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Any layman who practices veterinary medicine is especially dangerous because of the large numbers of miniature horses owners who view the advice of opinion leaders (horse psychics, equine dentists) as an alternative to medically recognized miniature horse treatment.
There are several issues relating to the dangers of horse psychics and veterinary medical advisors:
Practicing Veterinary Medicine without a license
There are several classes of animal-related occupations that are at-risk with being charged with practicing veterinary medicine without a license. The law varies widely between states:
- Farriers - Florida law suggests that some
Farrior advanced treatment for founder may require a vet license.
- Chiropractors - Some animal chiropractors who treat skeletal issues (hip dysplasia) might be found liable. This equine chiropractor says that he was investigated for practicing veterinary medicine without a license. He states:
"I conduct animal chiropractic seminars around the country. I did 45 of them last year. And there are a number of states that have shut me down. Those states are Nevada, Washington, Arkansas, Oklahoma, New York, and Kentucky."
In this case a Chiropractor was charged:
"The North Carolina state veterinary board recently brought felony charges against an animal chiropractor for practicing veterinary medicine without a license. And Zastrow was reprimanded and fined $150 in May 2001 by the Wisconsin Chiropractic Examining Board for treating animals without a veterinarian present."
- Fruits & Nuts - Satanic healers, animal psychics (animal communicators), witches and fakirs who diagnose an animal's physical or mental condition may be practicing veterinary medicine without a license.
In the more serious cases, inept laymen may recommend withholding medical treatment or recommend having a horse euthanized, claiming that the horse does not wish to undergo the pain, or that the horse does not desire a life-saving surgical procedure.
Any horse psychic without a DVM who accepts money to identify or diagnose ANY medical condition may be a criminal who can be arrested. According to the Optimum Choices web site, a horse psychic or Reiki healer may not claim to be a "practitioner":
"In Colorado and most other states, a person cannot call themselves a “therapist” or “practitioner” or say they do “therapy” on animals unless they are a veterinarian.
Otherwise, they can be accused of practicing veterinary medicine without a license."
Practicing Veterinary Medicine
Practicing veterinary medicine without a license is a crime in the USA and a felony in some states. While each statute is different, most all prohibit the diagnosis and treatment of any horse without a valid State license.
Hawaii law
According to this Hawaii statute, accepting money to diagnose illness is a crime punishable by up to six months in prison (emphasis added):
"Practice of veterinary medicine" means the diagnosis or treatment for the prevention, cure, or relief of, or the giving of advice concerning, a disease, pain, injury, deformity, or other physical condition of an animal, or a change of a physical characteristic of an animal for cosmetic or utility purposes."
These statutes extend to all areas of equine health care, including the administration of over-the-counter drugs.
North Carolina law
In North Carolina, you must have a license to practice Veterinary Medicine to perform de-worming or vaccinations, even if you do not charge a fee.
"An investigator for the North Carolina Veterinary Medical Board cited the couple after they vaccinated and de-wormed his dog. By law, only an owner or licensed veterinarian can do that."
In sum, any witch, psychic or fortune teller who insinuates that they can diagnose disease may be defrauding the public and committing a criminal activity.
New Hampshire law
According to the New Hampshire Veterinary Practices Act, anyone violating the status is liable for $2,000.00 per violation: (emphasis added)
"Practice of veterinary medicine' means:
(a) To diagnose, treat, correct, change, relieve, or prevent animal disease, lameness, deformity, defect, injury, or other physical or mental conditions: including the prescription or administration of any drug, medicine, biologic, apparatus, application, anesthetic, or other therapeutic or diagnostic substance or technique, and the use of any manual or mechanical procedure for testing for pregnancy, or for correcting sterility, or infertility, or to render advice or recommendation with regard to any of the above."
Note that this law prohibits the diagnosis and treatment of mental conditions, a common practice among horse psychics.
Texas law
In Texas, the Veterinary Licensing Act clearly states that anyone who uses their title to infer veterinary qualifications is practicing medicine (emphasis added).
"The Veterinary Licensing Act defines the practice of veterinary medicine as the diagnosis, treatment, correction, change, manipulation, relief or prevention of animal disease, deformity, defect, injury, or other physical condition, including the prescription or administration of a drug, biologic, anesthetic, apparatus, or other therapeutic or diagnostic substance or technique; representation of an ability and willingness to perform the acts listed above; or use titles, words, or letters to induce the belief that a person is legally authorized and qualified to perform an act listed above; or the receipt of compensation for performing an act listed above."
Florida law
According to TheHorse.com, The Florida Board of Veterinary Practice ruled that practicing Animal Communications (animal psychic), requires a license to practice Veterinary Medicine:
"On March 2, the Florida Board of Veterinary Practice (FBVP) unanimously voted that their interpretation of the state's practice act (which governs animal care and what is construed as veterinary medicine) said acupressure, aromatherapy, animal communication, farriery, flower essence therapy, homeopathy, light therapy, magnet therapy, and nutritional counseling are all practices limited to Florida licensed veterinarians."
Laymen (Horse psychics, animal communicators, medical-related committee members) may commit serious crimes when they diagnose and dispense advise about medical issues. Naive miniature horses are especially at-risk because horse psychics sometimes advise the owner whether their horse desires life-saving medical treatment.
California law
California expands their statute to include any laymen whose activities may cause harm to an animal. According to the California Veterinary Medical Board:
"Anyone who witnesses or believes that a licensed veterinarian or unlicensed person's behavior or activities may cause harm (or the potential for harm) to animal patients or may be illegal, can file a complaint."
Virginia Law
Code of the Commonwealth of Virginia, Veterinary Medicine, Chapter 38 of Title 54.1. (emphasis added)
§ 54.1-3800. Practice of veterinary medicine.
"Any person shall be regarded as practicing veterinary medicine within the meaning of this chapter who represents himself, directly or indirectly, publicly or privately, as a veterinary doctor or uses any title, words, abbreviation or letters in a manner or under circumstances which may reasonably induce the belief that the person using them is qualified to practice veterinary medicine.
Any person shall be deemed to be practicing veterinary medicine who performs the diagnosis, treatment, correction, change, relief or prevention of animal disease, deformity, defect, injury, or other physical or mental conditions; including the performance of surgery or dentistry, the prescription or administration of any drug, medicine, biologic, apparatus, application, anesthetic, or other therapeutic or diagnostic substance or technique, and the use of any manual or mechanical procedure for embryo transfer, for testing for pregnancy, or for correcting sterility or infertility, or to render advice or recommendation with regard to any of the above.
(Code 1950, § 54-786; c. 574; 1978, c. 539; 1988, c. 765.)"
Court Cases
According to the Animal and Legal Center, tail cropping and docking are acts of veteriniary medicine and violators have been jailed:
"Recently, in England, two dog owners and their associate were fined and jailed three months each after eleven rottweiler puppies died during a tail docking procedure."
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