Pets coping with their masters in school

[futurevet3000]

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So I know there are a few older threads out there along these lines... but my friend brought up a very important point the other day, one of which I had not even thought of during this crazy time. I have been so caught up in just getting in to a school and dragging my little pup wherever that is... I did not stop to consider how he would handle such a huge life change. Currently I live with my parents, with a spacious yard and a dog park down the street. When I am not home, he gets attention from the rest of the family. I obviously plan on taking the little devil dog with me wherever I go since he is attached at my hip and he is my dog, but when I mentioned to my friend about going to London possibly and Ozzie coming with... she gasped and said, "will that be fair to him?" What she meant was that, when I am in class all day long, or stuck in the library studying... what is he going to do? Be stuck in a tiny flat all day? This really got me thinking. I still intend on taking him with me but I am also currently reading Temple Grandin's novel "Animals Make Us Human" and she discusses points of animal welfare along these lines.
So, ready, set debate? --> whats the best thing to do for pets when your life is consumed by vet school. My answer? Get Ozzie a friend to hang out with all day (aka another critter).

 

[Horsingaround31]

I only have an interview so far, so this is a little premature, but I'm already worried about it. My lab is 9 years old and my best friend -- we're both very attached to each other. She gave me 4 years in Philadelphia and hated it the entire time -- the only time she didn't look afraid was when I took her to a big park with no one else around or when I ran her around the apartment playing games. Now she's at my parents with me -- my parents are both retired and spoil her with lots of love and attention and playtime, and 2 acres to run free. Vet school means moving to a more urban situation (in most cases), so not only will I have no time to give her, but she'll be back in a loud place that she hates. I know what the answer is, but I really don't want to leave her behind and my mom has told me that when I go away on a trip, after a few days, she sits at the front window waiting for me for a few hours each afternoon. So, what's really fair in this situation?

 

[Ehkehfemal]

My family and I have three dogs right now at home, and when I leave for vet school they're obviously staying with them. I definitely want to have a pet of my own, but until I know exactly what the time commitment is and everything, I only will allow myself to have a cat (EVEN THOUGH I REALLY WANT A DOG TOO!).

If I already had a dog, I wouldn't go out and get another just for it to have a friend. I would really try to make sure your roommate had a dog that got along with yours. I feel like if you're already so consumed with vet school, then doubling the amount of things you need to pay for and care for is definitely not going to help you out that much. If you and your flatmate were students in school, you even could share the walking duties or something, and your dogs would have friends. I would just make that a huge priority when figuring out where to live.

Maybe this helps?

 

[nyanko]

If I already had a dog, I wouldn't go out and get another just for it to have a friend. I would really try to make sure your roommate had a dog that got along with yours. I feel like if you're already so consumed with vet school, then doubling the amount of things you need to pay for and care for is definitely not going to help you out that much. If you and your flatmate were students in school, you even could share the walking duties or something, and your dogs would have friends. I would just make that a huge priority when figuring out where to live.

Seconding this. Getting a second dog "to keep your dog company" is not always the best idea, for a lot of reasons. It can work out okay, like cowgirla's situation, but it's really kinda a crapshoot in a lot of respects.

Other alternatives I've seen people here at school use are like Ehkeh said, move in with a roommate whose dog gets along with yours, or have a classmate/friend bring their friendly dog by in the morning before classes (added bonus: you can set up a carpool this way and save gas!) and bring yours to their place sometimes, basically let them have a play date while you're both at class.

Getting a second dog only really sets you up for having to split your already spread-thin resources (namely time and money) between two animals instead of being able to devote all you can to the one.

Cats are a little bit easier in that respect, but there's definitely a difference in destructiveness, clinginess and night-time activity level between when I'm around for awhile during the day and when I'm not. If I'm not here, my 2 young indoor cats sleep all day long, which means when I get home they are absolutely WIRED, which can be annoying when it's been the type of day where I just want to hole up and go to bed.

