The fine art of choosing a veterinarian can be one of the most important things you can do for your Boxer. When attempting to ensure the continued good health of your dogs, you may find that shopping around can pay off.
First and foremost, you must look for a doctor who has the skills to be a good diagnostician and a good surgeon, should the need arise. A top notch diagnostician who will refer you to the best specialist is probably your most valuable ally. To find such a person, word of mouth recommendations and comments from breeders you respect are invaluable. And I do not use the term "breeder" lightly; breeders experience all the trials of the single dog pet owner, plus the added dimension of dealing with reproductive crises. The prospective veterinarian's professional reputation, then, in the breeder community, is critically important.
It helps if you personally like your vet. You don't have to see each other socially, but you should feel very comfortable communicating with him or her-as you would with your own family doctor. If your vet won't listen to you, or quickly dismisses your observations as unworthy, you should probably look for another practitioner. Unless he's infallible (and remember, he isn't), he should not only be willing to talk to you about the patient, but also be eager to hear your observations. After all, who knows your dog better?
Your veterinarian need not own a Boxer himself, but it does help if he takes an interest in the breed. Boxers have health problems as a breed that occur with greater frequency than those same problems in most other breeds. Your vet should be educated, if not in school, then by you as a concerned breeder and/or pet owner, to learn to recognize the warning signs of cancers, or heart disease, or even difficult and prolonged whelpings. He should take special care to administer anesthesia in the proper dosage for the particular animal, as some Boxers are especially sensitive to it. If he needs an education along these lines, it's your responsibility to give it to him as best you can, and his responsibility to investigate your words medically so that he can best apply his training to the case at hand. Do not hesitate to question your vet, or to offer advice if you think it is relevant. Your opinions are valuable.
Most excellent veterinarians are very busy people. You should not expect them to take half the morning with you. Neither should you have any patience with the practitioner who is always too busy to listen, or who never returns a phone call or does so days later. Sometimes our animals become ill at inconvenient times (usually on weekends, holidays and at 3 a.m.), and if your bitch needs a C-section in the middle of the night, or you suspect a gastric torsion, you cannot wait until normal working hours. Time may be precious to all of us, but never more so than to a sick animal in need of help.
A comfortable, informed working relationship with your veterinarian is not a luxury-it's a necessity. Together, the two of you can see to it that your dogs lead healthier and happier lives. When you find the practitioner who will help you to ensure your dog's wellbeing, you will know that what may have been a long search is finally over.
ABC ALBUM
Ann Keil reminds us that copies of the 50th Anniversary Album are still available. Breed lovers will not want to be without! Send $38 to Ann at 859 Miami Street, Apt. 35, Tiffin, OH 44883-1959.V
POSTSCRIPT
The newly elected president of the American Boxer Club is replacing me as your GAZETTE columnist. I would like to thank my readers for their great support during my tenure in these pages.
Stephanie Abraham
P.0. Box 346
Scotland, CT 06264
