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Right to Use Non-Vet Care Providers?
Think Again
AVMA (American Veterinary Medical Association)
Veterinary Medical Practice Act
This document will affect your rights to make decisions regarding
your animals care. Numerous states have already adopted this ridiculous
document as State Law. Below are numerous press releases, links,
and my letter to the AVMA.
Press Release
Friday, March 13, 2004
CONTACT: N. Stephens, nshorizons@att.net
Florida Alliance for Animal Owners Rights
FLORIDA VETERINARY BOARD GRABS MARKET SHARE
Tallahassee — On March 2, 2004 , the Florida Board of Veterinary
Medicine made a decision that the following animal health care
services are the practice of veterinary medicine under current
law.
- Acupressure – Applying pressure to specific points to
promote optimum energy flow
- Aromatherapy – Inhalation, ingestion, or topical application
of essential aromatic oils from plants to promote good health
- Animal communication – Interpreting the thoughts of
an animal
- Farriery – Trimming and placing shoes on horses' hooves
- Flower essence therapy – Ingestion of distilled extracts
from flowers to enhance emotional health
- Hands on healing – Laying hands on the body to channel
energy
- Homeopathy –The use of plant, mineral or other substances
in minute, diluted amounts to stimulate self-healing
- Light therapy – Shining red and infrared light on the
body to promote energy flow and circulation
- Magnet therapy – Using magnets to create a magnetic
field that increases circulation, oxygen utilization and energy
flow
- Nutritional counseling – Offering advice about nutrition
This decision illustrates the need for changes in Florida law
so that these services and others may be provided for animals by
people who are not veterinarians. It also illustrates the need
for animal owners in Florida to join together to show veterinarians
and legislators there is a need for updating the law to reflect
modern day business practices. Finally, if there are veterinarians
who disagree with the Board's decision, they should advise the
Veterinary Board or the Florida Veterinary Medical Association.
Press Release
CONTACT:
Craig Den
Ancient Healing Arts Association
P.O. Box 75
Cold Spring, NY 10516
1-215-457-8594
healers@ancienthealingarts.org
http://www.ancienthealingarts.org
PET HEALTH CARE ISSUES GO STRAIGHT TO THE DOGHOUSE WITH PROPOSED
'REVISED MODEL VETERINARY PRACTICE ACT' (MVPA).
Washington, DC - February 15, 2003-The American Veterinary Medical Association
(AVMA) has proposed yet another set of restricted guidelines referred to
as the Revised Model Veterinary Practice Act (MVPA) that will bring an end
to the practice of holistic medical treatments for animals. This newly proposed
set of guidelines, if approved, will not only affect one's right to practice
natural healing methods, but will also seriously inhibit an owner's right
to chose suitable treatments for their animals other than traditional veterinary
medicine. This is a time sensitive issue that is only up for review until
March 15, 2003.
Traditional Veterinarians are faced with the growing body of evidence,
which supports the idea that injury recovery improved health, and
general well being can be achieved with alternative therapies.
In a recent AVMA Consumer Demographic Report, it was estimated
that animal owners spent an average of $35/month on 'Non-Traditional'
Veterinary care, an approximate average of 40 million dollars annually
that is not lining the pockets of the AVMA. It seems as though
the recent proposed MVPA is an attempt to tighten the purse strings
and regain control over this economic loss.
One member of AHAA states that, "It is shocking that the
AVMA is seeking to enact such bureaucratic and expensive, not to
mention freedom-limiting, legislation just when many states are
overturning such laws as they apply to human alternative therapies".
The MVPA if approved will prevent non-veterinary professionals
from treating patients regardless of their academic qualifications.
