Low Level Laser (Cold Laser) Therapy
Who is Allowed to Treat Animals
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Who is Allowed to Treat Animals?
Technically anyone can adjust his or her animals as long as they do it in safe and humane fashion. Once a person adjusts another's animals, this practice starts to fall in the realm of veterinary medical practice. Veterinary Medicine can only be practiced by state-licensed doctors of veterinary medicine (DVM).
Some states allow non-vets to practice on animals as long as they do not charge for their services.
Chiropractors cannot adjust animals under their chiropractic license as "chiropractic is limited to the human spine". They also cannot practice veterinary medicine as they are not licensed vets. If they contact either of the Boards in their state they will be reminded of these laws.
Over 5000 chiropractor practice on animals in the US alone by affiliating with a licensed veterinarian in their state. That affiliation relies on the veterinarians license to protect the veterinarian, the chiropractor, the public, and most importantly, the animal.
Sometimes chiropractors resist this affiliation until they try it and find out that this is where most of their cases come from and both the vet and the chiropractor are well-served by this cooperation. A win-win-win-win situation is created for the vet, chiropractor, client, and patient.
The formal nature of the "professional affiliation" can be different in every state. The terms, "direct supervision", "indirect supervision", and "affiliation sometimes have different interpretations in each state and are often enforced inconsistently
Unfortunately these conditions add a good deal of confusion to the field.
As far as licensed veterinarians are concerned, they can pretty much do what ever they want, and call it anything they want, except "chiropractic" or "animal chiropractic". Only chiropractors can do chiropractic and then only to humans.
So-called "para-professionals" can provide these services in many states without being a vet or a chiropractor. They must be veterinarian-affiliated as do the chiropractors. Veterinarians licensed in a different state and not the one that they are providing service, technically fall into this category and need veterinary affiliation. Some states require a chiropractic license to work with a licensed vet to do "animal chiropractic" which is referred to a MSM or musculo-skeletal manipulation which refers to classic chiropractic.
As long as clients request these services from vets, chiropractors or other professional and there is money to be made with these methodologies, there will be rule. restrictions and controlled access. It is important to note that as long as the public demands animal adjusting, there will always be practitioners to fill that need.