Five essential qualities hunting dog owners seek in a veterinarian
Hunting dogs are more than pets; they are partners in the field that require specialized care to ensure they perform at a high level and remain healthy throughout their career.
As a veterinarian with a special interest in hunting dogs, I understand the unique bond between hunters and their canine companions. Hunting dogs are more than pets; they are partners in the field that require specialized care to ensure they perform at a high level and remain healthy throughout their career.
When it comes to their medical care, hunters are, understandably, quite selective about who they trust with their animals. They want to partner with a veterinarian who understands their needs as well as those of their canine athletes. Based on my experience and crowdsourced feedback from the sporting dog community, here are five essential qualities the sporting dog community prioritizes when trying to find a hunting dog veterinarian:
1. Personal Experience with Hunting Dogs
By no means mandatory, hunting dog owners appreciate a veterinarian with personal experience with hunting or owning hunting dogs. While we may come from different backgrounds, there’s comfort in the shared love of hunting breeds and instant companionship among those who share the field with them. Hunters desperately crave a medical professional that “gets it;” one who has experienced the human-animal bond through their same lens. Short of being a hunter or hunting dog owner, experience with working breeds held a great deal of merit among those seeking a vet for their hunting dogs. Indeed, much of the medicine is the same for dogs who chase down crippled geese or those who catch and secure two-footed fugitives.
Long before I learned to navigate the multisyllabic world of medical jargon, I spoke fluent bird dogese with my fellow bird dog enthusiasts. Like other sporting dog veterinarians, I’ve felt the visceral panic of an injured dog or the pain of saying goodbye to a trusted hunting companion. The shared experience allows me to relate directly to the concerns and needs of my clients, offering insights and advice rooted in personal knowledge. Firsthand experience also allows veterinarians to communicate more clearly with their clients, and the best sporting dog veterinarians are fluent in both medical terminology and the vernacular of the sporting dog community. The very best of that group of doctors will demonstrate an ability (or at least a willingness) to translate and distill complicated medical situations into terms that are relatable to hunters.
While most of the members of the sporting dog community I polled mentioned this quality, I encourage you to not preclude a veterinarian from your search solely for the fact they don’t hunt. I can point to many colleagues that have never owned a sporting breed or purchased a hunting license who I believe would make excellent hunting dog vets. While they may lack first hand experience in the field, the ones I recommend often score big on the next four qualities.
2. Familiarity with Hunting Breeds
There’s a lot of pressure on vets to have as much familiarity with every sporting breed as a seasoned AKC judge. Trust me, you’ve not experienced the anxiety of shouldering this expectation until you’ve wrongfully assumed your Irish water spaniel patient was yet another doodle and had your credibility with a client vanish in an instant. Nonetheless, understanding the distinct characteristics and needs of hunting breeds is a critical requirement hunters place on their sporting dog veterinarians. To add to the pressure for a sporting dog vets, serious breed enthusiasts like to believe (rightfully or wrongly) that their dogs express traits that are unique to the animal kingdom, and they’re eager to find a vet that’s done their homework ahead of time.
To be fair to veterinarians, much of canine physiology is commonplace in every purebred or mixed breed with a wagging tail and wet nose; however, there are indeed some unique variations among working dogs that hunters expect their veterinarian to appreciate and integrate into their practice.
Hunting dog owners often seek out veterinarians who can recognize and address breed-specific health issues, such as hip dysplasia in retrievers, tail injuries in setters or ear infections in spaniels.
A strong working knowledge of the timing, risk and benefits of spaying and neutering hunting dogs should also be part of a sporting dog veterinarian’s portfolio. As many hunting dog enthusiasts have shared with me over the years, a one-size-fits-all approach to this topic causes many hunters to feel judged and misunderstood.
“Quality medicine isn’t cheap, but valued hunting dog veterinarians understand not every case needs a couple grand in diagnostics to solve.”
A familiarity with these hunting breeds also allows veterinarians to customize general healthcare and nutrition plans, screen for breed-specific genetic diseases, and anticipate or triage potential health issues based on the type of work they do and the terrain they hunt. This specialized knowledge reassures owners that their dogs are receiving informed and breed-appropriate care.
3. Availability of After-Hours Emergency Services
Hunting dog injuries rarely follow banker’s hours or any other predictable, convenient schedule. Hunters value veterinarians who either work at clinics with after-hours emergency services or reserve emergency appointments within their regular schedules. Knowing that emergency care is available provides peace of mind to owners, ensuring that their dogs can receive immediate attention in critical situations, regardless of where or when they occur.
4. Listening to the Concerns of the Hunting Dog Community
Not every quality hunting dog vet needs a sports medicine or orthopedic surgery speciality. To the contrary, I’d argue that active listening, respectful communication and understanding the concerns of the hunting dog community are far more valuable qualities sought in a sporting dog vet than a fancy resume or extra letters after their name. Owners appreciate veterinarians who respect their expertise and experiences, and more importantly consider their input when diagnosing and treating their dogs. For certain, many of these clients have been around dogs for decades and have enough trial-by-fire experiences with managing field injuries and illness to sub in as vet assistant. They vet that gains their loyalty will naturally work with their years of experience instead of downplaying or ignoring it. By fostering open communication, a good hunting dog veterinarian makes owners feel heard and valued. This collaborative approach not only enhances the quality of care but also strengthens the veterinarian-client relationship.
5. Prudent and Cost-Effective Care
Quality medicine isn’t cheap, but valued hunting dog veterinarians understand not every case needs a couple grand in diagnostics to solve. Hunting dog enthusiasts are no strangers to spending much of their available income on their companions, but they’re a pragmatic bunch with (quite often) multiple dogs in their care, and they prefer to spend it wisely.
A valued sporting dog veterinarian will strive to balance thorough diagnostics and treatments with cost-effective solutions, always prioritizing the well-being of the dog while being mindful of the owner's budget. It’s a skill that rural vets learn faster than many of their urban counterparts, but any trusted sporting dog vet will meet people where they’re at financially and logistically. This approach involves discussing the pros and cons of various treatment options, explaining the rationale behind those recommendations, and being transparent about costs and ROI for the preferred treatment plan. In practice, I’ve rarely been denied the opportunity to perform crucial diagnostics due to cost when I’ve made a compelling case to a fellow hunter who trusts I’m spending their money wisely.
Conclusion
Hunting dog owners seek veterinarians who have personal experience with hunting, understand the nuances of hunting breeds, offer after-hours emergency services, listen to their concerns, and provide prudent, cost-effective care. By embodying these qualities, veterinarians can build strong, trust-based relationships with hunting dog owners, ensuring their canine companions receive the specialized care they need to thrive both in the field and at home.
