169.3  Definitions.
  When used in this chapter:
  1.  “Accepted livestock management practice” includes but is not limited to:  Dehorning, castration, docking, vaccination, pregnancy testing, clipping swine needle teeth, ear notching, drawing of blood, relief of bloat, draining of abscesses, branding, and other surgical acts of no greater magnitude; artificial insemination, collecting of semen, implanting of growth hormones, feeding commercial feed defined in section 198.3, or administration or prescription of drugs performed by the owner or contract-feeder thereof of livestock, a bona fide employee, or anyone rendering gratuitous assistance with respect to such livestock. Nothing contained herein shall be construed to permit any person except those persons enumerated in this subsection, to provide purportedly gratuitous assistance with regard to the treatment of animals other than advisory assistance, in return for the purchase of goods or services.
  2.  “Accredited or approved college of veterinary medicine” means any veterinary college or division of a university or college that offers the degree of doctor of veterinary medicine or its equivalent and that conforms to the standards required for accreditation or approval by the board.
  3.  a.  “Animal” means any nonhuman primate, dog, cat, rabbit, rodent, fish, reptile, livestock as defined in section 717.1, or other vertebrate or nonvertebrate life form, living or dead.
  b.  “Livestock” includes a group of livestock such as a herd or flock.
  4.  a.  “Animal massage” means a method of treating the body of an animal for relaxation or hygienic purposes through techniques, with or without the aid of a massage device, that include rubbing, stroking, or kneading the body of the animal.
  b.  “Animal massage” does not include acupuncture, chiropractic care, diagnosis, diagnostic treatment, prescription, or surgery.
  5.  “Board” means the Iowa board of veterinary medicine.
  6.  “ECFVG certificate” means a current certificate issued by the American veterinary medical association educational commission for foreign veterinary graduates, indicating that the holder has demonstrated knowledge and skill equivalent to that possessed by a graduate of an accredited or approved college of veterinary medicine.
  7.  “Fee” means monetary compensation given for a service consisting primarily of an act or acts described in subsection 11, paragraph “a”.
  8.  “Licensed veterinarian” means a person who is validly and currently licensed to practice veterinary medicine in the state of Iowa.
  9.  “Owner” means any person, association, partnership, corporation, or other legal entity in whom is vested the ownership, dominion over, or title to an animal, including one who is obligated by law to care for such animal.
  10.  “Person” means natural person or individual.
  11.  a.  “Practice of veterinary medicine” means any of the following:
  (1)  To diagnose, treat, correct, change, relieve or prevent, for a fee, any animal disease, deformity, defect, injury or other physical or mental conditions or cosmetic surgery; including the prescription or administration of any drug, medicine, biologic, apparatus, application, anesthetic, or other therapeutic or diagnostic substance or technique, for a fee; or to evaluate or correct sterility or infertility, for a fee; or to render, advise or recommend with regard to any of the above for a fee.
  (2)  To represent, directly or indirectly, publicly or privately, an ability or willingness to do an act described in subparagraph (1).
  (3)  To use any title, words, abbreviation, or letters in a manner or under circumstances which induce the belief that the person using them is qualified to do any act described in subparagraph (1).
  (4)  The performance or use of complementary, alternative, or integrative therapies including veterinary acupuncture, acutherapy, acupressure, manipulative therapy based on techniques practiced in osteopathy and chiropractic medicine, or other similar therapies as specified by rule adopted by the board.
  b.  “Practice of veterinary medicine” does not include providing authorized veterinary medical services to an animal patient by veterinary auxiliary personnel when performing a delegated task under the supervision of a supervising veterinarian as provided in subchapter II.
  12.  “Veterinarian” means a person who has received a doctor of veterinary medicine degree or its equivalent from an accredited or approved college of veterinary medicine.
  13.  “Veterinary medicine” includes veterinary surgery, veterinary obstetrics, veterinary dentistry, and all other branches or specialties of veterinary medicine.
[S13, §2538-m; C24, 27, 31, 35, 39, §2764, 2765; C46, 50, 54, 58, 62, 66, 71, 73, 75, 77, §169.1, 169.2; C79, 81, §169.3]
83 Acts, ch 115, §2; 2023 Acts, ch 155, §1 – 4, 24
Referred to in §717C.1
Further definitions; see §159.1
2023 amendments to section by 2023 Acts, ch 155, effective July 1, 2024; 
2023 Acts, ch 155, §24
Section amended and editorially internally renumbered