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AAHA-AVMA feline preventive healthcare guidelines
All cats should have a veterinary examination at least annually. For many cats, more frequent visits may be appropriate. The AVMA and the American…
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Acclimation certificates/statements
Acclimation certificates/statements are used to allow airlines to ship dogs and cats when the airline cannot guarantee compliance with requirements of…
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Annual rabies vaccination waiver
Waivers of rabies vaccination should only be issued with approval from the appropriate public health authorities upon recommendation from a licensed…
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AVMA animal welfare principles
The AVMA, as a medical authority for the health and welfare of animals, offers eight integrated principles for developing and evaluating animal…
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Companion animal spay-neuter programs
Every animal, regardless of its ownership, should receive quality veterinary and surgical care.
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Companion animal care guidelines
View general guidelines for the care and humane treatment of animals in nonagricultural facilities such as shelters, pet stores, boarding kennels,…
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Declawing of domestic cats
The AVMA discourages elective declawing of cats and supports non-surgical alternatives, respecting the veterinarian’s right to use professional…
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Dog and cat population management
Dog and cat population management is a complex animal welfare problem, with many contributing factors.
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Joint AVMA-FVE-CVMA statement on the benefits of animal vaccination programs in advancing animal and human health
This statement has been adopted jointly by the AVMA, Federation of Veterinarians of Europe and Canadian Veterinary Medical Association.
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Microchip identification of companion animals and equids
The AVMA endorses the implantation of electronic identification in companion animals and equids and supports standardization in materials, procedures,…
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Pediatric spay/neuter of dogs and cats
The AVMA supports the concept of pediatric spay/neuter in dogs and cats to reduce the number of unwanted animals. Veterinarians should use their best…
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UNDER REVIEWPet health insurance
The AVMA endorses the concept of pet health insurance that provides coverage to help defray the cost of veterinary care and encourages veterinary…
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Raw diets for dogs and cats
The AVMA discourages the feeding to cats and dogs of any animal-source protein that has not first been subjected to a process to eliminate pathogens…
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UNDER REVIEWRelocation of pets for adoption
Careful planning is needed to ensure animal welfare, animal/human safety, and avoid disease spread when dogs and cats are transported for purposes of…
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Safe non-commercial transport of pets in motor vehicles
The AVMA is committed to educating pet owners about the safety of pets in motor vehicles. AVMA encourages development of evidence-based crash testing…
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Therapeutic pet food health claims
The FDA uses enforcement discretion in overseeing certain pet food claims. While many of these could legally be considered drugs, certain claims are…
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Use of random-source dogs and cats for research, testing, and education
The AVMA believes there is justification for prudent and humane use of random-source dogs and cats in research, testing, and education, under specific…