[pyrnet] Fw: HOLISTIC VETERINARY MEDICINE ENDANGERED

["Barb Bowes" <bamb@monmouth.com>]

Received on another list and thought it was worth passing on.

Barb Bowes
Bo & Chelsea (Pyrs), Flopsy (Pyr Shep) & Machin (Doxie)
The more people I meet, the more I like my dog!
bamb@monmouth.com


> HOLISTIC VETERINARY MEDICINE ENDANGERED BY NEW AVMA GUIDELINES
>
> On December 15, 2000, the American Veterinary Medical
Association
> posted on
> the AVMA web site, www.avma.org/compaltmed.asp through  NEW
proposed
> Guidelines on Complementary and Alternative
> and Veterinary Medicine. These Guidelines were established by a
9
> member
> AVMA Task Force who have met and communicated since 1998. The
> Guidelines
> are being posted for the purpose of inviting consumer comments.
>
> The future of holistic veterinary medicine seems to be at stake
here,
> and
> we need to write letters stating why we believe in holistic
medicine
> and
> make it clear that it is our right as citizens of the United
States
> to have
> competent, trained holistic veterinarians treat our animals if
that
> is our
> choice, and that we also have the right to alternative healing
> modalities
> from qualified, certified lay people.
> Lots of folks need to write about how their horse Choctaw or
their cat
> Sinbad benefited from holistic veterinary care, but perhaps we
need
> to also
> look at how taking away that care denies us rights that have
> heretofore
> been granted. That's a huge issue."
> The past Guidelines have clearly covered who can practice and
what
> training
> they should have.  The new Guidelines do not address these
issues and
> therefore give no guidance or protection to the consumer from
anyone
> who
> wishes to hang out their shingle and practice these alternative
> therapies,
> be it a veterinarian or lay person untrained in a specific
healing
> modality.
>
>  The Guidelines do not help the consumer find a practitioner or
give
> any
> confidence that pracitioners need be trained or how they should
> trained.
>
> THE FOLLOWING ISSUES BE ADDRESSED IN THE LETTER TO THE AVMA
> COMMITTEE
> a.       that the AVMA recognize alternative veterinary
modalities and
> require adequate training of veterinarians in the fields of
> acupuncture,
> chiroporactics and homeopathy.
> b.      Write of your experiences of successful holistic
veterinary
> treatmebt and any specific instances where allopathic treatment
has
> been
> inadequate and alternative veterinary modalities have healed
your
> animal
>
> WRITTEN COMMENTS MUST BE POSTMARKED BY FEBRUARY 15, and  will
be
> forwarded
> to the AVMA Alternative and Complementary Therapies Task Force
> for its consideration. No e-mail or fax comments will be
accepted.
> MAIL YOUR CONCERNS TO: Dr. Craig A. Smith, AVMA, 1931 N.
Meacham Road,
> Schaumburg, IL 60173-4360
>
> Please write!
>
> Karen Thurlow-Kimball
> Sea Level Australian Shepherds
> Certified Tellington Touch Practitioner
> APDT member
> http://sealevelas.homestead.com/files/SeaLevel.html
> http://animalwellbeing.homestead.com/
>
> Task Force on Alternative and Complementary Therapy
> Published on the AVMA website December, 2000
>
> These guidelines are intended to help veterinarians make
informed and
> judicious decisions regarding medical approaches known by
several
> terms
> including "complementary," "alternative," and "integrative."
> Collectively, these approaches have been described as
Complementary
> and
> Alternative Veterinary Medicine
>  These guidelines define CAVM as a heterogeneous group of
hygienic,
> diagnostic, and therapeutic philosophies and practices whose
> theoretical  bases and techniques diverge from modern
scientific
> veterinary medicine. Some of these differ in preferring
naturally
> occurring hygienic and therapeutic methods to synthetic drug
treatment
> and surgery; some have roots in ancient or modern philosophical
or
> religious systems; some are based on notions of anatomy,
physiology,
> pathology, and pharmacology that are not consistent with
current
> knowledge; some are based on principles that relate to an order
of
> existence beyond the visible, observable universe; and some are
based
> on
> beliefs that contradict established scientific principles and
have
> little or no scientific evidence of effectiveness and safety.
>  Examples of CAVM now include, but are not limited to:
veterinary
> acupuncture, acutherapy, and acupressure; veterinary manual or
> manipulative therapy (for which the therapeutic intent may be
similar
> to
> theories and techniques in such human fields as
>       medicine, osteopathy, chiropractic, or physical therapy);
> veterinary homeopathy, aromatherapy, Bach flower remedy
therapy,
> orthomolecular therapy, energy therapy, low-energy photon
therapy,
> magnetic field therapy; veterinary nutraceutical therapy;
veterinary
> phytotherapy; and certain forms of veterinary physical therapy
and
> massage. Definitions, descriptions, and philosophies offered by
> proponents of specific types of CAVM may vary widely.
>  Claims for the safety and effectiveness of CAVM ultimately
should be
> proven by the scientific method. Such proof can be established
only by
> study of a specific therapy in a specific set of circumstances.
> Veterinarians should be cautious when using studies from one
species
> or
> set of circumstances as a basis for therapy in another species
or
> another set of circumstances. Such extrapolations might suggest
useful
> veterinary therapies, but they cannot be done with complete
assurance
> of
> safety or efficacy. Certain limitations, including money, time,
and
> personnel, may mean that the current state of scientific data