For example, an individual with a degree in animal science, and
a graduate degree in physical therapy for animals will not be able
to practice under this newly imposed set of guidelines. Even a
certified and degreed animal nutritionist will no longer be able
to practice or consult with patients. Even the local pet-groomer,
may be subject to criminal charges for providing a relaxing massage
before cleaning your pet, as grooming with massage will be considered
practicing veterinary medicine. Skilled practitioners of complimentary
and integrative therapies have trained extensively in their areas
of expertise. Moreover, they are respected members of their professional
communities, and veterinarians and animal owners alike regularly
utilize their valuable services. These professional services are
not criminal acts and the AVMA should not begin to treat them as
such. This is a ridiculous proposal with many evident problems.
This proposed MVPA would limit the right of consumers to have
the freedom to choose the best available care by taking holistic
practitioners completely out of the animal treatment economy. Let
the animal loving community defend their right to choose practical
solutions for their pets' health care needs!
Please read the Revised Proposed Model Veterinary Practice Act
at http://www.avma.org/education/mvpa/default.asp.
Individuals interested in commenting on the proposed revision
may do so by MAILING written comments to Dr. Beth Sabin, AVMA,
1931 N. Meacham Rd., Suite 100, Schaumburg, IL 60173 before March
10, 2003.
For sample letters and more information please go to: http://www.ancienthealingarts.org or www.itsfortheanimals.com/AVMADFT.HTM
A copy of this P.R.. is on the web: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/AVMAantidote/files/AVMA-AHAA-PR.htm
My Letter to the AVMA.
Lisa Ross-Williams
(My address was here)
Date: 4 March 2003
Re: AVMA Proposal
Dr. Beth Sabin, AVMA
1931 N Meacham Rd., Suite 100
Schaumburg, IL 60173-4360
Dear Dr. Sabin and Members of the AVMA Practice Act Task Force,
I am writing to express my strong opposition to the newly proposed guidelines
set forth in your Model Veterinary Practice Act (December 23, 2002/Draft Revision).
As it reads presently, it is insulting to animal owners, insulting to the many
qualified alternative and complementary lay professionals and healers, ridiculous
to many of your own members, and oversteps your bounds by trying to regulate
an individual's right to choose.
As an informed animal owner, I will not surrender my rights and responsibility
for my animal companions to anyone. This includes my right to choose the doctors,
persons with expertise, or lay professionals to provide health care and advice
for my animals.
Conventional veterinary medicine is valuable in certain instances; emergencies,
diagnoses, lab testing, and necessary surgeries. It is NOT the only answer
to animal care. My own experiences show that veterinarians, however well intentioned,
are not the only ones capable of providing the highest health care. Interest
in alternative and complementary therapies is growing due to the success people
are having, often after conventional practices have failed.
Each of the more commonly recognized alternative, integrative, and complementary
healing modalities listed in the proposed guidelines such as chiropractic,
massage therapy, physical therapy, homeopathy and acupuncture already have
licensing and/or accrediting bodies in place, setting standards in competency
in these fields. These schools and associations have documented their findings
via professional meetings and journals. Just because these modalities are not
taught in veterinary colleges doesn't mean the owners don't have the right
to choose them.
I have outlined the most offensive portions in this draft.
Section 18: Practice of Veterinary Medicine means:
18a. To diagnose, treat, correct, change, alleviate or prevent animal disease,
illness, pain, deformity, defect, injury or other physical, dental or mental
conditions by any method or mode including.
So in essence, you're proposing that no one but a veterinarian can help any
animal with any type of problem.
Can't prevent illness or suffering? What is preventative health care? Are veterinarians
the only people who can be knowledgeable about nutrition or conditioning? I
think not.
Dental Conditions? I see you're still going after qualified, certified dentists
even though most vets have not had any advanced training in dentistry. I have
seen far too many horses in pain because of dental problems caused by unqualified
veterinarians doing equine dentistry. Thank god to the certified dentists,
often not vets, coming in fixing the mistakes and alleviating suffering.
Mental Conditions? Since when do vets deal with mental conditions except to
maybe selling the owner a tranquilizer? Isn't this what trainers and animal
behaviorists do?
What about hoof care? Aren't hoof care providers correcting or alleviating
pain, deformity, and injuries?
