Pets- and nursing overnight

[FeliciaRNCPN]

I know this may seem like a silly topic. I am a nurse who works 12-16 overnight shifts. I am single and do have some family support but this supports only go so far. I was wondering if any one has any advice on caring for your furbabies when you work long overnight shifts. Its hard because I do have 4 nights/days off per week but I have to worry about then at least 3 nights a week. Do you have walkers who let them out a few times while you're gone or have a pet sitter who stays with them while your gone?

Its difficult because I have so much time off to spend with my furbabies while I'm off but I can't bear to leave them alone for that much time overnight.

I know I have an abundance of places to board and give them daycare while I am gone but I have become interested in fostering and rescuing more puppies.

Any advice helps.

[TX.RN.Shannon]

I can't give much good advice---I have only a grumpy female kitty right now. She really gives zero cares about my schedule, as long as I feed her before and after work! She sleeps with me all the time, whether day or night.

[quiltynurse56, LPN, LVN]

Do you take them out overnight now? Probably not. They should be fine during that time period I would think. When we find we are going to be out longer than we know the dog can go, she usually has a pee pad to go on.

[elkpark]

When I worked 12 hour overnight shifts, and lived nearly an hour's drive from work (which meant I was gone from home at least 14 hours, longer if I got held up at work for any reason or needed to run an errand on the way home), I used to take my dog with me and he would hang out in the back seat of the car (windows down, with a bowl of water) while I worked. This was in a rural area and I took him lots of places in the car, so he was comfortable in the back seat. I would walk him during my break (in fact, people at the small, freestanding psychiatric facility became aware that he was in the car and would stop by the car to visit him, or ask me if they could walk him while they were outside. He was fine with it (he never barked or caused any problems) and he was v. popular!

[neonn965]

I am usually gone from 6:15-8:15 and my dog is fine overnight. It's a little long but she doesn't seem to mind. I do feel bad about the fact that when I get home I let her out for a bit and then she goes back to sleep again with me all day. Now, if you are planning on fostering/adopting, especially puppies, then I'd think you would most definitely need to hire a dog walker for the late evening. Someone to stay with them overnight would seem like overkill.