The Chattanooga area’s first canine-only vet clinic, The Healthy Hound Company, is now open in Hixson.
While most veterinarians who provide care for dogs also see other small companion animals, veterinarian Josh Singer said he chose to open a dogs-only practice because it allows him to further hone his expertise and provide a higher level of care than he could with a broader focus.
“I think that for a long time veterinarians have been kind of the loss leader in being all things to all people, and at the expense of a lot of things,” Singer said. “I love general practice because I get to see ears and then a vomiting dog and then a surgery, and so I didn’t want to give that up, but I did want to kind of narrow my focus and go, ‘Hey, I want to be the best dog veterinarian that there is.'”
He said Atlanta also has a vet clinic exclusively for dogs, and he believes canine-focused clinics are a growing trend.
People treat their dogs like family, he said, and more people own dogs now than ever before.