"It gives them some extra energy," Wilson said. "We typically give the dog a quarter of a bar before he starts, another quarter of a bar maybe half an hour to 45 minutes into the hunt, and the other half of the bar later. They seem to recover from what they're doing quicker when they have it."

Never, Ever Do This
We've already covered one "never do," which was giving your hunting buddy either Tylenol or Ibuprofen. But there are some others that also are important.

First of all, if your dog is injured, don't try to move him without a muzzle. Even the most loving, even-tempered dog can snap or bite when in pain. It's just a basic dog reflex that can make a bad situation worse.

"I wouldn't move a dog without having some way of controlling that," Wilson agreed. "And it's easily done with a first aid kit. You can wrap gauze from the kit around the dog's mouth to keep him from biting."

Another thing to avoid is trying to substitute your expertise for that of your vet.

"It's a decision you have to make at the time," Wilson conceded.

Depending on where you are and what the situation is, you may have to patch a dog up temporarily the best you can. But if it's more than just a thorn or a scratch, get your dog to a vet as quickly as you can as soon as you're able.

A Word About Bloat
Bloat is not technically a "field" problem. However, it is a problem of large, deep-chested dogs, and most hunting breeds fit that description.

Briefly put, bloat is a synonym for the veterinary term "Gastric Dilatation." What it means in real terms is that the dog's stomach has become distended with air, and has twisted so that the flow of blood to the stomach is cut off. The dog goes into shock, and if it's not treated quickly, dies in very short time.

This is a condition that is never treatable in the field or at home. There are a couple of first aid procedures you can try if you can't get the dog to the vet in the next few minutes, but they are strictly short-term and do not solve the problem!

"There's no way to prevent bloat," Wilson cautioned. "Deep-chested dogs are just prone to it sometimes. And there are probably a lot more dogs that die from it that people realize."