We analyze the constraint structure of the interaction of vector mesons with baryons using the classical Dirac constraint analysis. We show that the standard interaction in terms of two independent SU(3) structures is consistent at the classical level. We then require the self-consistency condition of the interacting system in terms of perturbative renormalizability to obtain relations for the renormalized coupling constants at the one-loop level. As a result we find a universal interaction with one coupling constant which is the same as in the massive Yang-Mills Lagrangian of the vector-meson sector.