Vets and Vet Nurses aren’t always the easiest people to buy a gift. We work hard, we’re practical and we don’t often have time to look glamorous.
What’s more, if you’re part of the subset of veterinary professionals who enjoy travelling and volunteering- its even harder. We have strong moral compasses, we’re environmentally aware and we tend to enjoy experiences more than materialistic goods.
So, how do you find the right gift for someone who doesn’t necessarily like, well, stuff?
Here are some ideas for things that I would love to receive as a travelling vet! Some are gifts, and some are experiences, but all of these things would help me on my journey as a global veterinary volunteer.
Just so you know- these gifts are my personal recommendations. I have no financial incentive and receive no commission on anything mentioned here. I just think they’re great!
Please note- for the physical gifts, I really recommend finding out what the person already has and what they need before splashing out. No one wants three stethoscopes, so reduce waste by only buying what your pal needs.
Charity- Based Gifts
These gifts are things that would appeal to someone who has an interest in animal-based charities and volunteering experiences. Consider:
1. Keeper for a Day Programs
Is your friend interested in exotic animals? Many wildlife centres offer ‘keeper for a day’ type experiences, that give you a taste of life working with interesting species! Generally you pay a fee to go behind the scenes with the keeper and learn all about unique exotic animals. Its a great experience for the right person, and the money will go towards supporting the charity.
So, look for your local animal shelters and rescue groups, and find out if they have a program. Or, if your pal has any exotic holidays coming up, consider seeing which shelters in that area offer similar programs that you can arrange as a gift.
A couple of organisations I recommend on this front are:
- Fondacio MONA in Spain offers short volunteering programs as a primate keeper.
- Seal Rescure Ireland take day volunteers to care for young orphaned seals.
2. Sponsor an Animal on their behalf
A lot of charities have a ‘sponsor an animal’ program, where you can pay a fee towards caring for an individual that has been rescued or is being rehabilitated at that centre. This is available for pretty much any species, from donkeys to pumas to rescued pets. Sponsors often get a thankyou pack and regular updates on how their animal is going, and may even get special privileges if they can visit the centre in person.
Make sure you do your research and choose an ethical program before donating money (that is, an ethical, hands-off program that aims to rehabilitate and release animals).
This can make a really thoughtful gift that benefits the recipient, the animals and the charity, so its really a win-win.
3. Lend a hand with Fundraising.
Is your pal planning to volunteer with a specific charity in the near future? A lot of charities require volunteers to raise money before they arrive to donate towards the running costs of the shelter.
So, offer to help them fundraise!
This is something you don’t have to spend much money on, but your investment of time can really mean a lot. And for an introvert like me, having someone help me with the difficult task of asking my contacts for donations really takes some of the pressure off before a trip!
There are a lot of simple things you can do, for example:
- Offer to make some baked good to sell at your work.
- Get sponsored to complete a challenge (like a skydive or marathon)
- Find things to sell at a car boot sale.
- Donate a prize that could be used for a fundraising raffle, like a Christmas hamper or a spa voucher.
Or simply spend a day helping your friend with whatever task they had planned to raise funds- whether that’s manning a stall or making something to sell. Double the hands might mean double the donations, so your help would mean a lot!
4. Help to Gather Donations for a Charity
Similarly, many charities will ask their volunteers to bring donated medical supplies with them overseas, like medical gloves or basic veterinary equipment.
So ask your friend what the charity needs, then offer to help source things. This might involve phoning around the local vet clinics or medical centres to see if they have any expired bandaging materials. Or it could mean driving to pick up supplies from clinics and delivering them to a central place. Let your friend guide you with how you can be the most helpful.
If you live far away from your friend- even better! With double the area to source materials, you’re likely to find more to donate.
So get creative- just having a pal to support you can make a world of difference.
5. Books for Volunteers
One gift that never goes amiss for is a book!
Books can be a great way to inspire someone interested in volunteering, and help them learn more about the fields they really enjoy or want to be part of.
Books are definitely a personal thing, and everyone has a different taste, but for me I loved reading biographies by inspiration travellers and volunteers like Jane Goodall, Catherine Hamlin and Dian Fossey.
Another book I really enjoyed was the Lonely Planet Guide for Volunteers. It would make a good gift for someone who wants some help choosing which volunteer program to take, and who wants to make the most of their time!
If you have other books you’d like to add to the list to inspire veterinary volunteers, I’d love to hear from you!
Veterinary Gifts
These items are all practical things that vets and nurses will use regularly, and that won’t take up too much room in a suitcase!
6. Personalised Stethoscope
This might seem obvious, but a high quality stethoscope makes a world of difference to a clinical exam. And if your friend is a veterinary traveller, its likely that unless they have their own stethoscope, they may well get stuck using the beat-up old clinic stethoscope when they travel to work.
There are a number of different stethoscope brands, but the most well-known is Littman, who do a range of specialised stethoscopes to suit difference needs. You’ll also see some stethoscopes advertised as a ‘veterinary’ stethoscope- usually the only difference between these and regular human stethoscopes is the length of the tube (vets often have longer stethoscopes, making it easier to auscultate skittish patients safely).
They come in a range of stunning colours, and you can even get them engraved with a name or message, making a great gift.
Check out this review from the “I love veterinary” blog to start your search.
7. Nurse Pouch
(aka. nurse pocket, nurse organiser, etc)
Nurse pouches tend to be worm mainly by Vet Nurses and students, but in my opinion, they are totally under-rated by vets. Everyone should have one, because:
- You’ll be able to work faster if you have the equipment you need within arms’ reach (especially if you’re working in an unfamiliar clinic).
- You’ll make more friends if you’re not constantly having to borrow pens and scissors off your better-prepared colleagues.
