I got my BA in 2004 with a dual major in Political Science and Arabic. I'll be heading out this fall to start my MA in Middle Eastern Studies.
And with that said, I have also worked in the game industry. Here's a few remarks:
1) Programmers make the most. All along the paygrade, programmers will always make more than designers. Starting, we're talkin' 35K starting for a junior designer and 45K (and this is the minimum!) for starting programmers. Senior designers usually can move up to around 45-50K, and there's always royalties if the situation is right. I myself worked production, which is akin to design pay-wise.
2) Designers run the gamut of majors. A friend/co-worker of mine studied English and he's rockin' the job just fine. Another cat I know had an Art degree. My production job actually had design duties, and I did Poli Sci & Arabic. But programming knowledge will help you immensely if this is what you want to do. And this leads me to another point:
3) UNLESS YOU KNOW YOU'RE ABSOLUTELY SURE YOU WANT TO WORK IN GAME DEVELOPMENT, DON'T DO IT. As others have said earlier, it's excrutiating work. The hours can be long and unforgiving- especially come crunch time. The politics of the workplace can also be a factor, depending on the given arrangement at the time. My situation was unique, but it kept me out of academia longer than I would have liked (I want to help save the world). If you have any other passion in life, like saving the whales or building buildings or working towards universal healthcare, stay away. But if you love to program or market ideas & concepts like there's no tomorrow AND it's the last day of your life, then game development may be for you.
And another thing: if you're wondering about what to study, based on your interest of veterinarian stuffs, I'd suggest Anthropological Medicine. It's basically studying medicine, yet in a more historical and cultural perspective. Suppliment it with hard sciences, and you'll have the best of both worlds. I had an anthropology teacher that said she knew people that got into Med School with that degree. Words and weights, rock it well.
Keep the dual major in mind.