Guidelines and standards

On this page:

Our standards

Our standards set out what is expected of veterinarians. All veterinarians in New Zealand must meet these standards.

• Minimum Standards for Practising as a Veterinarian Notice
• Code of Professional Conduct for Veterinarians
• Competency Standards and Performance Indicators for Veterinarians

Our statements

Statements provide more detailed requirements for veterinarians on specific issues. Veterinarians must comply with them.

• Health practitioners undertaking surgical procedures on animals
• Compounding veterinary medicines
• Discretionary use of human and veterinary medicines
• Cattle disbudding and dehorning by non-veterinarians
• Authorisation of Dry Cow Therapy
• Manufacturing of veterinary medicines

Our guidance

Guidance is prepared to help veterinarians deal with specific issues in practice. It presents a good way of applying professional standards but this may not be the only way. Veterinarians can safely rely on our guidance but they do not have to follow it if they believe another approach is better, provided it complies with our standards and statements and they apply good professional judgment. Because our guidance is specific, it won’t apply in every situation.

• Guidance on anaesthetic monitoring
• Dealing with cases of suspected or actual animal abuse and family violence
• Social media guide
• Guidance on maintaining New Zealand’s biosecurity
• List of non-consented human medicines used by veterinarians
• Mentoring Guidelines

Other guidance for veterinarians

Here is some additional guidance for veterinarians from other sources.

• NZVA policy on the transport of livestock (declaration (certificate) pads can be purchased from the NZVA here)
• Office of Radiation Safety Code of Safe Practice for the use of x-rays in veterinary diagnosis
• NZVA Guide to Veterinary Authorising (Prescribing) and Dispensing
• NZVA Vets Wellbeing Publication

COVID-19 specific guidance and standards

The following documents were created to set expectations and provide guidance during the COVID-19 lockdown (Alert Levels 3 and 4). New Zealand is currently at Alert Level 1 and these guidance and standards documents do not apply. They are published here for reference purposes.

• Joint statement on principles for operating at Alert Level 3
• Joint Statement on operating veterinary services at COVID-19 alert levels 3 and 4: developed in consultation between MPI, VCNZ, NZVA and the School of Veterinary Science, Massey University, this document sets out how to decide what work is essential during the lockdown period
• Guidance on assessing emergency and urgent care during the COVID-19 pandemic
• Statement on Veterinary Medicines and Authorising at COVID-19 alert levels 3 and 4: includes the standards for the use of telemedicine to authorise medicines during the pandemic 
• Guidance for veterinarians on referral, supersession and second opinions during the COVID-19 pandemic
• Guidance on authorising dry cow antibiotic therapy and internal teat sealant during COVID-19