Vet students and dog ownership

[JumptheMoon]

How many of you are planning to have a dog while in vet school? Are you worried about having enough time? Enough space?

I currently have a cat and a rabbit and I've been thinking about finally allowing myself to get a dog...on one hand, this summer would be the perfect time to bond, do obedience training, etc. before starting school. But on the other hand, I will be very very busy come August and may be moving to Philadelphia on top of it all.

My current boss, who is a vet, said "You won't have time! Just adopt another cat." However I know that a lot of vet students do have dogs without a problem, so I was just wondering what other people's thoughts were on the subject.

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[kate_g]

I posted this in another thread where getting a dog over the summer came up...

Almost no matter where you go, it seems you will be inundated with irresistably adoptable dogs as soon as you get to school (for instance at Penn after the junior spay/neuter surgery lab, there is apparently massive pressure on the first years to adopt the newly altered dogs instead of sending them back to the shelter). So hold off until the semester starts!

Oh, and everywhere I've been so far has a blood donor program, where they take dogs from local shelters and rescues, keep them a while as blood donors, and then adopt them out. Generally they would live in the kennel at the hospital while they're in the program, but students can "adopt" them and take them home during the time they're in the program - and then either keep them permanently afterward or adopt them out to a family and take on a new incoming blood donor. (One place - maybe Davis? - they specifically get untrained/boisterous dogs from the shelter and the students train them up to be a nice family pet and then adopt them out when they're done in the blood donor program.) The big bonus to these arrangements is that if you go on vacation or can't keep "your" dog at home for any reason, it can stay in the hospital kennel and will be taken care of free of charge. Definitely frees you up in the "time to take care of it" department, and a pretty good way to test-drive dog ownership I would think!

 

[NSilverwolf]

Throwing out another option (though kate_g hinted/talked about an aspect of it in some detail). I currently work for an animal shelter in Boston, and we are always desperately in need of foster parents. Particularly we always seem to be lacking foster parents who are skilled with medical situations.

Often there are animals in shelter who need anything from fostering for being too young (ie 4 week old kittens and very young puppies), fostering to get over a URI, to foster for recovery from longterm surgeries. That's not even counting the cats we need to find six month rabies exposure fosters for. We have several dogs right now recovering from varying cruciate and luxating patella surgeries which shelter staff simply don't have the time to devote efforts to (other responsibilities, non-ideal recovery situations-slippery floors etc). This is a situation where we look to put them in foster care (or a foster to adopt) situation.

I can imagine that many shelters are in the same sort of bind and would welcome skilled individuals willing to help them out. Might offer you a good opportunity to have a dog around, but also be able to bring him back to the shelter if you have a period of time in which you are going to be too busy to give that pet the proper amount of care.

 

[ckgilabert]

i'm only an undergrad, i live with my family and we have 3 dogs, a turtle, and a parakeet....and there are lots of times where i wish i had waited to get them. they need walks...and we try to give them an hour twice a day. during midterms and finals my sister and boyfriend take the dogs out because i'll be at school all day long. THEN they give you that guilty look when you come home after a long day. my dog will ignore me sometimes....trying to punish me or something.

 

[cyrille104]

I already have a dog and he's coming with me to vet school. I would assume that a disproportionate number of vet students have pets, so it shouldn't be a problem. Every school I've talked to said a lot of students have dogs, and take care of them at lunch or something. I'm probably going to adopt another dog or two or five during vet school as well, so my place is gonna be a zoo...whatever.

 

[winterfire1203]

The veterinarian I work for and my own train of thought say "no dogs!" He apparently used to get begs from other students to run home and walk their dogs if he had time. Dogs just require a lot of work and play. I am taking a cat, with the knowledge that she can use the bathroom without a problem no matter how long my day is, and all she wants from me when I get home is a warm lap and that's easy!

 

[eventualeventer]

so my place is gonna be a zoo...whatever.

Does this mean you plan to adopt a giraffe while in school?

I'm not sure about a dog, but I'll probably end up taking at least one of my two cats with me. One of my life's goals is to become a crazy cat lady.

