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OOS Students: What do you do with your pet(s) during your breaks?
Started by Lightinthedark
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Well, it kind of depends for me. I am about a 14 hour drive from home. Some breaks (Thanksgiving and Spring break), I've just stayed here since it wasn't worth making that long drive (which I usually split up into two days) with my dog there and back. I don't like to board him if I don't have to. I absolutely hate flying dogs, and will not do that (unless they are small enough that you can bring them in the cabin with you. I did drive home for Christmas break. There are lots of people in your class (or at the vet school in general) who can pet-sit for you over breaks as well. So, that's what I've done so far with my breaks (only been home the one time).
If you are at a vet school, there will be people who want to watch your pets for you.
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When I had my dog, I left her up here with a (vet student) neighbor who took extremely shtty care of her and I was really, really upset. So I took her with me on all subsequent breaks except for the long weekends where I had a much more trustworthy person look after her.
Now I just have a fish that I drop off at a classmates place.
Now I just have a fish that I drop off at a classmates place.
I take my cat home with me. He's an awesome traveler so it isn't a big deal. I did leave him at home with my mom at the beginning of this semester because I knew I would be away for a few weekends, but I brought him back to school with me about a month later.
The only problem I've encountered was nearly getting stuck overnight in the Halifax airport with him. I had no food or litter box for him and no clue what I was going to do. Fortunately after 7 hours of waiting we did manage to catch the last flight out that night, but I probably won't fly with him again if I can avoid it.
The only problem I've encountered was nearly getting stuck overnight in the Halifax airport with him. I had no food or litter box for him and no clue what I was going to do. Fortunately after 7 hours of waiting we did manage to catch the last flight out that night, but I probably won't fly with him again if I can avoid it.
I've done just about every type of traveling with my pets imaginable. My cat's been on airplanes, ferry boats, and an eight day long road trip. I'm not sure if you're talking dog/cat/other here, because that does sort of change the best way to deal with them. I currently live about a 2 day drive away from home. At christmas I drove my cat & three birds with me and had to drag them and all their stuff into the hotel overnight by myself. It sucked, but I'll be doing it again in August... and hopefully it will be better because it won't be freezing outside. But in May I have less time off, so I'm just flying home and looking for a pet sitter. The snake usually gets a filtered cat water fountain in her tank as long as I'm going to be gone for less time than it would take for it all to evaporate, just so that I have one less pet to carry.
If you do choose to travel long distance with your pets, make sure to plan ahead, be ready to deal with unexpected situations, and make sure you pack everything you think you could ever possibly need and do so in an extremely organized fashion (especially if you've got to drag it all into a hotel). And also make sure you pack some extremely tasty food, in case of a hunger strike emergency. My cat will pretty much only eat wet food when we travel. And paper towels and a lint brush to clean up after the inevitable messes. And possibly a broom and dust pan if you've got a cat.
If you do choose to travel long distance with your pets, make sure to plan ahead, be ready to deal with unexpected situations, and make sure you pack everything you think you could ever possibly need and do so in an extremely organized fashion (especially if you've got to drag it all into a hotel). And also make sure you pack some extremely tasty food, in case of a hunger strike emergency. My cat will pretty much only eat wet food when we travel. And paper towels and a lint brush to clean up after the inevitable messes. And possibly a broom and dust pan if you've got a cat.
My cat makes the 13 hour drive with me for long breaks (Christmas and summer). He's very calm and he does really well in the car. I'm definitely seconding what @dovelover said about planning ahead. He peed in his carrier on the way down here the first time (my fault for putting a puppy pad in there in case of accidents). Luckily I had some paper towels and trash bags so I could put the dirty bed in there. I boarded him at school for Thanksgiving and Spring Break since I was flying home. I always feel guilty leaving him, but that's way less stressful for him than putting him on a plane. If I'm only going to be gone for a weekend or something, I just ask a classmate to check in on him. If you don't want to take your pets home, there will be someone willing to help you out.
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I'm from Florida so I usually avoid driving home even though that would be easier with my dog. She comes home with me every break I get, via the plane. I've posted somewhere else about how I have a roommate that tends to kick her so I don't trust them to take care of her and since she's a puppy she didn't come potty trained and I felt bad asking a fellow student to watch a dog that might pee inside.
Why in the world would someone who wants to become a veterinarian ever kick a puppy? That should be grounds for dismissal from a vet school as far as I'm concerned.
She's not necessarily living with a vet student. Some of us do know people outside of vet school.
