Animal patients could suffer when a particular therapy would be inappropriate for the animal's medical condition. Examination, diagnosis, and then treatment formulate the logical sequence of events required for the safe and effective delivery of healthcare in veterinary medicine. Eliminating any step in this progression puts animals at risk. In one case, a pet rabbit was undergoing acupuncture provided by a lay practitioner for a "space-occupying lesion" that was subsequently diagnosed as a malignant tumor by a veterinarian. The animal suffered needlessly.

Many diseases can be rapidly transmitted between animals or from animals to humans. A veterinarian has the expertise to recognize these communicable diseases - which can be mistaken for benign conditions by non-veterinarians - and report them as required by law.

For example, recently a case of equine herpesvirus was diagnosed by a veterinarian, resulting in quarantine of an equine hospital by the State Veterinarian. If the index horse in Colorado had gone to a lay practitioner instead of a veterinarian for its initial lameness, a life-threatening disease for horses would have spread all over Colorado - resulting in needless animal suffering, animal deaths, and significant economic consequences for Colorado's agricultural industry.

Or consider the case of a puppy behaving abnormally and taken to a Colorado veterinarian who suspected rabies. The dog was quarantined and subsequently died; tests confirmed the diagnosis. Further investigation revealed that the puppy had been in contact with 23 people, who then underwent post-exposure rabies vaccination to protect them from this life-threatening infection. What would have happened if the owner had taken this pet to anyone other than a veterinarian?

Supporters of HB 07-1296 argue that this bill gives animal owners the basic rights to determine how the animal can be treated. Although this may sound promising and appealing, this bill creates an opportunity for untrained, unlicensed, unregulated individuals to offer any type of therapy - without the proper education required to diagnose medical conditions.

HB 07-1296 would allow unregulated therapy providers to charge consumers for services on animals - patients that can't speak, that often mask their pain, that can create injury through bites or kicks, and that can transmit diseases to other animals or to humans. This bill defies our core beliefs: helping animals to lead longer, healthier lives and providing safe, effective services to the animals, their owners, and animal industries.

READER COMMENTS

Here is the problem .Most dogs like mine never get sick or injured because they are inside ,outside dogs and do not come in contact with other animals.What they need is a combo shot every year and a rabies every 3rd year. In Maryland you could buy these shot combo's for $10 at Safeway and it came with a syringe and you gave it to your pet yourself.Simple , easy and the savings are huge.

These shots are sold wholesale throigh a place I know of for about $1.15 per shot or less depending on the quanity.

I have to pay my vet $60 to walk into his office and about $50 and up for shots.That is insane. the mark up is very expensive for people.They charge me $50 for something that cost them about $1.They charge me $60 to weigh and look at my dog ,give her a shot and that's it.You shouldn't have to go to school for that. All this takes about 15 mins. time and I pay at least $110.It's a huge rip off.

I'd love to see places open up where you can get shots for a reasonable price.

So your assumption is most if not all pet owners are stupid and, do not know how to provide proper care for thier companion fur babies. I also am to assume by your article, fur baby parents should not have the right to chose the care they believe is best ,or to request a second opinion. Its not as though we have insurance from our employers or recieve empathy when our fur babies need surgery, NO we get the usual redneck remark"its just a dumb animal." Perhaps you havent noticed parents of human babies,who recieve special attention,get second opinions and, some get my tax dollars to demand the best of care for thier kids,(evan if they are not legally in this country.) who sometimes are thrown out car windows,fall out of appartment windows,run over by thier own families vehicles, and yes even abused by thier own family members. Yet this happens time and time again and NOTHING IS DONE, FEW LAWS ARE APPLIED TO THE PARENTS OF THESE KIDS. Yet In the case you present, "the puppy with rabies" seems it was taken to a vet,(A VET I READ)puppies as you know come in contact with many people,after all they are cute and cudley much like a human baby. As a Vet one would think you would have a much greater concern such as, puppies in pet stores that come from puppymills and byb, which are far more likely to become sick,die, or at the least cost thousands of dollars to care for(I know I made the mistake) also I would think you would care more about those byb and pm puppies that are no longer cute and end up in the shelters with far more problems then something you can charge several more hundred dollars for to treat(thats right ask me I know.)I would think you would have a greater cause like changing the puppymill,byb,designer breeding laws to prevent far more problems that are treatable with current medications, help those who are used as bait(who are left to bleed to death,or die from pus wounds from baiting.) I have a puppymill and byb dog, also two who have lost thier cuteness of puppyhood. You sicken me with your thoughtless selfish greed, just as much as those who do bybing, and those who need the puppy and overlook the 1year and older dog in the shelter who will DIE because everyone wants a puppy to as one put it "start fresh" If you want to address anyone, address the weak who cannot help the left behind ones WHO WERE ONCE PUPPIES THEMSELVES, RAISED BY THOSE WHO JUST WANT PUPPIES.

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