 

[chipster]

this may be a bit off topic but does anyone know which airlines allow animals other than dogs and cats to travel in the cabin? i'm specifically thinking of a rabbit. any advice or experience is appreciated!

 

[JIKJen124]

1. Flying Delta with my cat about 2 years ago, it was an additional $50 that had to be paid upon checking in. Also, reservations had to be made for the pet in advance, as they only allow a few carry-on animals per flight.

2. My goal is NOT to become a crazy cat lady...

 

[CookieBear]

2. My goal is NOT to become a crazy cat lady...

When your loans are presented to you for signing, they have a notation in many of them that prohibit the borrower from becoming one of those...

Something about how you will have so many cats that you will be unable to make minimum monthly loan payments...

 

[conservationgal]

If you are looking for a good dog for vet school, I wholeheartedly recommend adopting a rescued greyhound. They are amazing dogs and very easy to live with for several reasons:

1) First and foremost, these dogs come from race tracks where they most likely have been neglected of human affection and sometimes even treated cruelly, however, they still miraculously manage to have sweet and loving souls! They truly are appreciative of human love.

2) They are used to being in a kennel most hours of the day on the track, so kenneling them for the day in your house/apartment will not bother them at all. Also, greyhounds rarely bark, so you don't have to worry about annoying the neighbors.

3) They are already housetrained and will not 'go potty' until you take them out. I have had two greyhounds for years and not once have they had an accident in the house.

4) They are mellow dogs and contrary to popular belief, they do not need excessive amounts of exercise. They are quite the couch potatoes and are happy to go on an occasional walk. In fact, Dog Fancy listed greyhounds as one of the best breeds for apartment living, which goes to show that you don't necessarily need a large yard to own one.

5) As was mentioned in another post, greyhounds are prime candidates for canine blood donation programs and are the breed that is most often used for it (especially at WSU). This means you might be able to take your dog to school with you occasionally !

Well, the list goes on and on about these amazing dogs. I am not trying to say the are the best breed ever, but they are definitely deserving of a home and would be great dogs for vet students to own!

 

[Tsuki]

When your loans are presented to you for signing, they have a notation in many of them that prohibit the borrower from becoming one of those...

Something about how you will have so many cats that you will be unable to make minimum monthly loan payments...

You're too funny Cookie!

 

[StealthDog]

Speaking as someone who got a dog the summer before vet school, here's what I've found good and bad about it...

Good:
-there is no way you can spend all your time studying. Yes, dogs take time to walk and play with, but you need some balance in your life in vet school. If you spend 24/7 either in classes or studying, you will burn out. Winnie is my balance in life, some people have spouses/kids, some people do sports or play in an orchestra... We all have our non-school life. No, there isn't extra time in a vet student's schedule, but you make time anyway.
-having a live animal around helps you to keep perspective about why you're doing this anyway
-you have a built in practice animal for auscultation, physical exams, palpation, and more!

Bad:
-dogs *do* take time, and often they decide to have giant time-consuming issues when you least have the time to deal with them. During our most stressful part of the semester, I knew of 3 people with cats that came down with urinary stone issues and 2 people who had dogs that suddenly wanted to kill each other. Pets are family and they have to come first, even when you have a test the next day.
-pets may have to get used to being alone... a lot. I'm lucky at MN in that I can bring my dog to school and keep her in the kennels during the day, but not all schools have that. At first I assumed that I'd be able to run home at lunch to take care of her, but lunch is when most big meetings happen (i.e. free lunch from various companies, school clubs, group projects). I would miss a lot if I needed to make it home every day during lunch.
-dogs limit where you can live, and finding housing close to school is hard enough without having to find places that allow dogs too.

Anyway, I am *so* happy I have my puppy, and glad that I got her during the summer so we had time to get to know each other before school started. I know a few people who got dogs during the school year, after they decided they had enough time to handle one, and it was a lot harder for them.

Good luck with your decision!

 

[JIKJen124]

How do rescued Greyhounds do with cats? I've been thinking of getting a whippet for years, but I always assumed I would need to get a puppy so it could grow up with the cat and I could train it to respect (i.e. not kill) the cat from a young age.

