Alumni Spotlight

2010 Grad turns lifelong love of animals into career as Veterinarian

Abby (Saizow) Parrent, '10, has turned a lifelong passion into a career filled with challenges, discoveries, and meaningful moments.

Tell us about yourself and what you're doing now. My name is Abby Parrent (Saizow, originally), and I attended Riverfield from when I was 2 years old, in the Frog Class until I graduated high school in 2010. Since then, I’ve graduated from Veterinary school at Oklahoma State, and I have been a practicing veterinarian for 7 years. I currently work as a general practitioner and certified canine rehabilitation veterinarian at a busy practice in Colorado Springs. Myself, my husband, Alan, and our two boxers (Breck and Betty) love living near the mountains, and try to take advantage of as much hiking, skiing, and sightseeing as possible. 

What is one lesson, experience, or mentor from Riverfield that has stayed with you? The best and most important things that have stayed with me  since my time at Riverfield are my best friends, Jessie and Meike! Jessie and I have been best friends since we were in the Purple class. Meike was an exchange student from the Netherlands while we were in high school. We all still talk daily and visit each other as often as possible. I’m also still friends with many of my classmates and previous teachers! 

How did your time at Riverfield help prepare you for where you are today? Starting at a young age, Riverfield encouraged critical thinking and exploration which plays a big role in veterinary medicine. You have to be creative and find solutions to unique problems on a daily basis.

Tell us about your role as a veterinarian and the types of animals you care for.  As a veterinarian, I play many roles for dogs and cats—preventative care and general practitioner, dentist, surgeon, rehabilitation therapist, internist, ophthalmologist, oncologist, and more. I also work together with the associate veterinarians and technicians to provide our patients with the best care. 

What does a typical day look like in your practice? My day to day as a veterinarian changes constantly, which is one of the things I love most about the career. In one week, I could see new puppy or kitten exams, do emergency surgery to remove a dog’s spleen, perform routine vaccinations, extract teeth during a dental procedure, do physical therapy on a paralyzed dog, and many other (potentially more disgusting) things. 

What inspired you to pursue a career in veterinary medicine? I wanted to be a veterinarian for as long as I can remember. Most of my inspiration was because I was obsessed with animals, but another big inspiration was my dad, Ron Saizow. He was a “human doctor” as the veterinarians refer to them, and he found a lot of fulfillment in helping people by being an Internist. Again, animals are my thing, so human medicine was not on my radar, but veterinary medicine fit me perfectly! 

What's the most rewarding or memorable experience you've had as a veterinarian? One of my most memorable and rewarding experiences as a vet  was helping a paralyzed dog walk again. This sweet pup had a back injury that caused hind limb paralysis and we used medicine and rehabilitation therapy to help her walk again!   

What do you wish more people understood about caring for their pets and the work veterinarians do? I wish the general public knew more about the true costs of owning and providing the best care for a pet. The vet bills can be very expensive and there are many reasons for that. Regardless, pet owners should be prepared for emergency and routine veterinary costs. For more information about this, visit https://www.avma.org/blog/avma-shares-insights-rising-veterinary-costs. 

What has been your proudest professional accomplishment so far? My proudest professional accomplishments are graduating from Oklahoma State College of Veterinary Medicine in 2019, and then becoming certified in canine rehabilitation in 2023. In my personal life, I am most proud of how much traveling I have been able to do with my family and friends. 

What advice would you give current Riverfield students as they think about their future? My advice to current students would be to try new things and say yes to different opportunities. Riverfield gave me opportunities to be a drummer in a rock band, the captain of the basketball team, a semi-fluent  Spanish speaker, a mediocre tennis player, and infinitely more things. Don’t let the fear of failure or embarrassment stop you from trying something that could lead to a lifelong passion or hobby or even career. (I still have a drum set in my house after my years in rock band! Shout out, Mr. Knight!)

Lightning Round! 

• Coffee or tea? Water

• Dogs or cats? (Or another favorite animal!) Dogs, boxers specifically! 

• Favorite animal you've treated? Too hard to choose, they’re all my favorite! 

• Mountain hike or beach vacation? Mountain adventures

• One item you always have in your clinic coat? My Pilot pens labeled with my name so no one steals them.

• Favorite way to spend a day off? Relaxing at home with the dogs or going on a hike

• Dream destination to visit? I’d love to ski in the Alps

• Three words that describe your job? Rewarding, challenging, fun 

• Favorite Riverfield tradition or event? Riverfield Rocks Llamapalooza

• Best advice you've ever received? Life is short, so live now and to the fullest