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Food safety
The AVMA supports appropriate educational, legislative, and regulatory measures to assure that foods of animal origin are safe and wholesome. AVMA…
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Rabies
Rabies is almost invariably fatal for animals and humans. Vaccination of animals is a critical step in preventing infection and protecting public…
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Vaccination principles
Vaccines have been proven highly efficacious and beneficial to the health of veterinary patients, as well as the general public. Decisions about…
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Adverse event reporting
The AVMA encourages veterinarians to report adverse events, and encourages continued development and strengthening of adverse event reporting systems.
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Agriculture inspections at points of entry
The AVMA calls for the Department of Homeland Security to increase the scope, intensity, and innovation of agricultural inspections at points of…
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Aminoglycoside use in cattle and small ruminants
The AVMA does not support extralabel use of aminoglycosides in cattle or small ruminants due to the substantial risk for violative residues in food…
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Animal agriculture manure management
The AVMA supports appropriate efforts and actions to prevent negative environmental impacts from wastes generated by terrestrial or aquatic animal…
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Animal disease control program supervision
All animal disease control and eradication programs should be under the direction and supervision of veterinarians.
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Animal fighting
The AVMA condemns fighting events involving animals in which injury or death is intended, and recommends that animal fighting be considered a felony…
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Animal health information standards (Informatics)
The AVMA supports standardized health information systems that contribute to interoperability, One Health information exchange, research, and other…
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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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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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Aquatic ecosystems
The AVMA recognizes the pressing need to ensure the future health of aquatic animals and the ecosystems that support them. Veterinarians can and…
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Guidelines for use of autogenous biologics
Autogenous biological products may provide veterinarians a unique opportunity for control of certain infectious diseases when USDA-licensed commercial…
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MEMBERS ONLYAVMA conflict of interest policy for volunteers
The integrity of the AVMA and its activities depends on the avoidance of conflicts of interest, or even the appearance of such conflicts, by the…
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Beak conditioning
Commercial poultry beak conditioning, which includes beak trimming, should be practiced only when necessary to prevent feather pecking and…
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AVMA guidelines on the identification of board-certified veterinarians
To identify one's diplomate status accurately and responsibly, it's important that board-certified veterinarians use very specific wording. this…
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Canine devocalization
The AVMA strongly discourages the devocalization of dogs because of the surgery's negative impacts on animal welfare. Canine devocalization does not…
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AAHA-AVMA canine preventive healthcare guidelines
All dogs should have a veterinary examination at least annually. For many dogs, more frequent visits may be appropriate.
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Bovine disbudding and dehorning
Disbudding and dehorning of cattle are important for human and animal safety, although they are procedures that cause pain and discomfort. AVMA…
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Comparative medicine and translational research
Comparative medicine studies the similarities and differences in biology among animals to enhance the understanding of mechanisms of human and animal…
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Euthanasia of animals that are unwanted or unfit for adoption
The AVMA is not opposed to euthanasia of animals that are unwanted or unfit for adoption, when conducted by qualified personnel using appropriate…
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Extralabel use of medicated feeds, including veterinary feed directive drugs, for minor species
The AVMA supports regulatory discretion in enforcing extralabel use of medicated feeds in minor species under veterinary oversight.
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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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Technologies for pathogen mitigation in food processing
The AVMA supports the use of pathogen reduction processes, such as pasteurization, irradiation, high pressure processing, and other science-based…