Louisiana's Principles of Veterinary Medical Ethics of the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA)
III. THE VETERINARIAN - CLIENT – PATIENT
RELATIONSHIP
A. The
veterinarian - client - patient relationship (VCPR) is the basis for
interaction among veterinarians, their clients, and their patients. A VCPR exists when all of the following
conditions have been met:
(1) The
veterinarian has assumed responsibility for making clinical judgments regarding
the health of the animal(s) and the need for medical treatment, and the client
has agreed to follow the veterinarian’s instructions.
(2) The
veterinarian has sufficient knowledge of the animal(s) to initiate at least a
general or preliminary diagnosis of the medical condition of the
animal(s). This means that the
veterinarian has recently seen and is personally acquainted with the keeping
and care of the animal(s) by virtue of an examination of the animal(s), or by
medically appropriate and timely visits to the premises where the animal(s) are
kept.