Policies and position statements
Policies, position statements and guidelines
Our policies, guidelines and position statements are backed by science. They outline our agreed principles and provide a platform from which the NZVA can advocate for the profession to influence legislation, educate our members and the public, and more.
The NZVA Veterinary Team develops the documents in collaboration with our Special Interest Branches (SIBs) and key stakeholders. Following consultation with NZVA members, the documents are sent to the Policy Advisory Committee (PAC) and, if necessary, the NZVA Board for review and approval.
If you need more information on a particular topic, please contact nzva@vets.org.nz.
Avian
- Policy: Euthanasia of Avian Patients
- Member Technical Note: Euthanasia of Avian Patients
- Policy: Flight Restriction in Birds
- Policy: Intensive housing systems for laying hens
Cattle
- Policy: Bobby calves and restricted veterinary medicines, including dry cow therapy
- Position Statement: Bull mating ability testing
- Policy: Cattle disbudding and dehorning
- Policy: Cattle parturition induction
- Policy: Cattle tail docking
- Policy: Intra-ruminal Injection
- Policy: Production animal embryo transfer
- Policy: Teat Occlusion
- Policy: Ultrasound trans-rectal pregnancy examinations
Companion animal
- Policy: Behaviour modifying collar use on dogs
- Policy: Cat and dog desexing
- Member Technical Note: Cat and dog desexing
- Position Statement: Companion Animal Selective Breeding
- Policy: Euthanasia of Cats and Dogs
- Member Technical Note: Euthanasia of Cats and Dogs
- Position Statement: Euthanasia or Destruction of Stray Cats
- Member Technical Note: Euthanasia or Destruction of Stray Cats
- Policy: First Digit Amputation in Dogs
- Guideline: Renal Transplantation in Cats
- Policy: Responsible Companion Cat Ownership
- Member Technical Note: Responsible Companion Cat Ownership
- Position Statement: Responsible Dog Ownership
- Member Technical Note: Responsible Dog Ownership
- Position statement: Safe Dogs
- Policy: Vaccine Use in Cats and Dogs
- Member Technical Note: Vaccine Use in Cats and Dogs
Deer
- Policy: Velvet antler removal
Equine
- Policy: Bleeders (exercise induced pulmonary haemorrhage)
- Position Statement: Distal Limb Neurectomy of Horses
- Policy: Firing of Horses’ Legs
- Position Statement: Medication of Performance Horses
- Position Statement: Per Rectal Ultrasound Pregnancy Diagnosis of Horses
- Position Statement: Racing Two-Year Old Horses
- Policy: Use Of Whips in Racing and Other Equestrian Events
General welfare
- Policy: Castration of Cryptorchids
- Policy: Electro-immobilisation
- Policy: Leptospirosis
- Policy: Pain and Its Alleviation
- Policy: Permanent identification
- Guideline: Microchip technology for radio frequency identification of animals
- Guideline: Database storage of microchip information for animals
- Guideline: Freeze branding of dogs
- Guideline: Freeze branding in cattle
- Position Statement: Rodeo
- Recommended best practice: Rodeo Veterinarians
- Position Statement: Sentience
- Policy: Surgical alteration to the natural state of animals
- Position Statement: The Sale and Use of Fireworks
- Position Statement: Use of 1080 for pest control
- Policy: Wild and feral mammal control
One Health
- Position Statement: One Health
- Member Technical Note: One Health
Pig
- Position Statement: Housing of growing pigs (post-weaning)
- Position Statement: Housing of lactating sows indoors
- Position Statement: Sow housing at mating
Professional behaviour
- Guideline: Clinical records and radiographs
- Policy: Employment of new veterinary graduates
- Guideline: Employment of new veterinary graduates
- Policy: Referrals
- Policy: The use of complementary and alternative treatments by veterinarians
- Policy: Veterinary practice newsletters
- Position Statement: Working with non-veterinarians
- Member Technical Note: Working with Non-Veterinarians
- Member Technical Note: Equine dentistry
Transport
- Policy: Transport of Livestock
- Member Technical Note: Transport of Livestock
- Policy: Export of live animals
Veterinary medicines
- Policy: Copper
- Policy: Selenium
- Policy: Judicious use of antimicrobials
- Guideline: Judicious use of antimicrobials
- Recommended best practice: Veterinary Authorisation and Dispensing