How does/did your vet school handle laboratory dogs/cats?

[leootterchnopps]

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[WhtsThFrequency]

VMCVM made socialization mandatory. Every dog is assigned a team of first years, and these first years are responsible for walking and socializing the dog (multiple times a week), as well as doing general health exams and basic obedience if possible. Students rotate who takes the dog out as well so no one person has to do it all. Some (students, not dogs) bitched and moaned that they would lose some of their lunch hour - too bad, these dogs are here to help you learn, you owe them a few minutes of your lunch time every now and then - but overall the program has been highly successful.

I worked as an animal care tech when I was in school, before the program was implemented and it was simply volunteer.....and I can tell you that the difference in the dogs that I took care of versus the ones I see now is very apparent.

 

[CalliopeDVM]

This information will be used in a report that will be submitted to my school's "decision makers" with regard to our lab dogs and cats. I am finding little to zero published information on the Internet (no surprise).

If you would be willing to share how your school (or a school that you know of) provides socialization/exercise opportunities to its lab dogs (and cats if applicable), I'd be grateful. Anonymous info is fine. You don't have to include the name of the school - it's great if you will, but not necessary.

Honestly, I'm bothered by your willingness to use anonymous statements about anonymous schools by people who may or may not know anything (and may or may not be a vet or vet student) in any kind of report......at least use it and expect anything like that to be taken seriously. I would hope a vet student would have better critical thinking and problem solving skills than that.

I see posts like yours from time to time, and I'm always sadly surprised by them - people who are in higher education and working towards a professional degree but who are soliciting anonymous information from unknown internet sources. Surely there's a better way to get that information (I know there is, because I've thought of 2 in the last 30 seconds).

 

[leootterchnopps]

[email protected]

CalliopeDVM - Thanks for your feedback. I agree that anonymous information is not the best. However, finding this kind of information is extremely difficult. Most universities do not publish information regarding how their laboratory animals are taken care of - with regard to exercise and socialization. And they have reason - which we all know about and I don't think I need to go in to here. I have not gone down the path of contacting individual vet schools for this information as I highly highly doubt such an endeavor would yield much to anything at all. I am working to improve the lives of my vet school's laboratory dogs and cats and therefore am trying to find out how other schools deal with this issue. I would be grateful if you would share your insight into a better way of attaining this information (that you referred to thinking of in around two seconds). Please please feel free to PM here or email me at the address above with any strategies re: attaining this info - that you might have. I would be grateful and so would the dogs and cats.

I'm sorry that you feel I am coming off as not very bright and/or naive. Perhaps I am! However, my interest is in trying to improve the lives of the dogs and cats who help us students as well as society at large - they give everything. I have to take a leap of faith that those who bother to register and visit this page - and to respond to my query - will do so from a place of honesty. At the same time, because such information is "anonymous," I and the others who may look at the resulting information will do so with a big grain of salt! But I do understand you concerns. Thank you for sharing them.

WhtstheFrequency - Thank you so much for sharing the information about VA Tech. They are the only program in the US that I know of that makes dog walking/socialization MANDATORY for first years.

If anyone else would be willing to share how your school handles these dogs, I'd be grateful.

 

[Minnerbelle]

I’m not sure I see anything wrong with the request. I’m taking it that this “report” is really just a document of proposed initiatives to implement at this particular campus for enrichment for the teaching dogs/cats, rather than an evidence based review of current practices.

OP, have you considered reaching out to the lab animal vets at different vet schools to see if they can tell you how their teaching animal enrichment is handled?

I agree, mandatory participation by first +/- second years is the most efficient/consistent way to ensure that these animals get routine socialization/enrichment. Vet students are flaky. Voluntary involvement will likely end up patchy at best. And esp dogs thrive on routine.

 

[battie]

OP, have you considered reaching out to the lab animal vets at different vet schools to see if they can tell you how their teaching animal enrichment is handled?

This was the suggestion I was going to give. If you are a student at a veterinary school, contacting the laboratory animal veterinarians at the other schools as a veterinary student would probably get you a lot of information. You're not some Random Joe part of PETA/ALF/HSUS at that point to them submitting the millionth FOIA request of the month. You're a fellow professional looking to improve the welfare of the animals at your institution. If you can network with the laboratory animal veterinarians at your institution, that would be even better and give you more credibility.

I took the lab animal rotation during my first year at my school, and the dogs and cats we were shown (both in and outside of the vet school) have undergraduates that sign up for shifts for playtime. I'm not sure how organized the effort is since I didn't go to undergrad here. But they get daily human/student interaction.

Doing a search, I found the following articles. I just read the abstracts, but they might be a good starting point for you:

A canine socialization and training program and the National Institutes of Health, DOI 10.1038/laban0104-32

Modern concepts of socialisation for dogs: implications for their behaviour, welfare and use in scientific procedures, DOI: 10.1177/026119290403202s16

Enrichment in puppyhood and its effects on later behavior of dogs, PMID: 7752619

Selection, acclimation, training, and preparation of dogs for the research setting, DOI: 10.1093/ilar.47.4.326

 

[leootterchnopps]

Batsenecal - Thank you so much for these references, as well as for framing my goals here much better than I have. I will definitely look at these tomorrow. Thank you again for taking the time.

 

[Luv2f0to]

Ross vet school requires first semester students to participate in dog walking for one week. Throughout the semester a group of students from the class are assigned one week to walk the kennel dogs. Each student is assigned 2-3 dogs and they walk the dogs twice a day around campus, early morning and early evening. There is also a club that dedicates their time to socializing and interacting with the kennel dogs. Students sign up and can hang out with the dogs any time in their kennel or take them out to designated fenced in areas and have them run around and let some energy out. Hope this info helps!

 

[leootterchnopps]

Thank you SO much Luv2f0to!!!!! Ross's program sounds really great!!! Kudos to Ross! Thank you again!!!

 

[that redhead]

Disclaimer- I graduated four years ago.

AVC has mandatory first years teams that walk our dogs at least twice a day with (not required) additional clicker training and socialization welcomed. Some students also formed a club focusing on our Beagles’ welfare- training, extra socialization, etc.

We had a small group of blood donor cats that students could volunteer to let out of their cages into a big play room and either actively play with them or just hang out but that was all voluntary. The cats were not used for hands-on stuff in any classes.

Our horses and cows had mandatory first year teams like the dogs, they just had to be brushed once per day. I think that was more geared toward getting students comfortable with them than anything- staff fed and turned them out.

 

[leootterchnopps]

Thank you that redhead. This is very useful info. Good for AVC for making the dog walking mandatory for first years. I'm thinking that is the way to go for all schools.

 

[that redhead]

Thank you that redhead. This is very useful info. Good for AVC for making the dog walking mandatory for first years. I'm thinking that is the way to go for all schools.

You’re welcome. Like WTF said, we also had people that complained or skipped/skimped on their duties, but I think it helps build responsibility and respect for our teaching animals that most people take for granted.