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The roommate that kicks my dog is a vet student. I agree with what MassDVMMPH said. I mentioned it to a classmate when asked why I was moving out, a couple of weeks ago, and a faculty member overheard and was very alarmed and made me confirm what I was saying several times but never asked who the student in question was and there was no follow up. I think it comes down to her not knowing how to handle dogs. Me getting the puppy was a whole mess where everyone in the house was okay with it (including the roommate that kicks the dog) and I made sure it was clear I was getting some kind of herding dog, less than six months of age, in this time frame. Unfortunately, when I got the dog, the girl decided I'd lied to her the whole time because when I'd said I was getting a puppy less than 6 months of age, what she'd taken that to mean was a dog that was at least a year old... The dog is pretty well-behaved, for her age and breed but you really have to set ground rules. If she jumps on you? Say no, tell her to sit and stay. I guess that's too hard for some people so they resort to kicking.
Unfortunately being a vet student doesn't always mean you take good care of animals (though it obviously should...)
I pet sit several of my classmates animals, but a lot them choose to board their animal at the vet school. Since I work in the small animal hospital, I will usually take pictures and send updates on a regular basis.
I think that a lot of the OOS students just stay here for most of their summer anyways. Either doing research or working a job, they have a reason to stay for most of the the long break.
I think that a lot of the OOS students just stay here for most of their summer anyways. Either doing research or working a job, they have a reason to stay for most of the the long break.
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I'm IS, but I still live 1.5 hours away and go home over the summer to work. I take my pets with me because my dog travels really, really well. He'll pretty much jump into any car if the door/trunk is open. When I'm not home and at work, I confine my dog to my bedroom with toys and such because our family dog has gone after him a few times. I plan on working them both over the summer to make them more comfortable, but since I'm the only one who can really read the family dog and prevent anything, I don't like leaving them out together if I'm not around. However, there are times when I have to go out of town in the summer and I just find classmates/other vet students in Philly who can watch my dog (the piggies are fine with my parents). I have one person I usually ask first because she's willing to have my dog stay at her house with her 3 dogs, so he gets to hang out with other dogs which makes him happy. She also is really into behavior/agility, etc so I trust her to be able to deal with any of my dog's issues appropriately and continue reinforcing things if I tell her what we're working on.
If I'm going home/out of town for a short reason, I usually just have my roommates/bf or someone else watch him and the piggies since it's easier.
If I'm going home/out of town for a short reason, I usually just have my roommates/bf or someone else watch him and the piggies since it's easier.
Thank you so much for your responses!
I'm OOS but I live in Blacksburg all year round, on account of my husband moving up here as well and having a full time job. So my dog lives with us here all the time. I pet sit for classmates during short breaks like Thanksgiving, Christmas or Spring Break. I wouldn't for the summer though, just because I can't have them at my house (my dog is crazy). I have also never had an issue finding a pet sitter for my quite special needs doggie when we take vacation.
This is no different than anyone else to me.
You are in grad school, your life is no longer with "mommy".
Consider school your new home for 4 years.
What does anyone do when they have breaks? Bring the dogs, or find someone to take care of them.
I never left them for more than a week, and there was always a vet student willing to help out for a reasonable amount of cash.
You are in grad school, your life is no longer with "mommy".
Consider school your new home for 4 years.
What does anyone do when they have breaks? Bring the dogs, or find someone to take care of them.
I never left them for more than a week, and there was always a vet student willing to help out for a reasonable amount of cash.
This is my rule. If I'm going to be gone for more than a week the cats and I take a 22 hour drive home.
Cash is a universal language, spoken by many a tired, hungry vet student. Several weeks before break there will be a load of emails from students looking for pet sitters and typically every one manages to find a sitter. I took care of my friend's iguana for all of Christmas Break, and then she stayed here for Spring Break. Sometimes it's not worth heading home for a few days, so a good portion of students hang around.
My home is a 17 hour drive and since I don't have a place to stay there anymore (the house I own is leased out) I stay in town all year. My boyfriend and I have come to accept this place as our temporary home and make the most of it during break. If we need to be away for a few days we typically arrange for another student to take care of our dogs.
I'm not against pets flying cargo but it has been very stressful for my pets and wouldn't do it for a short (week) break. If my pet was small (and it would fit into a duffle bag carrier) then I'd be more willing to take it with me. I guess it depends on your mode of travel, the distance and the time.
My home is a 17 hour drive and since I don't have a place to stay there anymore (the house I own is leased out) I stay in town all year. My boyfriend and I have come to accept this place as our temporary home and make the most of it during break. If we need to be away for a few days we typically arrange for another student to take care of our dogs.
I'm not against pets flying cargo but it has been very stressful for my pets and wouldn't do it for a short (week) break. If my pet was small (and it would fit into a duffle bag carrier) then I'd be more willing to take it with me. I guess it depends on your mode of travel, the distance and the time.