 

[bunnity]

The other thing with getting a second dog is they could easily straight up hate each other and then you're stuck in a situation where you're trying to keep them separated and they are getting even less attention. I have two rabbits and they cannot play together without supervision or they will fight. So I have two cages to clean and they have to play out of the cage separately and it is a lot more work than if they got along (I didn't get bunny #2 entirely on purpose though and I knew bunny #1 was a jerk so I kinda expected this).

My solution has happened in the form of good friends that live in the same neighborhood and even in the same apartment complex. My friend who lives a few floors up is always willing to feed the rabbits or take the dog out or help me get everyone to their (endless) vet appointments. I have not lived at home for a long time and no way would I trust my parents with my animals, so mine are with me wherever I go.

Also remember there will be plenty of animals needing adoption and foster once you get to vet school. So you can always wait a semester and get settled if you are intending on getting a new animal.

 

[Jakesmom]

I worried about this quite a bit myself. My 9-year old cat is used to being in a variety of living situations, so I know he'll adapt just fine. My 3-year old dog was another story. He lived his first year of life with me in CA while I was teaching. He was used to me being busy, but I always found time for him. I also had roommates, so someone was always home with him. When I moved back to OH, I moved in with my dad and his 2 dogs. My boy loves it here and since my dad is retired, he offered to keep my dog if I wanted. It was a tough decision, but this past spring, my decision was kinda made for me. A 3-year old dog was brought into the clinic I work at and she needed a home. After watching this terrified dog cower in her cage for almost 2 weeks, I took her home for a night to see how she did. I lucked out because she fell in love with me and my boy, and us with her. They are best friends and now I feel comfortable knowing they'll have each other to play with while I'm gone at class. For me, it was the solution to my dilemma. Like others said above, I would encourage anyone considering getting a second dog as a playmate to make sure they get along before you adopt. Having a second dog will, of course, play considerably into where I will live. I will need a place with a fenced yard for them to run in. It will be more expensive than a simple 1 or 2 bedroom apartment. I also will want to find something close enough to campus that I am able to run home quickly if needed. But for me, I couldn't really see myself without my kids.

 

[StartingoverVet]

Definitely don't think getting a 2nd dog is the right answer. Not just for the problems mentioned previously, but because it really doesn't solve anything.

I have monitored my dogs remotely when they are alone and all they do pretty much is sleep. No idea what the cat is doing but she is probably sleeping as well.

The activity doesn't start until someone comes home. So the conclusion is there is little gained from a 2nd dog while you are away (at least in my isolated case... generalize at your own risk).

More pets definitely means more expense, less time per animal, and even among the best of pet friends, a little bit a jealousy.

And introducing new pets to each other is usually a lot of work unless you have 2 pretty mellow ones. Personally I have no interest in increasing the outside stresses in my life it at all possible.

 

[JumpHigherLivie]

I think that it greatly depends on the dog, but I'm a second year veterinary student and have a 1.5 NM great dane in a one bedroom apartment and I think he has a pretty good life.
Sure he'd love to romp around in a huge backyard, but I make a point to take him out for about an hour long/3 mi walk everyday, I have a handfull of bordom breaker toys and a basket of stuffed aniimals, he goes to daycare once a week at a great place, we go to training class (either obedience or agility) twice a week in the evenings and once a week or everyother week he gets to go over to his old foster family and play with their dane for 1-2 hours. He seems to be a pretty happy guy.
I do try to get home at lunch when possible to get him out to go potty and play for a short bit (he is crated when I'm not at home) but sometimes I don't and he seems no worse for the wear.

A second dog could be great (I know some of my classmates did this with success) or it could be a complete disaster (I also have some classmates in this boat). Personally ... I wouldn't have the time to devote to a second dog that I would want to ... twice the walking, taking two dogs out to go potty, training two dogs ... and the second dog would basically get sort of "use" and short changed ... not to mention if they didn't get along it would be a night mare. I shudder even thinking about it to be honest (I grew up with two males that did NOT get along, even though they individually had been raised with other dogs... not a pretty situation for a while).

