Hey all! I wanted to get some opinions and personal experiences from those who own or have chosen not to own pets in vet school. I’m heading into my first year of school and have heard from doctors I work with to absolutely not consider pet ownership while a student. Other current students I’ve spoken to have said that having their pets has not only helped their mental health but given them a good model to practice some clinical skills on! I would love to know what others opinions on pet ownership in school are?
Pet Ownership in Vet School?
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If you search in the pre-vet forum I know we’ve talked about this several times before. I don’t have time to search for you but I know there are old threads somewhere!
Thank you! I did find a thread or two from around 2017 and before, however I was hoping to reignite a discourse now that schools seem to be orienting themselves more towards prioritizing student mental health. I was wondering if these shifts have effected students time allowances. Or if, in general, the overall sentiment has changed since then, especially because of the differing views I’ve noticed between my older doctors and current students I’ve talked too. No obligation for you to find me newer threads but if there are some I’ve had difficulty finding them, I’ll continue to keep an eye out though 🙂 thanks again!
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I don’t think things have changed that much overall. You can make time for anything in vet school if it’s your priority. I mean people go to vet school with children which are way more time consuming than pets.
But anyway all of these are more recent than 2017. I still think the old threads apply though.
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But anyway all of these are more recent than 2017. I still think the old threads apply though.
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I had two cats in vet school and loved having them with me. They didn't feel like an extra burden/responsibility at all. Can't imagine not having any pets at all tbh, I have had at least one for my entire life.
I know plenty of people who had dogs. I think I would have been fine with one since my husband was with me, but would not have been inclined to get one if I was living alone. People did it though, it just affects your priorities. I think it's clinical year that would pose a problem the most, with the potential for long days, if you don't have someone who can let your dog(s) out.
I know plenty of people who had dogs. I think I would have been fine with one since my husband was with me, but would not have been inclined to get one if I was living alone. People did it though, it just affects your priorities. I think it's clinical year that would pose a problem the most, with the potential for long days, if you don't have someone who can let your dog(s) out.
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I spent my first 2 years of vet school without my own pet, and am getting a puppy this fall to keep me company for my next 3 years. My roommate (who's a year ahead of me) came in with both a cat and a large dog. Part of the reason for me having a roommate was to have access to a pet in my home that wasn't purely my responsibility, and my roommate loves having a backup person to watch/take care of the animals if she's having a tough week. I've seen it recommended to live with a roommate in a different year than you so that you (probably) won't have overlapping hard weeks, so someone can pick up the slack with pets and household when you can't.
That all being said, I am getting a dog this fall, mostly because I don't think there will be any point in my future where I have the ability to be as flexible with my schedule. Yes, I'll be in school and will need to attend some classes, but most classes aren't technically required, and I'm mostly a homebody so being home in the afternoons/evenings really doesn't bother me. I also have unparalleled access to clinicians in behavior, therio, and orthopedics to be able to guide puppy decisions for me. I'm planning that 3rd year I'll be picking up the slack with both my dog and my roommate's dog, and I'll have to figure out 4th year depending on what my roommate decides to do about taking a job somewhere. Current plan is to utilize doggie daycares in the area & to get hooked up with a younger student who can come by for walks/potty breaks during the day.
That all being said, I am getting a dog this fall, mostly because I don't think there will be any point in my future where I have the ability to be as flexible with my schedule. Yes, I'll be in school and will need to attend some classes, but most classes aren't technically required, and I'm mostly a homebody so being home in the afternoons/evenings really doesn't bother me. I also have unparalleled access to clinicians in behavior, therio, and orthopedics to be able to guide puppy decisions for me. I'm planning that 3rd year I'll be picking up the slack with both my dog and my roommate's dog, and I'll have to figure out 4th year depending on what my roommate decides to do about taking a job somewhere. Current plan is to utilize doggie daycares in the area & to get hooked up with a younger student who can come by for walks/potty breaks during the day.
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I mean why not get the best of both worlds and live with a roomie with a pet?
Upside to not having your own pet is that you can rake in $$$$$$$$ pet sitting throughout school
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I personally didn't have a pet in vet school cause I knew I wouldn't be able to prioritize them appropriately. And tbh, I feel like some of the worst pet owners I have seen (from a general maintenance perspective) were those owned by professional students I knew in vet school (not just vet students, but they weren't an exception despite their chosen profession).
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I didn't have a pet throughout vet school because I knew I was going to specialize and wouldn't have the time/energy to take care of a dog during internship/residency. Also I didn't have any money as a student to spend on anything outside of routine vax, annual wellness exams, etc or pay for a dog walker/doggy daycare.
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Almost everyone in my experience has a pet in vet school. I don’t and I’m very happy just loving on our canine educators and roommates’ pets. Totally depends on what you prioritize! I don’t recommend having a puppy during first semester or fourth year.
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This is the case for me 🙂
I have 2 dogs, 2 cats, and 1-2 fosters at a time.
Pets are a necessity for my mental health so it's never been a question as to whether I would have them in vet school or not. I already had my dogs prior to vet school, the kittens I foster-failed this year (in my 1st year currently).
Things that make pet ownership easier for me in vet school:
-my boyfriend. He helps a lot and works from home a few days a week
-having more than one pet. I've experienced that having 2 dogs or 2 cats is easier than having 1. They play with each other and keep each other company. I don't have to worry about finding time to exercise my pets, they exercise each other. It can be more work when one gets sick, but day-to-day it's less work.
-having a large pet emergency fund
-a whiteboard that tracks things like dates for heartworm and tick preventatives, foster baby weights, etc.
