if I can't find anyone by the time I leave, I guess he's coming with me and I'll just have to figure it out.

He has his own chair in the clinic office and he lays there and sleeps all day, which is 12 hours, so I'm not worried about him being home for long hours. He rides in the car with me for hours KO'ed so driving home for breaks would not be an issue.

The only issue would be when externship time comes and finding a place for him to stay or if he were to get deathly sick but I guess if that were to happen I could just bring him back to the humane society, he's in our system so they have to take him back and treat him...

I think I just convinced myself to adopt this dog

 

[tbirdd123]

Does anyone have thoughts/experience with pet insurance? Worth it or not worth the monthly expense? Thinking about getting a young dog and worried about running into a costly orthopedic or emergency surgery during the course of vet school.

 

[orca2011]

I have it for my dog and I'm glad I do. I didn't have to use it during vet school but since I didn't really have an income except for loans, it gave me that safety net incase he needed a procedure. Yes, I'd still have to put the money down up front, but I knew I'd at least get x % back. I know some argue about just putting that $50/month towards a savings account for them, but if you haven't built it up by the time you need it, you're kind of screwed.

Just make sure you read the fine print. I know when I got mine (PetPlan) they would only give you a max of 80% back if you went to a vet school hospital or somewhere without a referral. So I just opted to only pay for the 80% reimbursement plan. They've since switched underwriters so it may be a little different now.

 

[Doctor-S]

Does anyone have thoughts/experience with pet insurance? Worth it or not worth the monthly expense? Thinking about getting a young dog and worried about running into a costly orthopedic or emergency surgery during the course of vet school.

No one can predict when our pets will experience health problems and emergencies HAPPEN.

Healthy young pets can become ill, infirm, disabled, or injured (just like human beings) no matter "how healthy or physically fit" they started out in life.

There are no guarantees. None at all.

FWIW ... my cat's health insurance policy has already paid for itself many times over; and provides me with tremendous peace of mind.

My monthly premium is less than the price of two movie tickets.

 

[JaynaAli]

I got Nationwide for my dog when I started residency. I wish I'd gotten it sooner, as he now has several preexisting conditions. It's been a hassle getting payouts from Nationwide, but they have eventually come through. The problem with that is since you have to pay yourself upfront and get reimbursed, you either have to go ahead and pay your credit card bill, let it accrue interest, or use something like care credit until the insurance pays out. I've heard that Trupanion and PetPlan are faster at reimbursements but have no personal experience.

I like having it. I would likely pursue therapy for most things and I am not in a place to have a large pet savings account that would cover things like surgeries or a multiple day hospitalization. When I finish residency I will likely do the 'self-insure' method and just have a pet savings account, but this works for me now. I've gotten back more than I paid at this point.


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[orca2011]

I got Nationwide for my dog when I started residency. I wish I'd gotten it sooner, as he now has several preexisting conditions. It's been a hassle getting payouts from Nationwide, but they have eventually come through. The problem with that is since you have to pay yourself upfront and get reimbursed, you either have to go ahead and pay your credit card bill, let it accrue interest, or use something like care credit until the insurance pays out. I've heard that Trupanion and PetPlan are faster at reimbursements but have no personal experience.

I like having it. I would likely pursue therapy for most things and I am not in a place to have a large pet savings account that would cover things like surgeries or a multiple day hospitalization. When I finish residency I will likely do the 'self-insure' method and just have a pet savings account, but this works for me now. I've gotten back more than I paid at this point.


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Yeah, PetPlan is pretty quick. I got my check within 2 weeks and there was no hassle involved. I put the initial amount on my Care Credit and just paid it off as I could.

 

[that redhead]

No one can predict when our pets will experience health problems

I can, actually...it's usually sometime not too long after starting vet school 😉

 

[Trilt]

I can, actually...it's usually sometime not too long after starting vet school 😉

Basically a law of the land that the likelihood of a major health problem is inversely related to the amount of money in your bank account

 

[cowgirla]

Does anyone have thoughts/experience with pet insurance? Worth it or not worth the monthly expense? Thinking about getting a young dog and worried about running into a costly orthopedic or emergency surgery during the course of vet school.

I have Trupanion on both of my dogs. Didn't have it in vet school, but so far I've been quite happy with it. It's enabled me to pursue specialist care, rehab/sports medicine, and also reimburses me for things I do myself which is excellent. It's pricy for my older girl (8 when I first signed her up) but quite reasonable for the younger dog (signed up at 8 weeks). I like that it's not an annual deductible that resets, once you meet it for a condition it's done forever. But at the same time, sucks when you have to pay deductibles for separate issues.