Not long ago, I found myself in a conference room that looked nothing like any I had trained in. As a veterinarian and board-certified Veterinary nutritionist who has spent nearly a decade bridging the Veterinary world and the pet industry, in this boardroom I was asked a question that opened up a new world for me: “If you could create your dream dog food, what would you create?”
Thank goodness I answered that call from a recruiter, not entirely sure where it would lead. It led here.
That moment marked the beginning of my journey helping to launch Golden Child, a fresh dog food startup—and it demonstrates something I had been advocating for years: the potential for Veterinary professionals to shape this industry in ways that go far beyond a clinical role. I have spent almost a decade working in the pet industry, and I can tell you that nothing quite compares to being part of a founding team building something from the ground up. The stakes feel different. The influence feels different. The sense of more impact on the science, the mission, the product itself is unlike anything I experienced in a previous industry roles.
Veterinary school did not prepare me for—at least not explicitly—the world of product development, investor pitches, and brand positioning. And yet, after all my time in the pet industry, I have come to believe that veterinarians and Veterinary specialists may be among the most valuable, and most underutilized, voices in the pet industry today.
It Takes a Village—and Then Some
Anyone who has worked in or around pet food knows that launching a successful product takes a remarkably diverse team. Pet food companies need PhD-level nutritionists to ensure diets can actually be made into their final format. They need regulatory affairs professionals who can navigate AAFCO guidelines, state feed laws, and label compliance. They need food scientists and manufacturing experts, supply chain specialists, marketing strategists, and customer experience professionals who understand why a pet owner chooses one brand over another at 11pm while scrolling their phone.
And they need veterinarians.
When I joined the founding team of Golden Child, I quickly saw how different my perspective was from everyone else in the room. I could speak to the clinical realities behind ingredient choices or feeding guidelines. I could articulate what a veterinarian would actually say to a worried client whose dog had a sensitive stomach or a history of pancreatitis. That perspective is not replaceable by a nutritional database or a consumer survey.
The Unique Intersection Veterinarians Occupy
Industry veterinarians sit at a remarkable crossroads. We are trained scientists who understand physiology, pathology, and evidence-based medicine. But we are also practitioners who have stood in the exam room listening to clients, navigating uncertainty, and making decisions under pressure. We can understand both the biology of the animal and the psychology of the owner. That dual fluency—scientific and human—is rare and genuinely valuable in a business context.
Beyond that, veterinarians carry a kind of credibility that no amount of marketing spend can manufacture. Pet owners trust veterinarians – we have studies that show it. When a brand can point to meaningful Veterinary involvement in its development—not just a logo on a website, but actual input that shaped the product—that matters to the consumer.
You Do Not Have to Leave the Clinic
Full-time industry roles exist and are deeply fulfilling for those who want them. But they are not the only path. I have served as advisors for start up companies in the past, providing input on algorithms and messaging.
Board and advisory roles are a powerful, flexible way for Veterinary professionals to contribute to pet brands without abandoning other work they want to pursue. Many early-stage companies—especially those founded by entrepreneurs coming from outside animal health—are actively seeking this kind of expertise. They want someone who will ask hard questions about the science, someone who understands what veterinarians will and will not recommend, someone who can serve as a bridge between the lab and the living room.
Other engagement models exist, too. Consulting arrangements, research collaborations, content partnerships, clinical advisory boards—the pet industry is creative, and it is hungry for Veterinary input in ways that go well beyond the traditional medical affairs role.
What the Industry Needs From Us
The Veterinary professionals who thrive in industry settings are the ones who arrive curious. They try to understand the business constraints—the cost pressures, the regulatory realities, the consumer behavior data—before proposing solutions rooted purely in clinical ideals. They balance their advocacy for animal health with an honest pragmatism about what is achievable in a product that needs to be manufactured at scale and purchased by real people with real budgets.
At the same time, we should not abandon our willingness to push back advocating for the animals and our Veterinary colleagues. The kind of challenge, delivered with curiosity and respect, is exactly what good companies want.
A Call to Show Up
The pet industry is growing at a pace that is genuinely extraordinary. Pet owners are more engaged, more educated, and more demanding than any previous generation. They want to be proactive with their pets’ health. They want products backed by science, transparent sourcing, and the kind of trust that comes from knowing that someone with real credentials had a real role in making what they are feeding their animals.
Veterinary professionals—nutritionists, internists, dermatologists, general practitioners, public health specialists, and many others—have something the industry is actively looking for. Our clinical training. Our problem-solving mindset. Our credibility with the pet-owning public. Our ability to translate complex biology into practical guidance.
I have a dream that Veterinary professionals will not just be part of the science, but to be part of the vision. Not just to flag the risks, but to help build something better. The next generation of great pet products will be shaped by people who understand animals deeply—and that includes us.
If a pet brand reaches out to you, consider taking the meeting. If an opportunity to join an advisory board comes across your desk, give it serious consideration. If a recruiter calls, hear them out. If you have been thinking about dipping a toe into the industry, know that the water is warm and that your perspective is needed more than you probably realize.
We spent years learning how to care for animals. There are more ways to do that than you ever thought possible.
(Megan Sprinkle is a board certified Veterinary nutritionist currently fully employed by Golden Child. Views expressed are her own.)