 

[conservationgal]

How do rescued Greyhounds do with cats? I've been thinking of getting a whippet for years, but I always assumed I would need to get a puppy so it could grow up with the cat and I could train it to respect (i.e. not kill) the cat from a young age.

I had three cats when I got both of my greyhounds. They were initially scared of the cats because they had never seen any other animals besides greyhounds. There was NEVER an issue with the greyhounds trying to chase or harass the cats. In fact, they are best pals! From what I hear from other ex-racer owners, they have never experienced problems with introducing their new greyhounds to pre-existing pets (cats or other dogs).

 

[msmrtrthnyllb]

They give you a dog at Purdue, I think.

 

[texlaevis]

yay other people with retired greyhounds! I have one and am thinking about adopting another...

my parents recently adopted a retired racer (since they loved my Gerty so much!) and found that she definitely has a hardcore prey drive... there is no way i'd let her in a room with a cat, and she's even got issues with small dogs. she's great with little kids and people... but kills squirrels, etc. they say anything is possible with training, but i'd be REALLY careful about matching greyhounds and cats. (definitely possible, but definitely something to be careful doing)

 

[texlaevis]

ooh, i also forgot to mention that my parents' retired racer has pretty nasty food/treat/toy aggression (in fact, they had to take their other dog to the E-vet once due to a scuffle the two got into over a stuffed octopus). of course, that can happen in any breed/mix, particularly when adopted as an adult, but i have heard a relatively high incidence of this in retired racers due to the way some are fed in communal troughs at the track.

again, that's really individual-specific: mine has had puppies take rawhides right out of her mouth and she just goes to sleep.

 

[runnerDC]

I'm lucky at MN in that I can bring my dog to school and keep her in the kennels during the day.

I will attending MN in the fall and talked briefly with one of the current students about the kennels on my interview day. If you don't mind answering a few questions, I'd really appreciate it:
How many kennels are there? How far in advance do you have to reserve space? Have you ever had trouble getting a space for your pooch? How much does it cost? Is there a limit on # of dogs/person (we have two dogs that I imagine I might need to kennel on campus some days)?
Thank you!

 

[winkle1983]

A vet I interned with told me that she had 2 dogs while in Vet school and that they were crated during the day until she got home. She felt that they were happy dogs...just give lots of love when you are home! I know many vet students who have dogs...some of the fourth years bring them to the hospital to hang out in the kennel until they are done for the night/morning (whenever). It is definitely possible...you have to make time for them though...and if you can't do that, get a cat!

 

[RosieMoll3]

I've been thinking of getting a whippet for years

The other day I was taking my dog for a walk and my neighbor's whippet ran out and started running big circles around my dog, going about 100 mph. It was so funny because my dog looked dizzy watching her. Anyway, the lady said that she's normally pretty relaxed and quiet (although she obviously has her moments of excitement like any other dog). This sort of goes along with what someone else posted about greyhounds being good house pets who don't have insane exercise req's like some would think.

 

[JIKJen124]

So my fear with the cats is real... Bummer. I was all excited that found a solution to do a rescue with a breed I'm really found of. I wonder how you find one that's good with cats?

I totally love the full speed/100 mph to no-speed snuggling on the couch nature of whippets and greyhounds!

 

[kate_g]

I wonder how you find one that's good with cats?

Any really good rescue agency should pretty much require that you bring all your pets to their facility for a get-along test before allowing you to take their animal. At the very least, they should have tested all their dogs for aggression toward cats etc. and for food/toy aggression in a controlled environment, and be open about each dog's background (e.g. racer vs. breeder) and how they performed on the tests. I would think this is especially important with retired racers, since for performance reasons handlers *want* these dogs to have a strong prey drive. I guess I'd be kind of wary of any organization that would just let you walk in one day and go home with a retired racer. (No check of home ownership or an affidavit from your landlord allowing a large dog? No check of current steady income to support a large appetite and veterinary bills?)

