“I like a veterinarian who’s not afraid to get their boots dirty,” admitted Bob West, the legendary gun dog trainer and GUN DOG contributor. I knew exactly what he meant, and I wholeheartedly agreed with him. Gun dog owners are a finicky bunch, and we don’t entrust just anyone with the care and well-being of our animals. There’s something both comforting and trustworthy about the advice from someone who shares your interests and understands things from your perspective, dusty boots and all.

It’s often claimed that necessity is the mother of invention. I can trace back the impetus for the Hunt.Vet project to Pheasant Fest many years ago, where I had the great pleasure of meeting hunting dog enthusiasts from across the nation. While we discussed our favorite breeds and species to hunt, one recurring theme involved their shared challenge in locating a veterinarian who understood sporting dogs and appreciated their hunting dog lifestyle. Not only did these hunters seek trusted veterinarians near home, but many also wanted a way to research a veterinary resource for unexpected injuries or illnesses while on hunting road trips.

Finding a solution to their struggle became the driving force behind Hunt.Vet, a crowd-sourced, searchable, and shareable database of veterinarians who have demonstrated a special interest in sporting dogs, proving themselves valuable to the hunting dog community.

What is a Hunting Dog Veterinarian?

The definition of a sporting dog veterinarian is highly variable and often rather subjective. It’s an amalgamation of different skill sets, communication styles, life experiences, and beliefs. Additionally, it’s not a “specialty” in the technical sense of the term used within the veterinary profession. There’s no extensive residency or board certification, outside of a small group of sports medicine and rehabilitation specialists across the globe. For those in our hunting dog community who have bestowed the “expert” label on these vets, there’s often a higher value placed on mindset than skill set and credentials.

It’s such a broad label, in fact, that part of the challenge of building and maintaining a database of sporting dog vetsis that some of them aren’t aware they’re considered valuable by the community. Many of them are just as comfortable working with sporting dogs as any other breed and quite often practice on multiple species of animals. Few of these veterinarians have ever considered hanging a shingle with the hope of focusing solely on a hunting dog clientele.

What are Hunters Looking for in a Veterinarian for their Dog?

The sporting dog vet title encompasses DVMs of every age and experience level. While their credentials and servicesvary, each member of Hunt.Vet shares the common quality that they have proven themselves to be a trusted medical resource to our community, whether they’re a farm vet, social media influencer, or a hotshot urban orthopedic surgeon.

Indeed, the only true prerequisite to entry is that these veterinarians “get it,” a broad and nebulous qualification that implies that they understand a hunter’s mindset and the sporting dog way of life. Among this group is a shared element ofempathy, a lack of judgment for dogs who repeatedly suffer injuries on the job, and a pragmatism appreciated by those of us who have never hesitated to spend money on our dogs but prefer to do so wisely.

When we first designed this site, we felt it was important to qualify each vet in the database with a numerical score that helped the community understand the extent to which each vet provided services of value to hunters. The Hunt.Vet score algorithm was designed around crowdsourced feedback from sporting dog enthusiasts as to what attributes and services they deemed most important in the doctor for their canine athletes.

Firstly, the algorithm is heavily weighted towards vets that hunt and own sporting breeds. While not an absolute requirement to be a trusted hunting dog vet, there’s definitely comfort and familiarity in the company of other hunters and hunting dog people. We’re naturally drawn to those who share our own interests.

Just as Bob West shared with me years ago, it’s fair to say that medical advice from someone who has walked a mile in our boots carries more merit than the recommendations of someone who has never donned blaze orange or Bottomland. There’s an instant connection and a fraternity of shared interests that helps form the bond of trust with someone who may help us make potentially life-or-death decisions about our hunting companions.

To be fair to the rest of my profession (and in contrast to what many of my fellow hunters believe), nearly every veterinarian I’ve met values and appreciates a working dog along with their inherent occupational hazards and unique nutritional requirements. Even if they’ve never carried a shotgun or owned a gun dog, there are indeed many veterinarians who understand and appreciate the unique relationship that we form with these animals. These vets can still be a trusted medical resource, even if we don’t share the same breeds and hobbies.

The Hunt.Vet score algorithm also rewards clinicians whose practice provides emergency services, especially those in rural areas who make themselves available after hours. ‘Round-the-clock emergency care has become an increasingly rare commodity, and anyone who owns dogs knows that medical crises rarely occur during regular business hours or at any other convenient time.

The Hunt.Vet score also takes into consideration specialty services of interest to the sporting dog community. Now, more than ever before, there is an increased demand for veterinarians who emphasize niche offerings like physical therapy and rehabilitation, chiropractic medicine, acupuncture, or reproduction.

Additionally, the score reflects the size of the clinic, the number of doctors who routinely see sporting dogs, and whether the practice employs credentialed technical staff. Our veterinarian survey also seeks to understand these vets’ philosophies on the timing of spaying and neutering, as well as their experience working with breeders.

Why is it Challenging to Find a Hunting Dog Veterinarian?

For certain, these are interesting times in what has historically been a symbiotic relationship between hunting dog folks and the veterinary profession. During the pandemic, the trend towards corporate ownership of veterinary practices reached a feverish pace, and along with this transition came the prioritization and pursuit of higher profits and efficiency. These are changes ushered in by stockholders, not doctors, but in some cases, they’ve altered the experience of taking our dogs to the vet.

Alienated by what they feel are veterinarians who would rather sell them a comprehensive wellness package than sit and listen to their concerns, some members of the hunting dog community have felt forced to turn to the well-meaning, but often misguided, advice of friends or Dr. Google.

As I previously referenced, emergency and after-hours care has dwindled, particularly in rural practices that struggle to find veterinarians and support staff willing to cover overnight shifts and holidays. However, vets still want to help animals and people, even if they’re less willing to entirely sacrifice their work-life balance.

While it’s true that the number of veterinarians who post their home numbers outside the clinic door for overnight emergencies is waning, we’re also in the golden age of communication technology. We have more information to help us triage a problem at our fingertips and via touch screens than ever before. As the website grows, it’s our goal to use chat technology to connect hunting dog enthusiasts with trusted veterinarians in the network for general advice and support, even when the clinic is closed.

How Hunt.Vet Benefits Veterinarians

Hunt.Vet also works to help veterinarians grow their practice by promoting their passion and expertise to a population of sporting dog enthusiasts who actively seek these services. I can speak from personal experience that I always look forward to that time in my daily schedule when I get to see a happy, well-socialized hunting dog patient, and I wish I could fill my appointment calendar with them.

There's incredible satisfaction in providing a valuable service to clients who trust and appreciate your expertise, and I can assure you this is not always the case in our profession. We hope this project will help veterinarians connect with clients and patients who are equally enthusiastic about being there.

While it’s undeniable that the face of the profession has changed in the last 40 years, I’d argue that the number of veterinarians with an appreciation for animals doing what they were bred for has not. Even if it has become more challenging to find them, there are still plenty of vets who share the same frugal, pragmatic mindset of your grandfather‘s beloved farm doc. It’s our goal with the Hunt.Vet project to help facilitate that connection.