Raw food diet stirs controversy, new AVMA president and vice president elected in San Diego

Raw food diets, pharmacy ethics, and president and vice presidentpositions were discussed and voted on at the annual American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) House of Delegates (HOD) meeting in San Diego on Aug. 3.

The first proposed amendment would have included this additional paragraph at the end of the current

The AVMA recognizes that some people prefer to feed raw or undercooked animal-source protein to their pets. The AVMA recommendsthat veterinarians inform pet owners of potential risks and educate them onhow to best mitigate the risk of pathogen exposure in both handlingthe food and in managing pets consuming undercooked or rawanimal-source protein diets.

When incoming AVMA President Douglas Aspros, DVM, opened the floor to objections and comments, Robert Groskin, DVM, of the Association ofAvian Veterinarians voiced his concerns.

“Would a medical doctor tell his patients not to smoke but then tell them, ‘If you are going to smoke, only smoke unfiltered cigarettes,’ or ‘Only smoke so many cigarettes a day'?" Groskin says. “The goal is to state that raw and undercooked food are unhealthy period.”

After the discussion, the HOD voted down this proposal with a majorityvote of 66.6 percent against the amendment. The second amendmentchanged the existing statement “Never feed inadequately treated animal-source protein to cats and dogs” to “Avoid feeding inadequately treated animal-source protein to cats and dogs.”

This amendment passed with a majority vote of 91.9 percent in favor ofthe change. The HOD voted once more on the raw-food policy and thefinal outcome was 90.9 percent in favor of the amended resolution.

The HOD also voted on a

This resolution passed with a vote of 90.5 percent in support of theamendment.

The AVMA says it supports the clients’ right to have theirprescriptions filled wherever they choose and encourages veterinariansto honor clients’ request for written prescriptions, as stated in itsPrinciples of Veterinary Medical Ethics.

In an uncontested election, the HOD elected Clark Fobian, DVM, owner ofThompson Hills Animal Clinic in Sedalia, Mo., president-elect. Fobianserved in the U.S. Army Reserve as a medic for the 5503 Army Hospitalfrom 1972 to 1978 and graduated from the University ofMissouri-Columbia College of Veterinary Medicine in Columbia, Mo., in1977.

The HOD elected Walter Threlfall, DVM, a theriogenology consultant whotaught for almost 40 years at The Ohio State University College of Veterinary Medicine in Columbus, Ohio, to the office of vice president. A younger female veterinarian escorted Threlfall to the podium at the front of the room. Threlfall said he wanted to “show a contrast … but not really.” Threlfall says he still has the same enthusiasm for the profession as he did when he was just starting out. He will begin his official duties as AVMA vice president on Aug. 7 and serve a two-year term.

Check out the remaining AVMA election results below.

• George Bishop, DVM: Elected to second term on House Advisory Committee.
• Ken Bartels, DVM: Elected to second term on House Advisory Committee.

• Mike Topper, DVM: Re-elected to House Advisory Committee for second term.

• Gay Gira, DVM: Elected to Council on Veterinary Services.

• Stephan Schaefbauer, DVM: Elected to Council on Public Health & Regulatory Veterinary Medicine.

• Joanna Davis, DVM: Elected to Council on Public Health & Regulatory Veterinary Medicine.

• Billy Martindale, DVM: Elected to AVMA Council on Education.

• Patrick Farrell, DVM: Elected to AVMA Council on Education.

• Mary Beth Leininger, DVM: Elected to AVMA Council on Education.

• Edward Wakem, DVM: Elected to AVMA Council on Biological and Therapeutic agents.