 

[texlaevis]

i didn't mean to discourage at all-- now that i've gone greyhound i don't know that i can ever go back!

my parents didn't need a cat safe dog so they didn't look specifically for them, but all the greyhound rescues i've interacted with cat-test their dogs before adopting them out. they'll let you know if the dog you're interested in is "cat trainable", "cat proof", or they'll recommend that it not be housed with cats.

wooo greyhounds! the laziest, dorkiest breed around!

 

[su_grad2007]

I think that being good with cats depends on the individual dog not the breed. For example Huskies are generally not good with cats and I know the local rescue tends to not adopt out huskies to homes with cats, but when I was growing up we had a husky and a cat and there were no problems

So my fear with the cats is real... Bummer. I was all excited that found a solution to do a rescue with a breed I'm really found of. I wonder how you find one that's good with cats?

I totally love the full speed/100 mph to no-speed snuggling on the couch nature of whippets and greyhounds!

 

[StealthDog]

I will attending MN in the fall and talked briefly with one of the current students about the kennels on my interview day. If you don't mind answering a few questions, I'd really appreciate it:
How many kennels are there? How far in advance do you have to reserve space? Have you ever had trouble getting a space for your pooch? How much does it cost? Is there a limit on # of dogs/person (we have two dogs that I imagine I might need to kennel on campus some days)?
Thank you!

There are not very many kennels- 9, I believe? And they really are just kennels, not runs. 4 of them are for dogs 25 pounds and under, 4 are for dogs 50 pounds and under, and there is one small room for dogs larger than 50 pounds. You have to register your pets with the college in order to keep them on campus during the day, and you can register as many as you need to. I'm not sure what the policy is about keeping more than one dog per kennel, but whenever I've seen multiple dogs, they've been kept in the small room. I've only had one day this whole year when the kennels were full. You can reserve them a day in advance if you know for sure you'll be bringing your dog- otherwise, they are first come first serve in the morning. It costs $3 per day, and they just charge it to your account quarterly.

Let me know if you have any more questions!

 

[mom2jnc]

I hope this doesn't sound snotty, but I would highly advise against getting a dog right before you start vet school. If you already have a dog or two, then it's smart to start thinking about what you're going to do with the dog during the day but if you're only thinking about getting one, why? You're going to be spending long hours at school at a program that is both mentally and physically challenging. With everything that will be on your mind in vet school, why do you want to add "I have to let the dog out" to that list everyday?? I also don't think it's fair to the dog. You'll be gone all day long and when you are home, chances are that you'll be studying. It's true that you'll need a break once in a while, but is that fair to the dog that so little of your time will be dedicated to it??

That said, I do have a dog, but I also have a husband and two sons. I have the help, but if you're on your own, is it really fair to the dog??

Again, if you already own a dog, it's your responsibility to arrange care for it while you're away at school. But, if you're only contemplating getting a dog, please consider carefully about how much time you'll really be able to devote to it.

Just my opinion thrown out there...no one is obligated to agree

Just my opinion...

 

[bubbles525]

I had three cats when I got both of my greyhounds. They were initially scared of the cats because they had never seen any other animals besides greyhounds. There was NEVER an issue with the greyhounds trying to chase or harass the cats. In fact, they are best pals! From what I hear from other ex-racer owners, they have never experienced problems with introducing their new greyhounds to pre-existing pets (cats or other dogs).

Thats a wonderful experiance with greyhounds. I've found it just isn't always the case. My clinic works alot with one of the greyhoud groups in the area and we have seen the aftermath (and heard of it) when a greyhound thinks a cat is the lure. Most of the time it's a cat that is outside. However I know one dog who killed his owners 2 cats while she was at work. He was known to be a very prey driven dog but had shown no previous signs of going after the house cats. Most of the greyhouds we see were fostered for at least a month or two before going to thier perminant home. After that time the group basically can tell which dogs might be a problem for cats. So i'd just recomend working with an experainced group that will already be able to tell you if the dog you're considering is good with cats.

 

[StealthDog]

With everything that will be on your mind in vet school, why do you want to add "I have to let the dog out" to that list everyday??

Because we love having animals around?

