The Veterinary Surgery (Exemptions)
Order 1962
With the movement of Complementary Therapies into the field of animal treatment,
this Order was introduced to amend the Veterinary
Surgeons Act to take such legitimate therapies into account.
As far as Complementary Therapies are concerned, this Order refers to 4 categories:
Manipulative Therapies
This covers only Physiotherapy, Osteopathy and Chiropractic and allows these
therapies where a vet has diagnosed the condition and decided that this treatment
would be appropriate.
Animal behaviourism
Behavioural treatment is exempt, unless medication is used where permission
must again be sought from the vet.
Faith Healing
According to the RCVS Guide to Professinal Conduct, Faith Healers have their
own Code of Practice which indicates that permission must be sought from
a vet before healing is given by the "laying on of hands"
Other complementary Therapies
"It is illegal, in terms of the Veterinary Surgeons Act 1966, for lay practitioners
however qualified in the human field, to treat animals. At the same time
it is incumbent on veterinary surgeons offering any complementary therapy
to ensure that they are adequately trained in its application."
So, apart from the manipulative
therapies, behavioural treatment and faith healing, all other forms of Complementary
Therapy are illegal in the treatment of animals.
The Veterinary Surgery (Exemptions) Order states that: -
1. The Veterinary Surgery (Exemptions) Order 1962 allows for the treatment
of animals by 'physiotherapy', provided that the animal has first been seen
by a veterinary surgeon who has diagnosed the condition and decided that
it should be treated by physiotherapy under his/her direction.
2. 'Physiotherapy' is interpreted as including all kinds of manipulative
therapy. It therefore includes osteopathy and chiropractic but would not,
for example, include acupuncture or aromatherapy.
