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Veterinary homeopathy is in the spotlight in Britain, with campaigners petitioning the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons (RCVS) to blacklist homeopathy from the treatments vets are allowed to offer animals and their owners.

Another campaign is calling for the RCVS to come into line with Britain’s National Health Service and make a public statement about veterinary homeopathy. The Campaign for Rational Veterinary Medicine is not asking for a ban, but that animal owners should be able to make a more informed decision about what homeopathy is and the evidence surrounding it.

As well as the public statement, the campaign’s other points are:

Vets who prescribe homeopathic remedies are required to get owners to sign a consent form, prepared by the College, giving the College’s views on the ineffectiveness of homeopathy.

Veterinary surgeons must abide by the Advertising Standards Authority regulations concerning the advertising of medical treatments.

Advertising or promotion of homeopathy by a veterinary surgeon is accompanied by an abbreviated version of the RCVS position statement.

The petition calling for a ban on homeopathics argues that as homeopathy has no effect beyond placebo, it could be considered that the use of it is not a cause for concern. “However we believe the use of homeopathic remedies by veterinary surgeons is potentially dangerous for several reasons”, an open letter to the RCVS said.

“The biggest danger of homeopathy is not that the remedies are ineffective, but that some homeopaths are of the opinion that their therapies can substitute for genuine medical treatment. This is at best misleading, and at worst may lead to unnecessary suffering and death.”

The petition to ban vets from prescribing homeopathy as a treatment for animals is here.