I did it because I haven't been able to have a dog of my own until now. I *love* having a dog to come home to! Sure she is a little inconvenient, but you can't tell me your husband and kids won't be a little inconvenient sometimes too.

We choose the ways we divide our time, and if you want school to take up 14 hours a day it will. But it doesn't have to. I guess you have to know what kind of person you are- personally I don't care to stay at school much longer than I have to, so after 8 hours in class I tend to book it home. I do study on evenings and weekends, but Win gets plenty of attention. We find places to study that are dog-friendly, and we have doggy playdates on weekends at school so the dogs can go crazy and play while we work. Yeah, Win would be happier if I could spend 24/7 with her, but what dog doesn't wish that?

Frankly I think the horse owners have it way harder than I do, having to make time for driving out to the barn, riding, grooming, and all that. And I still can't figure out how the parents function at all. Or people who manage to work 20 hours a week in addition to school. None of us have failed yet, though.

They asked us at the beginning of the year that, if you think you won't have time for something when you're in school, do you think you'll have more time after graduation? Because you won't. It will just be spent doing different things.

*shrug* There's no universal right or wrong answer, but I can say that the majority of our class has cats and/or dogs at school, and vet schools are well aware that their students tend to be pet owners. I can't speak for other schools, but Minnesota is generally very accomodating.

 

[Vetgirl305]

I will attending MN in the fall and talked briefly with one of the current students about the kennels on my interview day. If you don't mind answering a few questions, I'd really appreciate it:
How many kennels are there? How far in advance do you have to reserve space? Have you ever had trouble getting a space for your pooch? How much does it cost? Is there a limit on # of dogs/person (we have two dogs that I imagine I might need to kennel on campus some days)?
Thank you!

Are you from MN? My question to all I guess, is how easy will it be to find housing (apartment, house...) that will allow pets and not charge an insane amount more. I was thinking about a ferret, only because where I work they have three that need homes or they will be euthanized.....do any of you have or know anybody who owns one? Some places have strict opinions on them in general. I know minnesota is mixed. Any suggestions?

 

[runnerDC]

I am not from MN, so am not too familiar with housing options, neighborhoods, etc. My partner and I plan on researching the market from a far for the time-being (I have relatives in MN who are realtors) and will travel there sometime over the summer to figure out a firm plan on where to live. We are deciding between buying a place vs renting, but a lot of that will depend on what we decide to do with the home we own in DC (rent or sell). And a lot will also depend on where my SO gets a job. Lots of decisions to make over the next few months.

I'm sorry I don't know anything about ferret laws in MN. We'll be hauling ourselves and our two dogs to MN!

 

[StealthDog]

Ferrets are definitely legal in MN, but I've never owned one so I don't know how many places allow them. I believe that most people consider them "caged pets", so they are allowed in more places than, say, cats and dogs.

I got lucky and found an apartment that allows all pets, but they are artist lofts, so your SO would have to be an artist to live there... Let me ask some classmates and see how hard they've found it to find pet-friendly housing.

 

[JumptheMoon]

why do you want to add "I have to let the dog out" to that list everyday??

Well, why does anyone? It's a trade-off, like anything else. If having a dog necessitated having nothing else to do, most of us would be out of a job before even graduating

Don't take this the wrong way, but your post actually gave me hope that I can handle having a dog in vet school if I so choose. If you can juggle vet school, marriage, motherhood, and a dog - which is very impressive and commendable, by the way - then those of us without the first two commitments should be able to manage if we make the time. I too am more of a home-body than a library-studier, so I think my thought process would be less "I have to go let the dog out" and more "I get to go home and spend some time with the dog!"

 

[conservationgal]

Thats a wonderful experiance with greyhounds. I've found it just isn't always the case. My clinic works alot with one of the greyhoud groups in the area and we have seen the aftermath (and heard of it) when a greyhound thinks a cat is the lure. Most of the time it's a cat that is outside. However I know one dog who killed his owners 2 cats while she was at work. He was known to be a very prey driven dog but had shown no previous signs of going after the house cats. Most of the greyhouds we see were fostered for at least a month or two before going to thier perminant home. After that time the group basically can tell which dogs might be a problem for cats. So i'd just recomend working with an experainced group that will already be able to tell you if the dog you're considering is good with cats.