I wish I had more time on the weekends to take my dogs on hikes, but they at least get a long walk every day. I also don't have a backyard, which would be so convenient for quick potty breaks. And on days when my bf has to go into the office I have to come home during lunch to take my dogs out. So those are the cons for me.
I personally would never get a puppy during vet school. People do it, but it's so much work. Cats are easy in the sense that you can be gone for a while and not worry about them having to go to the bathroom, but I'd still feel bad leaving them for too long
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I have 2 cats and a dog, and I am about to finish my second year. I had 1 cat in undergrad, adopted an orphan kitten my first semester of vet school, and then I got an older puppy in January. I have been very blessed that my puppy is extremely calm and pretty well-behaved. She sleeps most of the day, and when I am in class she usually stays in an exercise pen/kennel I have set up in my living room. I do have a roommate (my sister) who can let her out for me if needed, but I have asked her to do that probably less than 5 times this semester. I definitely have to come home for lunch now, but the love my dog gives me when I come back is worth it. I do not currently have a backyard, but the house I am moving into for next year will. It also has a doggie door so I plan to utilize that for letting her go outside if I cannot make it home during lunch/during long shifts in 4th year. Going out in bad weather has probably been the biggest downside to having a dog.
There was virtually no adjustment going from 1 cat to 2, and the main reason I got my second cat was to keep my first cat company, as she had always lived with other animals previously and seemed lonely on her own last year. All 3 of my pets are insured, and I can afford insurance and care for them because of loans/scholarships/working during school breaks. Having pets has really helped my mental health and I consider them a priority. I love my girls so much.
There was virtually no adjustment going from 1 cat to 2, and the main reason I got my second cat was to keep my first cat company, as she had always lived with other animals previously and seemed lonely on her own last year. All 3 of my pets are insured, and I can afford insurance and care for them because of loans/scholarships/working during school breaks. Having pets has really helped my mental health and I consider them a priority. I love my girls so much.
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@cvetmed
i currently have a dog 🙂 she's a middle-aged well-mannered husky mix. i prioritize daily walks with her that cover at least a few miles, and my roommates also love her. she definitely helps my mental health and keeps me grounded, reminds me that my life is more than being a student.
but my life this year is much different than my life last year.
i spent my first year of vet school with my high-energy husky and prioritized his health and well-being over my own. paid more for an apartment with a fenced yard and near several hiking trails. and then everything changed when he died of a spontaneous pneumothorax. in an instant, gone, just like that. he was a young-ish, healthy dog, and it was completely unexpected. it shattered me, and the trauma between that and other life events has left me literally dragging myself to the finish line of second year. classes like respiratory pathophys were more traumatic than therapeutic - though I know some people feel the opposite when losing a pet, and want to learn more about the process.
what happened to my pup is rare, and i assume at this point everyone always keeps these things in the back of their mind - but don't forget that life can happen at any point in time, even in vet school, and be honest with yourself about how you'll handle the bad times, too, should they arise.
even so, i'd be lost without my dogs. so for me, it's worth it every time. just know yourself and what you'll be able to handle. i wouldn't trade my dogs for the world.
i currently have a dog 🙂 she's a middle-aged well-mannered husky mix. i prioritize daily walks with her that cover at least a few miles, and my roommates also love her. she definitely helps my mental health and keeps me grounded, reminds me that my life is more than being a student.
but my life this year is much different than my life last year.
i spent my first year of vet school with my high-energy husky and prioritized his health and well-being over my own. paid more for an apartment with a fenced yard and near several hiking trails. and then everything changed when he died of a spontaneous pneumothorax. in an instant, gone, just like that. he was a young-ish, healthy dog, and it was completely unexpected. it shattered me, and the trauma between that and other life events has left me literally dragging myself to the finish line of second year. classes like respiratory pathophys were more traumatic than therapeutic - though I know some people feel the opposite when losing a pet, and want to learn more about the process.
what happened to my pup is rare, and i assume at this point everyone always keeps these things in the back of their mind - but don't forget that life can happen at any point in time, even in vet school, and be honest with yourself about how you'll handle the bad times, too, should they arise.
even so, i'd be lost without my dogs. so for me, it's worth it every time. just know yourself and what you'll be able to handle. i wouldn't trade my dogs for the world.
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Current second year student! And we make it work- I have a dog, two rabbits (which honestly as a pair bond just count as one) and a cat. It's a bit of a zoo lol
I have a plan in place for clinical year, as some rotations are more demanding timewise that others (look at you, emergency... lol), but beyond having to get through a rough 3 week rotation here and there and having to plan a bit more for externships, I think the trade off is worth it. They're good company and help keep me sane and remind me why I'm putting in all this time and money to get into this career.
I will say I don't have much by the way of extra cash, and I do fall into the catagory of "doesn't have much of an emergency fund but we'll make it work somehow". My animals are happy and have their basic needs and preventatives covered, and everything above that will come after graduation when I'm more settled. But it's definitely possible, just depends on what you're willing to/able to work with and finding some creative solutions here and there.
I have a plan in place for clinical year, as some rotations are more demanding timewise that others (look at you, emergency... lol), but beyond having to get through a rough 3 week rotation here and there and having to plan a bit more for externships, I think the trade off is worth it. They're good company and help keep me sane and remind me why I'm putting in all this time and money to get into this career.
I will say I don't have much by the way of extra cash, and I do fall into the catagory of "doesn't have much of an emergency fund but we'll make it work somehow". My animals are happy and have their basic needs and preventatives covered, and everything above that will come after graduation when I'm more settled. But it's definitely possible, just depends on what you're willing to/able to work with and finding some creative solutions here and there.
