Dr. Karen Gant spent 22 years as an associate veterinarian and was ready to leave the profession entirely, until she tried a few relief shifts and got hooked all over again. She traces her whole career back to a childhood Australian Shepherd puppy named Blueberry Muffin, who lived to 17 and died just ten months after Gant graduated from vet school. She is also a certified Animal Aromatherapist who travels with her own essential oils and diffuser, and she dreams of picking up temporary licenses in states like Colorado, Montana, Wyoming, and Alaska so she can travel while working relief shifts. This profile first ran on Relief Rover, the relief-vet community platform that joined Hound in 2023.

In Her Own Words

Name your niche: large animal, small animal, pocket pets, or exotics?

"Small animals, especially felines."
Dr. Karen Gant

ER, GP, or shelter?

"GP, with occasional ER."
Dr. Karen Gant

Everyone has a story, what's yours? What inspired you to become a veterinarian?

"I got an Australian Shepherd puppy at age nine and named her Blueberry Muffin. We took her to the vet, and I decided that very day that being a veterinarian was what I wanted to do. She lived to 17, and passed away 10 months after I graduated from vet school."
Dr. Karen Gant

Outside of the veterinary realm, what types of positions or professions have you been involved in?

"I made buttons one summer in a furniture factory."
Dr. Karen Gant

What roles have you had within the veterinary profession?

"I worked in the kennel and as a receptionist in high school, and I worked as an assistant throughout college."
Dr. Karen Gant

What made you switch to relief practice?

"I'd been an associate for years and was tired of feeling underappreciated and underpaid. I'd actually been considering switching careers after 22 years, but I did a few relief gigs and was hooked. I realized I did still love my profession."
Dr. Karen Gant

Keeping it PG, what is your most memorable relief job?

"I tend to attract crazy cases and clients, but one of my most memorable cases was palpating the abdomen of a dog having a dental, since she'd been so tense on arrival. I felt a round mass in her caudal abdomen, and it ruptured as I was feeling it. Her very understanding owners let me take her into surgery, and it turned out to be a ruptured spleen. After a blood transfusion and a splenectomy (it was benign), the dog was doing great, and I got chocolates from the owners at my next shift. There are so many stories to tell."
Dr. Karen Gant

How do you feel that relief practice supports the veterinary profession as a whole?

"Right now, in some cases, it's keeping solo practitioners sane. There's such a huge need for relief vets in many capacities. It's a win win for both sides."
Dr. Karen Gant

Aside from watching six week old kittens ricochet sideways across a room during pouncing lessons, what are your favorite things about being a relief vet?

"Meeting new people, seeing amazing cases, and feeling appreciated."
Dr. Karen Gant

What are your least favorite things about being a relief vet? (You can't say nail trims, those are satisfying.)

"Not having the follow up on cases and client bonds that I used to have."
Dr. Karen Gant

What do you look for in a practice when deciding whether to cover shifts there?

"Quality medicine, quality support staff, and pay."
Dr. Karen Gant

Pathologically prepared or minimalist: what supplies or equipment do you bring with you on the job?

"I bring my lab coat, stethoscope, and phone. I also travel with my essential oils and diffuser, since I'm a certified Animal Aromatherapist as well."
Dr. Karen Gant

Have you picked up any unique practice tips while being a relief vet?

"I always finish charting on one appointment before moving to the next. Let the techs do their job. Paperless practices are so much more efficient."
Dr. Karen Gant

What advice would you give someone who is thinking about becoming a relief vet?

"Be flexible. Keep an open mind about doing things different ways. Always be the pet's advocate. Make the clients happy. Take time for small talk, and listen to them. Doing that will earn you happy clients and practice owners. Treat the staff with respect and let them help you as much as they can. Don't be afraid to jump into this. Relief work is incredible. Just be confident in yourself, know your worth, and be flexible."
Dr. Karen Gant

The world is reopening from the pandemic. How has this shift back toward normality affected your relief practice?

"It hasn't. I practiced for 21 years before the pandemic, and I'm glad to be getting back to normal."
Dr. Karen Gant

What states are you licensed in, or working toward licensure in?

"I'm licensed in Mississippi and Tennessee. I dream of doing short term jobs with temporary licenses in Colorado, Montana, Wyoming, Alaska, the Caribbean islands, and Maine and Vermont. I want to eventually travel doing this."
Dr. Karen Gant

Aside from English, what languages do you speak?

"Pig Latin and sarcasm."
Dr. Karen Gant

What are your hobbies and passions outside of work?

"All things nature: hiking, exploring, traveling. Reading and home improvement projects."
Dr. Karen Gant

Anything else you'd like to share?

"This is the greatest profession on earth (and the oldest, the Garden of Eden was really just man taking care of animals). I love mentoring younger vets and nurturing the passion that got them into this in the first place. It's never boring, and you'll never stop learning. If you feel stagnant and stuck, do some relief shifts. You'll breathe new life into yourself, and into the clinics you travel to."
Dr. Karen Gant