Background:
The Ontario Ministry of Agriculture Food and Agribusiness has begun to modernize the Province’s veterinary professionals Act and Regulations. As a part of that modernization effort the Transitional Council of the College of Veterinary Professionals of Ontario (CVPO) consulted with professionals whose disciplines may intersect with animal health and care.
Traditional Chinese Medicine and Acupuncture (TCM&A) is one such profession that can offer a range of treatment to animals including, but not limited to, relieving pain, assisting in recovery from injury or illness, reducing stress and improving mobility related issues.
Already, veterinary medicine includes the use of the skills and modalities of chiropractors, pharmacists and other registered practitioners to help their animal patients recover from illness and injury and to maintain wellness.
Similarly Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) and Acupuncture can benefit animal health.
It makes good sense that the services of registered TCM&A practitioners, who have a minimum of more than 2000 hours of education and training, can be applied to animal care and expand the range of services provided by veterinary clinics. Providing a few hours of acupuncture or TCM training to a veterinarian will not provide the same level of care or safety, nor would it be likely that veterinarians, who have already gone through hundreds of hours of schooling, want to invest three or more years in school learning TCM&A.
Since becoming a regulated profession in Ontario more than a decade ago, TCM&A has become an increasingly important part of human healthcare and much of what can be applied to people can also be used to help animals.
The issue:
The CVPO did engage in consultation with representatives of professions that have a role to play in animal rehabilitation. As one of the Associations that represent such a profession, TCMO engaged in a comprehensive discussion that included recommendations that would ensure quality animal care, based in safety and continuing to allow consumer choice in veterinary care.
Our conversations with the CVPO focused on the area of animal rehabilitation and the role that acupuncture performed by a registered TCM&A professional offered superior results and patient outcomes over acupuncture performed by a profession with less specific training.
The CVPO recently submitted Regulatory Concept Recommendations to OMAFA.
However, we note that there is no significant alteration or adjustment to the status quo of the tenets and processes that were evident before the Modernization effort was undertaken. That is to say specifically, that although TCM&A professionals are duly registered, qualified and competent to perform acupuncture, the CVPO continues to deny consumer choice and access to
veterinary care by not allowing TCM&A professionals the ability to participate in animal rehabilitation.
The solution:
TCMO urges OMAFA to encourage the CVPO to reengage in meaningful consultations to allow increase opportunities for better animal rehabilitation. Furthermore TCMO recommends that the CVPO recognize TCM&A practitioners and establish access to training programs that will further enhance veterinary medicine using TCM&A methods.
For more information, please contact:
Katrina Dollano, Vice-President, TCMO: katrina.dollano@tcmo.ca
Heather Kenny, President, TCMO: heather.kenny@tcmo.ca