As someone else mentioned earlier, any breed could potentially be bad with cats. I guess to clarify, I will say that the greyhound rescue and adoption agencies around my area usually have the dogs in foster care for a few months before adopting out, so yes, they then place the dogs in appropriate houses. One of my dogs came straight off the track though, and she has not been a problem with my cats. Also, if you do get a greyhound and you have cats, it is not wise to give the dog free range of the house right away. Most adoption agencies recommend letting your greyhound meet the cat while wearing a muzzle (which they are used to from track life) and also kenneling the dog while away or keeping the muzzle on it when it will be interacting with other pets (for the first few months).

 

[isitAprilyet]

i cant imagine not bringing my dog (80+lb lab). he brings me immense amounts of joy (and pain when he's bad) and hes proven,time and time again, that my life is much happier w/ him than without! i guess it helps that hes housebroken and accustomed to apartment living. plus sometimes his 2x/day walks are the only exercise my lazy arse can get in during a hectic work day.
isnt there some factoid/study around that shows that petting an animals is a stress reliever? hes much more exciting than a tank of fish, thats FO sho!

 

[Serendipity4]

Just to put my two cents in...

I certainly hope its possible to manage having dogs and being a vet student, as I've got 3 big dogs and will start vet school this fall. That said, my suggestion would be to NOT get a puppy, even if you plan to get him/her in the summer and therefore have about 3 months "to train." Last May, the summer before this, my senior, year, I adopted my Border Collie puppy. We did work over the summer on training, and of course she was kennel trained by the time classes started again. In the fall, when I was at class (I have quite the ability to be at school all day), she was in her kennel; if I had any breaks I'd try to make it home to let her out. The problem really was at night. Since she was in her kennel all day, she was HYPER when I got home. And who could blame her? So she and my other three dogs would run around like crazy, making noise and having fun, and I'd spend what time I could with them and then work until the wee hours of the morning on homework. Plus her favorite game was to grab whatever she could get her mouth on (and she had an uncanny ability to find something I didn't want her to have, no matter how hard I tried to "puppy proof") -- incidentally, it was hard to concentrate on homework when literally every couple minutes I had to get up to see what my puppy was doing.

Now don't get me wrong, I wouldn't trade her for the world and I don't regret my choice to bring her into my life. (And I might not have quite the same experience if it wasn't a Border Collie I'd brought into my home...) But I also realize it would have made last semester a lot easier if I hadn't had a puppy. And probably the biggest issue of all was feeling guilty that she was in her kennel while I was at school.

On the other hand, my two adult dogs (a German Shepherd and Aussie) aren't a problem at all. While I still feel somewhat guilty leaving them at home when I'm at school, they can have free run of the house since they're (mostly) past the puppy-get-into-EVERYTHING-stage, and when I come home you can tell they're perfectly content that our "together" time is curling up next to me on the bed and snuggling while I study.

Alright, this became a REALLY long post, but the whole point is that if you do decide to get a dog this summer (and I can't imagine living without a dog, so I think that could DEFINITELY add a lot to your life), I'd HIGHLY recommend getting an adult dog. No matter how much you can train your dog in three months, a three-month old trained puppy is still a PUPPY. Whatever you decide, good luck, and HAVE FUN!

 

[akitavet]

and a husband when I start vet school (hopefully!) I will have a 1y/o, a 3y/o, and a 31y/o (teehee couldnt resist). We will be moving as a family in the ideal situation, and my husband either works from home or travels and will continue to do so. I know a lot of science graduate students with dogs and their time commitment is comparable or greater than vet students, and the key seems to be to live VERY close to campus. So close that an hour can get you home, get lunch, take the dog for a walk, and get you back to school. IF you can do that, and its harder at some schools than others, then I think its realistic. Otherwise, its pretty difficult. We have used day care services in the past, but at $29/day or $18/half-day, it can be pretty darn pricey, especially when you are living on Ramen and student loans. That's my 2 cents.