Thursday we had our meeting with the specialist to see about Murph’s paw. Turns out he needs surgery. A very costly one at that, upwards of $3,000. Drat.
Thursday I ran into a girl I used to play volleyball with. We got to talking about our dogs and I mentioned Murph’s malady to her.
She said, “You know what an alternative to that might be?”
My heart glimmered with hope that she might know of something else we could try to heal Murph’s paw because she’d perhaps been through something similar. Alas, that wasn’t the case. (Which is good for her dog. I wouldn’t wish this on any pup!) Instead, her suggestion had to do with the cost.
“Vet schools. I’ve had two friends take their dogs to vet schools to get procedures done. One took hers to Auburn for a surgery. The other went to Georgia when her dog needed radiation. The students do the work, but they’re supervised by professionals. It saved them both a lot of money.”
I thought that was something worth checking into.
Vet Schools in the United States
I discovered there are 28 veterinary colleges accredited by the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA). If you want to see a full list of them, click here. (Note for any non-U.S. readers in the audience: That same link also lists AVMA accredited vet schools in Canada, Australia, England, Ireland, The Netherlands, New Zealand, and Scotland.)
Now I knew where the schools were and which were closest to me, but how does one go about admitting a pet to a vet school’s program?
Referrals
Turns out for a case like Murph we’d need a referral.
We were referred to the specialist we were because there was one in town who could help Murph’s condition. If that had not been the case, our vet might very well have referred us to a vet school she knew could accommodate us.
If you ever want to use a vet school’s services, be sure to check their referral policy. Don’t just show up with your pet and expect to be seen and treated. But do ask your vet about vet schools as a possible place to get treatment for your pet. It is definitely an option.
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