The Conversation Most Owners Avoid
There’s a specific kind of anxiety that comes with knowing something your vet might not know. You want to be informed. You want to advocate for your dog. But you don’t want to come across as the difficult owner who diagnoses their own pets and argues with medical professionals. You’ve spent years trusting this vet. You don’t want to blow that up.
I understand this completely. And I want to tell you something that experience has taught me: the vast majority of veterinarians respond well to informed, prepared clients who bring specific information about their dog’s genetic health status. The few who don’t are telling you something important about whether they’re the right vet for a medically complex patient.
This article is about how to have the MDR1 conversation in a way that gets your dog the protection they need, strengthens rather than damages your relationship with your vet, and positions you as the advocate your dog needs you to be.
Before the Appointment: Do Your Homework
The most effective advocacy starts before you’re in the exam room.
Get the Test Done First
Walking into a vet’s office and saying “I read about MDR1 online and I’m worried” is a different conversation than walking in with a test result document. The second version carries authority. It’s specific, factual, and gives the vet something to put in the file.
If you haven’t tested your dog yet, our MDR1 testing guide explains every option from home cheek swabs to testing through your vet. Test first. Then have the conversation.
Know Your Dog’s Specific Genotype
Normal/normal, normal/mutant, and mutant/mutant each carry different clinical implications. When you talk to your vet, you want to be able to say which genotype your dog has - not just “they have MDR1.” A normal/mutant dog requires different discussions than a mutant/mutant dog.
Bring the Right Documentation
When you go to the appointment:
- Bring the original test results (a printed copy and the email/PDF version on your phone)
- Bring a copy of the drug danger list (available from Washington State University’s veterinary clinical pharmacology lab website)
- Consider bringing a printout from the WSU MDR1 resources page, which is a peer-reviewed, authoritative source your vet can verify
The goal is to be someone who shows up with information, not someone who shows up with opinions.
What to Say: The Opening Statement
The way you open this conversation sets the tone for everything that follows. I recommend something direct and respectful:
“I want to make sure MDR1 drug sensitivity is documented in [dog’s name]’s file. I have their test results here - they’re [genotype]. I’d like this on file and I’d like it reviewed before any medication is prescribed.”
That’s it to start. You haven’t accused anyone of anything. You haven’t implied incompetence. You’ve stated a specific piece of genetic information and asked for a specific, reasonable accommodation.
Most vets will respond positively to this. They may know exactly what you’re talking about and immediately update the file. They may ask follow-up questions. Either response is fine.
If Your Vet Doesn’t Know About MDR1
This happens. More often than it should, but it happens. Veterinary education on MDR1 has historically been inconsistent - a topic that some schools teach thoroughly and others cover in a single lecture. Our article on what vets don’t always know about collie drug sensitivity goes deeper into why this knowledge gap exists.
If your vet seems unfamiliar with MDR1, your job is not to embarrass them. It’s to give them something they can verify and use.
Say: “I have some resources from Washington State University if it would be helpful. They’ve done most of the original MDR1 research and their website has dosing guidelines for affected dogs.”
Then hand them the printout. Offer it as a resource, not a correction. Vets are professionals who respond to evidence. The WSU resources are peer-reviewed and authoritative. Framing your information as “here’s what I found from the researchers who study this” is very different from “here’s why you’re wrong.”
If Your Vet Pushes Back
Sometimes a vet will push back on MDR1 concerns. The pushback usually sounds like one of a few things:
“We’ve given this drug to lots of Collies without a problem.”
Your response: “I understand, and I’m not questioning your general experience. My concern is specific to [dog’s name]’s genotype. They tested [mutant/mutant or normal/mutant], which is the genotype most associated with adverse reactions. Could we look at an alternative or adjust the dose?”
You’re not generalizing. You’re advocating for this specific dog based on this specific test result.
“MDR1 is only a concern with high doses.”
Your response: “You’re right that dose matters a lot. The concern I have is that [this drug/this dose] is in the range where research shows elevated risk for mutant/mutant dogs. I’d feel more comfortable if we could review the dose with MDR1 in mind, or consider an alternative.”
This is accurate for most of the drugs on the danger list. You’re acknowledging their point while still advocating for dose review.
“I’ve never had a dog react to this.”
Your response: “I believe you, and I hope we never see a reaction either. That’s why I’m asking to review this now rather than find out later. Could we document this decision and discuss what we’d look for if we proceed?”
How to Handle a Vet Who Dismisses You Entirely
This is rare, but it happens. Some veterinarians will be genuinely dismissive - not just unfamiliar with MDR1, but unwilling to engage with your concern.
That is important information.
A dog with MDR1 sensitivity is a patient whose care requires attention to a specific pharmacological concern. A vet who dismisses evidence-based, documented information about a known genetic condition is telling you that they don’t welcome informed clients. That matters for every aspect of your dog’s care, not just this one.
You have options. You can ask to speak with another vet in the practice. You can seek a second opinion. You can find a different veterinary practice. These are not dramatic overreactions - they are appropriate responses to a vet who won’t engage with documented medical information about your dog.
Before you change vets, though, consider: is this a knowledge gap or an attitude gap? A vet who’s unfamiliar with MDR1 but engages thoughtfully with the information you provide is very different from one who actively dismisses it. The first is common and workable. The second may not be.
Building the Long-Term Relationship
The best outcome of the MDR1 conversation isn’t a single medication change. It’s a vet who now has your dog’s complete genetic health picture and knows how to use it. That relationship, built on accurate information and mutual respect, protects your dog for years.
To build that relationship:
Follow up after the appointment. Send an email thanking your vet and confirming that MDR1 status is in the file. You have documentation that the conversation happened.
Bring it up at every visit, briefly. Even just: “MDR1 is still in the file, right?” as a quick check. Don’t assume it stays current or visible in the record.
Share updates when they’re relevant. If you’ve read something new about MDR1 pharmacology, or if a drug that’s relevant to your dog’s care appears on the WSU updated list, mention it. Your vet can’t read everything. You’re following this specific issue closely. Be a resource to them.
The vet visit checklist we’ve put together can serve as a practical framework for every appointment - not just the first one where you introduce MDR1, but every subsequent visit where you need to keep the conversation alive.
The Reason All of This Matters
Every time a vet and a client have this conversation successfully, both parties learn something. The vet gets specific, documented information about a patient’s genetic status. The client gets a vet who is now more aware and more prepared. The next dog that comes in - maybe a Collie, maybe a Border Collie mix, maybe an Aussie - benefits from that vet being a little more alert.
Cooper’s death taught me that silence is the enemy. I didn’t know to ask. Dr. Martinez didn’t know to tell me. We were two people who both cared about that dog, and that dog died because neither of us had the information to have the right conversation.
You have the information. Use it.
Have questions about how to handle a specific veterinary situation involving MDR1? Want to share how a conversation with your vet went? Contact us - every story helps us understand how to better prepare other families for these conversations.