Nurse pouches come in a plethora of bright designs, and make a great gift, especially for students or those going into a new workplace. As a bonus, make sure they’re filled with all the examination essentials, including a thermometer, bandage scissors, pen, notepad, pen-light and mini-calculator.
8. Scrub Cap
Wearing a cloth scrub hat is an eco-friendly (and stylish) way to keep your surgical field free of hair and debris. Plus they are light weight, and make useful gifts!
You can buy these from a range of places, but I recommend All Scrubbed Up Hats. These high-quality caps come in a range of fun designs, and are all hand-made by a Dr Laura, a practising vet. They are made to order, and can be shipped worldwide, so make sure you check out her page!
9. Professional Membership for their interest area
There are many special interests in the veterinary profession, and most of these will be represented by a member’s association of some form. Generally, veterinary professionals need to pay an annual membership fee to join, and in return they’ll get access to a like-minded community, reference texts, continued education resources and sometimes even scientific journals on their chosen topic.
This is a really great way to further someone’s career and interests, and in my opinion, would make a really great gift IF you know what their interests are, and are sure they’re not a member already.
So do some research to find out which professional body might be useful for your friend. Then, write them a check for the amount of the annual fee, and pop it in an envelope with information about the group they might like to join!
Here’s a some links to get you started:
- In Australia, most Special Interest Groups are run as part of the Australian Veterinary Association. You must be a member of the AVA to join the special interest groups, so make sure your friend is already a member if this is intended as a gift. For Australian Vet Nurses, consider a membership to the Vet Nurses Council of Australia (VNCA)
- As For British Vets, you can become a member of the British Veterinary Association, but you can also delve into more specific interests, such as Equine, Bovine, Exotics, etc. For British vet nurses (RVNs), consider membership to the British Vet Nurses Association (BVNA)
- In the US, vets can join the American Veterinary Medical Association, and Techs can join the National Association of Veterinary Technicians in America.
There are many other fantastic groups and memberships available, so have a google of your location and the chosen interest, and see what’s out there.
10. Pocket Vet Book
When you’re travelling, you’re not going to have access to huge textbooks (or potentially even the internet) to help you when you see an unusual case. So it really helps to take a mini reference book in your luggage so you can learn while your travel!
There are a few different pocket books I use for this. Both are for small animal medicine only (cats and dogs), are light-weight and quick to use:
- The Mini Vet Guide to Companion Animal Medicine by Dr Gerado Poli
- The Small Animal Veterinary Nerdbook by Dr Sophia Yin
Travel Gifts
These simple gifts are light-weight and handy for frequent travellers.
11. Travel Notebook
I know we live in the age of the internet, but when I travel, I always take a notebook. A really nice one. With nice pens and fancy pencils.
I use it as my personal organiser and life planner. I include a calendar of all the important dates in my year, I draw maps of countries and towns, I include my plans and ideas for upcoming projects, and I record all my important phone numbers and contacts in case of an emergency. Not only does this help me with planning where I’m going next, it makes a really cool, personal memento of my trips when I get home.
So consider getting a nice journal for your friend to enjoy their trip- and if you need inspiration, you’ll find plenty on pinterest. My favourite notebook brands are Moleskine and leuchtturm1917.
13. Subscription to Offline Digital Entertainment
Travelling always involves a lot of waiting around- whether that be waiting for a bus, waiting for your plane to land or waiting for your vet colleagues to stop gossiping and get back to work (kidding!).
Help pass the time with digital media- we’re talking things that you can carry on your phone that work off-line, and will add value to your downtime.
For me- a subscription to audible, so I can download by favourite audiobooks, would be a big hit. For others, it might be an annual membership to spotify for the latest podcasts, or a kindle premium membership for those who love to read.
Either way, an entertainment subscription is useful, fun, weighs nothing and won’t contribute to our global waste problem- so a great one for travellers.
12. Aeroplane Comfort Gifts
Little things can make all the difference when you have a long-haul flight ahead of you. Make sure your pal has a good quality and comfortable eye mask, noise-cancelling ear plugs and an inflatable neck pillow to ensure they can catch some sleep on the long journeys.
For women on overnight flights, I also recommend a tiny bag of travel toiletries to take on the plane (make-up remover, toothpaste, lip-gloss and moisturiser), as well as a warm wooly scarf that you can use as a blanket or pillow when you’re trying to get some sleep.
14. Photography Accessories
Not everyone carries cameras these days, and those that do have probably spent a lot of cash on them already. But that doesn’t mean that they may not need accessories to help them with their photography.
Find out what kind of camera (or phone) your pal uses, then consider getting them something light-weight to up their photography game. If they like landscape shots, a quality tripod can help them get a sharp image. If they are a selfie queen, a selfie stick or a remote shutter controller will let them get themselves in the photo more easily. DSLR owners may need a new UV filter for their lens, or a cleaning kit. You can even find clip-on zoom and wide-angle lenses to fit standard phone cameras.
Photos can provide some of the best reminders of a volunteer trip abroad, so light-weight gifts that help to capture those special moments are always worth considering
15. Portable Power Bank.
This might be simple, but having a charged portable power bank has saved me from being lost and alone in foreign cities many number of times.
Make sure you get one that’s high quality, not too heavy, and will fit their brand of accessories (mine is compatible with my phone, camera and portable speaker!).
If you have any other gift ideas for travelling vets and nurses (or if you’re from a charity that has sponsor-an-animal or a keeper-for-a-day programs), please let me know in the comments!
Looking for some more info on how to start planning your upcoming volunteer trip abroad? Check out The Ultimate Preparation Checklist fo nr Veterinary Volunteers to help turn your plans into action!
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