Latest proposal for AVMA, please read ASAP!

[luckies4me]

I just thought that everyone here would like to know the recent attempt to stop pet owners from sharing information about breeding, health, diet etc. on thenet and or telephone.

"Wrom: CMHVIBGDADRZFSQHYUCDDJBLVLMHA
Date: Sun Feb 9, 2003 9:24 pm
Subject: [e-vet_ask] Proposal from AVMA
To: [email protected]


>Just thought everyone at this site would like to read the latest
>attempt to stop pet owners from sharing information and helping each
>other with problems. This came to me via the Recreational Driving
>list.
Deborah Young

>The AVMA has drafted a model Veterinary Practice Act which would
>prohibit us from sharing our knowledge about nutrition and health with
>one another by telephone or via the internet. The draft labels anyone
>who consults with anyone about even alternative therapies as practicing
>veterinary medicine without a license. Their intent is to get each state
>to legislate this Act into law.
>
>The draft can be downloaded at
>http://www.avma.org/education/mvpa/default.asp. Please take the time to
>read it. Comments must be snail-mailed before March 1, 2003, to:
>
>Dr. Beth Sabin
>AVMA
>1931 N Meacham Rd., Suite 100
>Schaumburg, IL 60173-4360
>
>and be sure to CC your comments to:
>
>Ancient Healing Arts Association
>([email protected])
>P .O. Box 75
>Cold Spring, NY 10516
>
>
>They will present them en masse to the AVMA to ensure none are lost in
>the cracks. (More information available on their site,
>http://www.ancienthealingarts.org/vets-1-03.htm.)
>
>This act reads, in part
>
>18. "Practice of veterinary medicine" means:
>
>a) 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:
>
>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, or
>
>ii. the use of complementary, alternative, and integrative therapies, or
>
>iii. the use of any manual or mechanical procedure for reproductive
>management, or
>
>iv. the rendering of advice or recommendation by any means including
>telephonic and other electronic communications with regard to any of the
>above.
>
>b) To represent, directly or indirectly, publicly or privately, an
>ability and willingness to do an act described in subsection 18(a).
>
>If the AVMA is successful in getting the states to agree to this
>abridgement of free speech, to recommend (18a(iv)) a change in food
>(18a(ii)) to alleviate (18a(i)) excessive gas would constitute
>practicing veterinary medicine and, if you were not a licensed vet,
>could result in criminal prosecution.
>
>To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to:
>[email protected]
>
>
>
>Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/

--
Deborah Young
[email protected]
Folsom, Louisiana
Dartmoor ponies/Arab crosses

E-VeT Public / Non-Vet List / Non-Vet Professional

Queries all welcome! Advice and explanations given. Moderated. If you are a pet owner or have an interest in animals then post.

Post : [email protected],

Queries and Requests :
[email protected] "


I personally think this is stupid and it really makes me mad. As a breeder I know a lot more than a lot of vets about rats and their reproduction/genes etc. If someone comes to me for guidance I am NOT going to turn them away. If I see someone in the store buying cedar for a small animal I will tell them that is not a healthy bedding and explain the risks etc. Under the new act what I would be doing is practicing veterinary medicine.

A lot of companies will have to pull over the counter meds etc. For instance if your fish were ill and you bough some over the counter Amoxicillan tablets for the water you could go to jail! Now that is just absurd in my opinion. Please speak up about this....we wouldn't have a lot to talk about at pet talk if this won!

[moosmom]

I also agree that it is stupid. Here at Pet Talk we are not trying to play veterinarians, but simply sharing our own experiences with out cats to try and help others here. I would always recommend taking your cat to the vet. My cats are too precious to me to fool around guessing what's wrong with them.

Maybe they're trying to weed out the people who try to present themselves as vets, I don't know.

[tomkatzid]

I don't think it will go through. There would be no way to track it. Pet supply stores would have to remove all such med's from their shelve's. Any thing you could buy and treat the animals with yourself . Then they would need to do if for people too. We go to the drug store and tell them we have a cold and they sell you cold med's............

[luckies4me]

Exactly! If it does go through I will stacking up on a lot of things. But I seriously don't think it will.

[sammi]

That does not even make sense. It will never pass. And how can you stop people from talking about these things?? Where do they came up with these drafts? People just have to use common sense when you ask a stranger on the internet for advice etc. - most people do that and see their own vet.

[neko1]

I hope that doesn't pass, it's really stupid. Like was said, most people are just trying to help others by relaying their personal experiences, no one is trying to officially diagnose anything.

[luckies4me]

Perhaps you should write a letter saying exactly that. It's sortof taking our freedom of speach away.

[iceyshiver21]

People are so dumb, somtimes.