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In May 2020, the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service APHIS published a new regulation often known as the Licensing Rule APHIS-2017-0062. This rule updates the requirements for mntning an animal welfare license under the Animal Welfare Act and introduces new guidelines concerning water provision and veterinary care specifically for dogs.
The primary requirement of this rule is that all licensed facilities must collaborate with their atting veterinarian to develop a comprehensive written program of veterinary care for their canine charges. This applies even if full-time veterinary staff are on-site at the facility. The revised regulations also mandate mntning medical records for each dog within these establishments.
The updated rules surrounding veterinary care can be found in ยง3.13 3.67 MB of the Animal Welfare Regulations document.
The Written Program of Veterinary Care must include:
A scheduled, annual visit by the atting veterinarian to ensure oversight of animal health and welfare conditions.
The purpose of these visits is for the atting veterinarian to familiarize themselves with the animals' and facilities' conditions so they can provide adequate veterinary care oversight and verify compliance with established protocols.
The frequency and schedule of these visits are at the discretion of the atting veterinarian, but annual inspections are the minimum requirement under this rule. Additional on-site visits might be necessary in cases of illness or injury, disease outbreaks, caretaker trning, or for proper animal introduction.
A thorough physical examination of each dog, conducted by the atting veterinarian not less than once every year to assess their health and well-being.
Vaccination schedules agnst contagious diseases like parvovirus, distemper, and rabies must be adhered to because these are significant threats for canine health. Additional vaccinations may also apply deping on local conditions and professional recommations.
A schedule detling parasite management, including regular sampling and treatments for fleas, worms, coccidia, giardia, and other internal parasites.
A preventive care program ensuring that each dog has a healthy coat, appropriately trimmed nls, clean ears, skin, and teeth.
Key points to note about this written program are:
Facilities can reuse an existing program as long as its practices are still in use during the application for a new three-year license.
Any changes made to the veterinary care protocols necessitate updating of the written program accordingly.
Medical Records
Facilities must keep all medical records pertning to their dogs and make them avlable during inspections. These records should include identification detls, routine husbandry procedures e.g., vaccinations, treatments, as well as any issues related to clinical care.
Group or herd records can suffice provided they contn all required information for each dog's treatment or care history.
Wolf-Hybrids
The Animal Welfare Regulations classify dog as including any crossbreed between dogs and wolves, such as wolf-hybrids. Facilities must comply with the same requirements as specified for purebred dogs when it comes to health checks like annual physical exams. The use of sedation might be necessary in certn situations due to handling difficulties that are specific to wolf-hybrid crosses.
Additional Resources
For more information on flea control, heartworm disease management, internal parasites prevention, please refer to the following resources:
Flea Control for Dogslink
Heartworm Disease in Dogslink
Intestinal Parasites in Dogslink
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This article is reproduced from: https://www.aphis.usda.gov/animal-welfare/attending-veterinarians/veterinary-care-new-rule
Please indicate when reprinting from: https://www.o058.com/Pet_Hospital_Animal_Hospital/AWA_Dog_Vet_Care_Licensing_Rule_2020.html
Animal Welfare Licensing Requirements Update 2020 Updated Veterinary Care Guidelines Dogs Annual Veterinarian Visits for Canines New Medical Record Keeping Policy Compliance with APHIS Licensing Rule Dog Health Checks Vaccinations Schedules