The AVMA & the AHVMA

The American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) is the national association representing veterinarians. It has 75,000 members, 140 employees, puts out a monthly journal (JAVMA), and holds an annual convention. The AVMA has a $28,500,000 budget approved for 2008, delegates and lobbyists in Washington, and a relationship with the American Medical Association (AMA) that encourages a unified look at health encompassing both animal and human issues and increases focus on areas that humans and animal health issues intersect: parasites, bioterrorism, human-animal bond. This makes the AVMA sound like an ideal organization to serve veterinarians, pet owners, farmers, and the public at large, but is it?

The AVMA is managed by those with interests in maintaining good relationships with dog food manufacturers, vaccine and drug manufacturers. Because of this, the AVMA supports the feeding of packaged foods for pets, regular vaccinations, and the use drugs, chemotherapy, and surgery as the standard treatments for illness.

The oath all members of the AVMA take upon becoming veterinarians decrees that animal health and wellbeing are their primary concern. Here is what we all promise when we take the Veterinarian’s Oath:

Being admitted to the profession of veterinary medicine, I solemnly swear to use my scientific knowledge and skills for the benefit of society through the protection of animal health, the relief of animal suffering, the conservation of livestock resources, the promotion of public health, and the advancement of medical knowledge. I will practice my profession conscientiously, with dignity, and in keeping with the principles of veterinary medical ethics. I accept as a lifelong obligation the continual improvement of my professional knowledge and competence.

Even though every veterinarian in the United States has sworn this oath, the AVMA has not come out against ear cropping, tail docking, declawing, gestation crates for hogs, tail docking in milk cows, or force-feeding of poultry to make foie gras.

The AVMA does take a stand against the use of techniques accepted by other cultures. It requires veterinarians to obtain waivers stating that holistic practices are not the norm. These waivers include the information that other more acceptable practices exist, and the more acceptable practices to which they are referring are drugs, surgery, and chemotherapy. Waivers are required for animals receiving acupuncture, homeopathy, chiropractic care, flower essences, soft laser or photon therapy, Chinese herbal formulas, and other forms of holistic medicine.

If consumers of veterinary medicine want an AVMA that is more open-minded, more holistically oriented and more concerned about animal welfare, they should ask that veterinarians be trained in holistic medicine and become members of the American Holistic Veterinary Medical Association (AHVMA), just as they are trained in conventional medicine and become members of the AVMA.

If veterinarians were required to be members of both the AVMA and AHVMA, the care available for cats, dogs, horses, birds, and farm animals, zoo animals, and exotic pets would more truly reflect the commitment made by all who take the Veterinarian’s Oath.