 

[thedogisgreen]

I've been thinking about this a lot lately too, for two reasons - it'll often be hard to come home during lunch, and most vet schools are in quite cold places, and I kind of doubt my chihuahua would enjoy the snow that much. The last couple years, I've been able to have my roommates walk her when I'm gone all day, or I bring her to work with me. She can't hold it if she's left alone a full 10-12 hours, so I've been worrying what to do about that. Not bringing her with me isn't an option, we're completely attached to each other and she keeps me sane. 🙂 So I'm just starting to try out puppy pad and eventually litter box training for her for those situations when it's either too freezing outside or I can't get home in time. Of course, she'll get plenty of long walks and running around when I am home.

 

[Ehkehfemal]

Something else to consider- if you do go to London like you mentioned, it's hard enough bringing one dog to another country and back, if you get another, even after you're there, you're eventually going to have to bring them both back..and that's going to be tiresome. Also- if you don't bring them both back and decide to come on a break, you're gonna need to find a dogsitter, which is harder when you have multiple dogs in general (and more expensive)

 

[that redhead]

This weighs on my mind too, but I've decided that I will, without question, bring my dog with me. It's an easier decision for me for a couple of reasons. First of all, she's really a two person sort of dog - my boyfriend and I are "her people" and while she's perfectly polite with strangers and anyone else, she isn't the same dog around them as she is us/me. The next reason is that she's an old lady and she sleeps just about all day. I was concerned about moving from the house I lived in before with a HUGE fenced backyard, roommates (one of which had an enormous German Shepherd who she loved, though she never wanted to admit it 😉) to this one bedroom apartment I'm in now. I wish I could still let her out in a yard to watch the world go by, but she's adapted to just looking out the door to my balcony. She sleeps 90% of the day and is just generally a really low key dog. I feel awful leaving her for long stretches of time, but seriously, I look over at her now and she's conked out on the rug - she wouldn't know if I were here or not 🙄

So basically, the reason bringing my dog is a good decision for me is not just because of my attachment, but because of her energy levels/behavioral patterns. I know she can be OK if left for long periods of time and I know she'd be happier with me than with anyone else. I don't think getting a second dog is a good solution, though.

 

[futurevet3000]

this is all very helpful and sound advice! thank you everyone for your input, as i knew i was not the only person out there losing sleep over this. my dog (and i) suffer from separation anxiety. whereas he has gotten better, i have gotten worse, and when i leave him for stretches at a time, i get sad and worried. i definitely do not want the responsibility of multiple dogs, so hopefully i can find someone with a doggie to have play dates with and such. of course i will have to find (or start) a dog park. but regardless he is going with me, abroad or in the states. i just hate the thought of him sitting at home all day long with no one to play with. of course i do this on a weekly basis when i go to work for 10 hour days...
maybe i should get him a cat when i settle in to wherever i am, that is my other idea. but to sum it up, he's a bit of a freak, high energy dog, who needs companionship. so here's to not only hoping i get into a school, but hoping that i find a buddy for him once there!
again thanks for the advice, very helpful! and glad to know that it is possible

 

[bunnity]

From what I've read, getting another animal doesn't help with separation anxiety. And leaving a cat and a dog together is not the best idea at least until you really trust them. I'd invest in a bunch of work-to-eat toys instead if you're worried about boredom.

 

[JumpHigherLivie]

IS your buddy crate trained? Honestly, my Dane is happy as can be in his crate (sees me put my shoes on and just trots right in and lays down and isn't ansy to get out when I get home) but if I leave him out in the apartment he body slamst the door, paces, paws at the door etc. So you might find that something like that can make a difference.

I also love frozen stuffed kongs and tug-a-jugs to keep him occupied with food-treat combos.

You might also find if you live near other vet students you guys will join forces and take turns letting eachothers dogs out. Getting home at lunch time hasn't been a problem for me most of the time, but I know come clinics a lot of students buddy up here.

 

[flyhi]

As someone who did not have a choice whether to take my two Yorkies with me across the Pond or not, it's been the best thing in the world for me. I was worried sick about them, as for the first 4 and 5 years of their lives, they were used to me working out of my house and going potty whenever they went to the back door. We hung out alllllll day together.