18a i.-The prescription, dispensing, administration, or application of any
drug, medicine, biologic, apparatus, anesthetic, or other therapeutic or diagnostic
substance or medical or surgical technique.
Sounds like this includes bio-scans, magnets, herbal or essential oil compresses,
etc. This is ridiculous.
18A ii: The use of complementary, alternative or integrated therapies
*Definition is: heterogeneous group of preventative, diagnostic and therapeutic
philosophies and practices which at the time they are performed may differ
front current scientific knowledge, or whose theoretical basis and techniques
may diverge from veterinary medicine routinely taught in accredited veterinary
medical colleges or both. These therapies included but are not limited to acupuncture,
acutherapy, and acupressure, homeopathy, manual or manipulated therapy, nutraceutical
therapy and phytotherapy.
This sounds like it includes nutrition counseling, herbs, reiki, massage, TTouch,
Equine Touch, bio-scan, Essential oils, Flower Essences, etc. Any type of therapy
not taught in vet colleges. How many conventional vets are competent or even
aware of any of these therapies? Certainly very few really have an understanding
of proper nutrition. This is why so many pets and horses have chronic allergies
and digestive disorders. However, many of the alternative professionals have
studied and researched one or more of these alternative therapies for years,
often decades.
18A iv: The rendering of advice or recommendation by any means including telephonic
or other electronic communications with regard to any of the above.
OK, this sounds as though it includes internet discussion lists, webpages,
books and telephone conversations. Are you telling me that if I discuss my
success with a certain therapy, supplement or practitioner or share that info
with others via internet or phone, I am practicing veterinary medicine and
can be prosecuted (fined or jailed)?
18B: To represent, directly or indirectly, publicly or privately, an ability
and willingness to do any of the above acts.
Are you trying to dictate what can be discussed in private conversations? Again,
this is unacceptable.
Section 21: "Veterinary-client-patient relationship" means
A. The veterinarian has assumed the responsibility for making clinical judgments
regarding the health of the animals and the need for medical treatment and
the client has agreed to follow the vet's instructions.
Does this mean my vet is legally held responsible if my animal dies from a
drug he had prescribed? I don't think so.
It sounds as though we would no longer have the right to disagree with our
vet. Are we then by law required to give our animal whatever drug he has recommended?
How can a vet who has no training or knowledge in alternative therapies have
the best judgment regarding my animal's health?
21B. The veterinarian has sufficient knowledge of the animal to initiate at
least a general or preliminary diagnosis of the medical condition of the animal.
This means that the veterinarian has recently seen and is personally acquainted
with the keeping and care of the animal either by virtue of an examination
and timely visits to the premises where the animal is kept.
Are you proposing animal owners will not be able to do telephone consultations
with vet specialists out of our area, because they haven't personally examined
the animal? I've personally found that the specialists who I've consulted via
telephone or internet have a better understanding of my animal than the conventional
vets who come out to do an exam. How often does a conventional vet ask in detail
about what you are feeding, his environment and mental stability? Doesn't this
play a huge part in animal health? You bet it does.
What this boils down to is the AVMA is trying to dictate that we can't consult
with anyone on anything to do with the health of our animals unless they are
a licensed vet who does a physical exam.
I strongly object to the Model Veterinary Practice Act ( December 23, 2002/Draft
Revision) you have set forth. This proposal, as it is drafted presumes that
I, along with other animal owners, are unintelligent human beings, incapable
of making decisions or seeking out information on my animals care. You have
over stepped your bounds and I will not tolerate your attempt to take away
my rights as an animal owner.
I will continue to use the services of alternative and complementary professionals
as well as sharing this invaluable information with others. I hope you take
this rejection as well as the thousands more you have received, to heart.
Respectfully,
Lisa Ross-Williams
If Your Horse Could Talk
" Promoting Natural Horse Care Through Knowledge"
CC: Ancient Healing Arts Association
Arizona State Veterinary
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