First Aid Kit Essentials with Dr. Clair Maples

Founder of Paradigm Sporting Dog discusses everything you need in the field and the truck

As a veterinarian who spends countless days in the uplands with my own bird dogs, I know that the hunting lifestyle comes with risks.

Cuts, punctures, heat stress, and the occasional ill-fated porcupine tussle are all part of life with an athletic sporting dog. In a recent episode of the Dogma podcast, I had the pleasure of talking with Dr. Clair Maples, a fellow veterinarian and bird hunter who founded Paradigm Sporting Dog to address those exact challenges.

Dr. Clair’s story is rooted in the same passion many of us share: a love for working dogs and the desire to keep them safe in the field. Our conversation revealed not only her expertise as a vet, but also her commitment as a hunter to compile tools and instruments that are practical, packable, and tailored specifically to the sporting dog community.

When I first saw the contents of Paradigm’s field and truck kits, I instantly knew Dr. Maples was the real deal, as her selections leave virtually no common field injury uncovered without any of the bulky added fluff. 

From Veterinary School to the Field

Dr. Maples’ mixed perspective—as a veterinarian, bird hunter, and amateur dog trainer—became the foundation for Paradigm Sporting Dog. Dr. Clair saw a gap: most canine first aid kits on the market were either too generic to be useful in the uplands, or so overloaded with gear that they weren’t practical to carry on a hunt. Her solution was to design a kit from the ground up, based on the real-world scenarios we face when hunting with dogs. Her attention to detail is obvious in every feature. 

Building a First Aid Kit for Bird Dogs

During our conversation, Dr. Maples broke down what makes her field-ready first aid kits different from the rest. Instead of cramming a bag full of rarely used items, she focused on essentials—tools and supplies a hunter could realistically deploy when minutes matter.

She emphasized three core principles:

• Simplicity: A kit is only as good as the handler’s ability to use it. Every item in the Paradigm kit has a clear purpose in addressing a common issue.

• Portability: If it’s not light and compact, it won’t make it into the vest. Her field kits are designed to go wherever your dogs do. The field kit integrates seamlessly into the Final Rise vest system. The extensive truck kit is a base station for bigger field issues or followup to smaller issues once the hunt is over.

• Preparedness: The supplies address the most common field injuries—cuts, lacerations, heat stress, dehydration, and porcupine encounters—without overcomplicating things.

For many sporting dog owners, the difference is peace of mind. Having a curated set of instruments curated by a vet who hunts, eliminates guesswork and ensures that when something happens, you’re not scrambling.

Common Injuries in the Field

“Talking with Dr. Clair Maples reinforced a hunting dog truth that preparation is an act of care. Whether it’s training, conditioning, nutrition, or first aid, the steps we take before the hunt shape how safe and enjoyable the experience will be.”

Our discussion naturally turned to the realities of hunting with dogs. While most days in the field end without incident, seasoned handlers know that accidents happen. Dr. Maples pointed out some of the injuries she sees most often in her practice and how the right supplies can make a difference:

• Paw pad injuries: Sharp rocks, ice, or abrasive terrain can sideline a dog quickly. The kits contain everything you need to clean and wrap limbs and feet as well as trimming and managing nails.

• Lacerations and punctures: From barbed wire to brush, cuts are common. Clean gauze and antiseptic supplies allow you to stabilize wounds until veterinary care is available. I love how the portable field kit omits the controversial skin stapler to discourage the common practice of closing improperly cleaned wounds in the field. 

• Porcupine quills: An encounter with these spicy critters can ruin a day, even if your German dog seems to love it. Having hemostats or forceps and a slip lead for protecting the handler in the kit gives you a fighting chance at removing most superficial quills quickly and safely.

These scenarios resonate with anyone who has hunted behind a pointing dog in wild country. And while no kit can replace professional veterinary care, being prepared buys you valuable time and keeps your dog safer until you can get help.

Training the Handler

One of the points I appreciated most in our conversation was Dr. Maples’ emphasis on educating the owner. A first aid kit is just a bag of supplies unless the handler knows how to use them.

Dr. Clair wants sporting dog owners to feel empowered—confident that they can handle the basics in the field rather than feeling helpless in the face of an injury.

A Veterinarian’s Perspective

From my own perspective as a veterinarian and sporting dog enthusiast, Paradigm’s kits hit the sweet spot between practicality and preparedness. I’ve seen too many cases where preventable injuries spiraled because a hunter lacked even the most basic supplies. Conversely, I’ve also met owners carrying bulky human first aid kits that weren’t designed for canine use.

What Paradigm Sporting Dog offers is a thoughtful, field-tested alternative: equipment designed and curated by someone who not only understands canine medicine but also knows the realities of a day chasing birds over hunting dogs.

For me, that credibility matters. It’s not theory—it’s practice born from shared experience in the uplands.

As Paradigm Sporting Dog continues to grow, Claire envisions more than just selling products. She hopes to build a community of educated, prepared handlers who see first aid as an essential part of the hunting tradition.

Sporting dogs give us their all in the field—miles of running, sharp turns, brush-busting, and bird-finding drive that leaves us in awe season after season. The least we can do is honor that devotion by being prepared when things go wrong.

Final Thoughts

Talking with Dr. Clair Maples reinforced a hunting dog truth that preparation is an act of care. Whether it’s training, conditioning, nutrition, or first aid, the steps we take before the hunt shape how safe and enjoyable the experience will be.

Paradigm Sporting Dog’s first aid kits represent more than just a collection of medical supplies. They embody a mindset—that our dogs’ wellbeing in the field is worth planning for. For anyone serious about upland hunting, waterfowl pursuits, or field trials, adding one of these kits to your gear is as essential as carrying shells in your vest.