relative
> to CAVM is less-than-desirable. Until such data is obtained,
> veterinarians should be careful in their advocacy of unproven
> practices.
> Veterinarians should ultimately discard practices and
philosophies
> that
> are ineffective or
> unsafe.
>  Recommendations for patient care:  The foremost objective in
> veterinary
> medicine is patient welfare without causing harm. Ideally,
sound
> veterinary medicine is effective, safe, proven, and considers
all
> aspects of the animal patient in the context of its
environment.
>  Precedence should be given to diagnoses and treatments
supported by
> scientific proof. Anecdote cannot establish such proof. In the
face of
> disease proven therapies (when available) must be discussed
with the
> client. Discussion should include guidance for referral, if
necessary.
> Unproven therapies may also be suggested, but they should not
be the
> only  options discussed when proven-effective treatment exists.
>  Where unproven therapies are offered to promote the welfare of
an
> otherwise healthy animal or where they are used in the
treatment of a
> condition where the animal is not at risk of harm should the
therapies
> fail to be effective, the true benefits to the animal should be
> established by scientific investigation.
>  Clients usually choose a medical course of action on the
advice of
> their veterinarian. To provide good advice veterinarians should
be
> well
> informed. Recommendations for effective and safe care should be
based
> on
> the best available scientific knowledge and the medical
judgment of
> the
> veterinarian. Recommendations should help the client
distinguish
> between  medical fact, assumption, and myth.
>  Veterinarians should uphold the principle of informed consent.
They
> should make clients aware of potential risks and benefits of
> therapies.
> This includes the consequences to the animal if an unproven
therapy
> should fail when an acceptable proven therapy is available. If
a human
> health  hazard is anticipated as a course of disease or a
result of
> therapy, it  should be made known to the client.
>  Education, training, and certification:  It is not possible to
> establish meaningful minimum levels of education or
certification for
> unproven therapies. Courses intended to inform practitioners in
the
> use
> of CAVM are not presently an integral part of the curriculum of
most
> AVMA accredited or approved veterinary medical colleges.
>  Veterinarians should be aware that the education, training,
and
> certification provided by organizations representing CAVM might
be
> based
> solely on the policies and beliefs of these organizations and
their
> members. None of the currently existing CAVM organizations has,
to
> date,
> petitioned for recognition as a specialty organization by the
American
> Board of Veterinary Specialties of the AVMA. None of the
currently
> existing CAVM organizations has, to date, demonstrated a body
of
> compelling scientific evidence or proof in support of advocated
CAVM.
>  Responsibilities:  State and Provincial statutes define and
regulate
> the practice of veterinary medicine including many aspects of
CAVM,
> thereby protecting the public from inadequate veterinary
medical care.
> Veterinarians have broad scientifically based knowledge of
animal
> anatomy, physiology, disease and therapy that is recognized by
these
> laws.  These guidelines support the requisite interaction
described in
> the definition of the veterinarian-client-patient relationship
in
> order to protect the public from those practicing veterinary
medicine
> without such knowledge or interaction.
>  Veterinarians should adopt a thorough and scholarly approach
to the
> collection of medical information. In the case of unproven
therapies,
> they should carefully consider the various available
definitions,
> critically review relevant high-quality research, and
objectively
> assess
> the literature produced by both proponents and critics, before
> accepting
> or applying any CAVM. Veterinarians and organizations providing
or
> promoting unproven therapies should advocate and assist sound
research
> necessary to establish proof of efficacy.  understood medical
> nomenclature should be used in the medical record. Records
should
> contain documentation of client communications and informed
consent.
>  Veterinarians should avoid employing therapeutic agents for
which
> there
> is no assurance of purity, and they should avoid both
therapeutic
> agents  and devices that are inadequately labeled or that have
no
> assurance of   safety. Furthermore, veterinarians must not use
> treatments that conflict with state or federal regulations.
> Manufacturers and suppliers of veterinary products and devices
must
> comply with laws relating to manufacture, labeling, and
distribution.
> They are encouraged to support research and to provide data
> establishing
> efficacy and safety.
>  Liability.  No therapy is free of risk, and the risks of CAVM
are
> not
> well documented in animals. Veterinarians should recognize it
might
> be
> difficult to successfully defend a malpractice claim if they
are
> unable
> to provide scientific evidence of efficacy and safety or
documentation
> of approved educational experience.
>  Adapted from: Medicine, alternative. In: Stedman's medical
>         dictionary. 27th ed. Baltimore: Lippincott Williams
&
> Wilkins,
>         2000;1077.
>  Model Veterinary Practice Act. In: 2000 AVMA membership
directory
>         and resource manual. Schaumburg, Ill: American
Veterinary
> Medical
>         Association, 2000; 297.
>
>
>