Now in its third year, the Community Veterinary Clinic at UMass Amherst’s Mount Ida campus provides both affordable, quality care for pets – and hands-on training for students.
On a recent weekday, Lysa Pirone arrived for her dog Abby’s allergy checkup. A bit anxious, the 8-year-old, mixed-breed rescue pup leaned on Pirone for support while they sat in the waiting area.
“My nervous Nelly,” Pirone said with affection as she comforted her dog.
The clinic “provides basic veterinary care for economically disadvantaged pet-owners and other under-served populations in Massachusetts,” while simultaneously offering a hands-on learning experience to students earning a BS in Veterinary Technology in the school’s Veterinary and Animal Sciences Department.
According to program director Amy J. Rubin, DVM, part of the UMass mission is “service to the community,” which the clinic provides.
The facility, which saw its first four-legged patients in February 2022, was created after UMass acquired the Mount Ida campus in 2018. The Mount Ida vet tech program — which has existed since 1979 — was accredited under UMass in 2020, according to Rubin, a clinical associate professor.
Before the clinic opened, students got field experience with animals only during their senior year veterinary internships, said Annika Jonsson, the clinic’s animal care and facilities manager.
Although the senior internships are vital, it’s an added benefit that juniors now get “to dip their toes in the water” of real-world experience during the practicum before their final year, she said.
The clinical work mimics what happens at a veterinarian’s office and is an important part of the students’ education, said Rubin.
“It helps them work as part of a team and it helps them strengthen all of their skills,” she said. “The students really appreciate the opportunity to practice a lot of their skills before heading out” to internships their senior year.
Since the clinic opened, staff estimate that vet tech students have seen about 50–70 animals per semester, or up to 150 per year.
Comfort and care
On a recent weekday, the vet tech students and veterinary staff examined a small, white Cairn terrier, whose name the owner did not want to reveal, and a 16-month-old cat named Mocha. The clinic also accepts rabbits as patients.
When animals first arrive, students speak with owners to record health background information.
“Taking a history from a client is something you really have to practice to get proficient at,” said Rubin.
Students and staff then take the pets to be examined, get their nails clipped, have blood drawn, be given vaccines, and more.
During separate appointments, the terrier and Mocha were both calm and quiet as students gently weighed and measured them and took their heart rates, temperatures, and respiration measurements under the supervision of veterinary staff.
The juniors explained the animals’ histories and reported their vital signs to a veterinarian who then gave the pets full exams, pointing out any areas of concern as part of the students’ learning experience.
Jonsson said clinic staff and students tend to see ear and urinary tract infections and hot spots (skin infections), among other issues. If a health problem is complex or if there is an emergency, owners will be advised to take their pet to a veterinary hospital.
Several visitors praised the care their beloved pets received, were grateful for the low-cost services, and hoped that in the future, the clinic could provide additional services, like dental care.
“We always hope to grow so we can help more people,” said Rubin.
The BS degree in Veterinary Technology at UMass Amherst is awarded after two years of study in Amherst and two years at the Mount Ida campus in Newton.
For more information on the Community Veterinary Clinic at the Mount Ida campus of UMass Amherst, email [email protected].