I ended up getting a more expensive place w/in a 10 min walk to school so I could get home at lunchtime, at the very least. For the first few weeks, I think they just looked out the window waiting for me to come home. Now, they know they go into the front room, head to their beds on the couch and are just fine.

They are my absolute sanity and make me smile each and every day when I am so homesick for my country and family.

With all that being said, IF you have a really good alternative option (family, SO, etc) for at least the first semester, I would strongly consider leaving them put and seeing how you both do and THEN make your decision whether you want them at school or not.

Plus OP.....you have even MORE to consider if you are coming across the pond. Realize, that going home for breaks will become very hard, if not impossible. Do you really want to have to stay in the UK all summer because you cannot just ship your dog back and forth? You will also need to complete loads of EMS in your 'free time'. If you want to chat more, just PM me. I have to run off to my small mammal EMS 🙁

 

[StartingoverVet]

I've been thinking about this a lot lately too, for two reasons - it'll often be hard to come home during lunch, and most vet schools are in quite cold places, and I kind of doubt my chihuahua would enjoy the snow that much. The last couple years, I've been able to have my roommates walk her when I'm gone all day, or I bring her to work with me. She can't hold it if she's left alone a full 10-12 hours, so I've been worrying what to do about that. Not bringing her with me isn't an option, we're completely attached to each other and she keeps me sane. 🙂 So I'm just starting to try out puppy pad and eventually litter box training for her for those situations when it's either too freezing outside or I can't get home in time. Of course, she'll get plenty of long walks and running around when I am home.

This is one I am definitely dealing with since I have 2 Italian Greyhounds who have lived their lives in Southern Calif. Once the weather dipped into the 30s things have definitely gotten tougher. My older girl does not want to go outside. Period. The younger boy will go outside (with a jacket and something to cover his feet), but if it is too cold won't do anything.

Both of them are litter box trained, but the boy has bad aim 🙂laugh🙂, which isn't so enjoyable.

Snow or wind are also a no-go.

And they were both used to 3-4 30 minute walks a day so they are getting less stimulation and a little less exercise (running up and down the stairs keeps them - but unfortunately not me- in shape).

It is certainly not ideal but it is workable. You just have to balance the conflicting needs of everyone involved.

My cat is happy though. She has always liked the cold weather (a Connecticut cat).

 

[bee83]

This is an issue I've always considered as well. Whenever I would hear of a pre-vet student talking about all of their animals I would cringe a tiny bit inside, just wondering if they had asked themselves what the ramifications would be for their furry little kids. It's for this very reason that I forbade myself to bring in any more pets when I already didn't have the time to properly devote to each of the two cats I had.
However, since I decided that I have found a wonderful man who loves my fur-kids and devotes time and attention to them when I cannot be around. And so I decided it'd be okay for us to adopt a new crazy little tortie together 😍

 

[zap86]

I am in the exact same position as you futurevet3000. I also have applied overseas (UK schools) and if I get in, I would want to bring my dog too. I have been thinking about the logistics of such a move ever since I decided to apply there, last year sometime. I have thought it through very thoroughly several times and I always come to the decision that I definitely want to bring her. I'm sure I could leave her with my parents if I wanted, but she is technically my dog and we would miss each other too much to be apart. Also, I think it would annoy my parents a bit if I left her because I took on the responsibility of caring for her when I adopted her, and it would kind of feel like I was dumping her if I left her. Plus I am considering staying in the UK after graduating so it would make more sense to bring her over from the get-go. I am really hoping I can find a flatmate who also has a dog or who would like to live with a dog. Once the overseas applicants find out where we all got in we should organize a thread so we can find potential flatmates.

 

[GreennWhite]

I can't speak for the going abroad for school bit, but I can speak for the having lots of animals during vet school and making it work.

I had two dogs during undergrad during junior and senior year. I knew one way or another I'd be going to vet school so during senior year I started working with my dogs to get them used to me being gone longer during the day. About once a week I would leave them for 8 hours, then 10 hours, then 12 hours and once for 14 hours. They did great - it was just a matter of "training" them.

When I started vet school I naturally had my two dogs with me as well as my rabbit. Everything went well, during the first couple months I took them for a walk regularly and on the weekend took them to the park or one of the trails for a couple hours. Once it got cold this didn't happen - but my dogs are pretty content to just zoom around the house for exercise.
After thanksgiving I brought down my two cats that my mom has been watching for me - as a trial period since I didn't have so many hours of classes during the last 3 weeks of the semester. Again, everything went well. I set up a schedule of cleaning and feeding and just stick to it. The dogs and cats, if they want attention, will tell me. If I'm busy I tell them to go lay down, finish what I'm doing then go play.
I actually did A LOT better on my final exams with 5 animals than on my midterms with only 3!

For me, having my animals with me is such a stress-reducer. I can't study (or sit for that matter) for long periods of uninterrupted time. I need to give myself lots of breaks or else I just start going through the motions of studying without actually learning anything. I use those breaks to clean, feed, and give my animals attention. I believe my animals receive the stimulation they need, as there is no fussing, barking, chewing, or destroying that happens while I'm gone or while I'm studying.

 

[theunraveler]

With clomicalm....lots of it!!!

 

[Cautionary Tail]

As a recent applicant and the owner of four cats, you have no idea how happy the above post made me, Greennwhite!

The boys are my stress reducer. They keep me sane. Leaving them behind simply isn't an option... we're in this for the long haul. I plan to take all four, and I suspect that by the time vet school is over and done with, I'll probably have three cats and a dog in tow. I, too, appreciate- and thrive on- the distraction they provide.

One of them hates exams (and pretty much anything else that disrupts his routine). If he finds vet school unbearable, I've made arrangements with a relative who is willing to "babysit" until I'm done. I hope it doesn't come to that, but at the end of the day, we'll do what's best for him.

 

[GreennWhite]

As a recent applicant and the owner of four cats, you have no idea how happy the above post made me, Greennwhite!

Yes, it can definitely be done! You just have to be realistic about things and understand your animals.
I am not entirely a home-body but I don't go out multiple times a week. I still find time to go back to school for study groups, review sessions, and extracurricular labs and lectures. I've got two fellow classmates as my neighbors and it's pretty much unspoken between the three of us that we're there for each other if anyone needs anything.

Also, my animals are very well behaved. They don't have any huge issues like separation anxiety and are healthy. The dogs are also very low-maintenance. One of my dogs is a border collie and most people wonder how she doesn't destroy my house when I'm gone for 10 hours but she is very low-key. I can tell you the precise two spots she sleeps in all day while i'm gone!

 

[Cautionary Tail]

Yeah, they're pretty well-behaved, and they're used to spending most of the day alone... they've worked things out so that they sleep while I'm out and wake up when I come home.

Apart from cat-who-hates-exams, I'm not anticipating any major issues.Except maybe finding an apartment in a decent area where they're receptive to the idea of four cats residing there, haha.

 

[LivestockDoc]

Apart from cat-who-hates-exams, I'm not anticipating any major issues.

<pictures cat, in spectacles, poring over textbook, trying desperately to cram. Can of RedBull and half-empty bag of kitty treats next to him on the desk.>

 

[spicykimchi]

<pictures cat, in spectacles, poring over textbook, trying desperately to cram. Can of RedBull and half-empty bag of kitty treats next to him on the desk.>

Hahaha this made me laugh so hard. Love this thread.

 

[Cautionary Tail]

<pictures cat, in spectacles, poring over textbook, trying desperately to cram. Can of RedBull and half-empty bag of kitty treats next to him on the desk.>

Haha!

More like cat, hovering menacingly over RedBull and attempting to swat it onto textbook, while "singing" and plotting converting my laundry basket into a makeshift urinal. 😡

Totally cool 99.9% of the time... just not during exams. He did awesome this time around, though (nothing destroyed- progress!), so maybe we'll manage to survive.

 

[spicykimchi]

Well, good luck with that. 🙂