PAC Meeting:
Agenda Item:
3.1 Surgical alteration to the natural state of animals
Policy
Surgical alteration to the natural state of an animal is acceptable only if it is necessary for the health and welfare of the animal concerned and any behavioural needs of the animal are addressed. Performance of any surgical procedure for other than legitimate medical reasons is unacceptable.
Background
Many surgical procedures are performed on animals for valid health, welfare and management reasons. Surgical procedures that may be performed on animals which not only do not benefit the health and welfare of the animal but may actually be detrimental, include but are not limited to declawing of cats, dogs and ferrets, routine dewclaw removal in dogs, tail docking in dogs, ear cropping, debarking of dogs, venomoid surgery in snakes, tail docking in cattle and demusking of ferrets.
Some of these procedures have been traditionally carried out by people who aren’t veterinarians without due regard to the health and welfare of the animal. All these procedures are painful, and the consequences of the procedure may adversely affect the animal’s health and welfare.
Surgical procedures should be reviewed frequently by the profession, based on veterinary, scientific and ethological considerations. Reviews should not be based solely on sentiment or economics, or be influenced by personal bias and should consider:

the probability of undesirable events occurring without surgical prophylaxis;

the prognosis regarding the success of the prophylactic procedure; and

use of alternative non-surgical procedures that may provide superior or equivalent outcomes.
In some situations surgical intervention is justified as being the only alternative to euthanasia
– for example debarking. The behavioural concerns causing the barking behaviour also must be addressed.
When surgical intervention is necessary, but is a result of adverse physical characteristics produced by breeding, the veterinary profession has an obligation to:

notify breeders;

strongly recommend desexing of these affected animals;

encourage breeders to use their skills to return animals to a natural physiognomy; andattempt to change factors, such as breed standards, that encourage propagation of undesirable traits.
Previous policies now incorporated in this policy
6.8 Tail docking and ear cropping of dogs
6.9 Debarking of dogs
Proposed by:
SIG: ASAVA
Date Draft 1: 7 October 2014
Amended by:
Date Amended: 14 April 2020 (automatic – do not enter)
Page 1

PAC Meeting:
Agenda Item:
3.1 Surgical alteration to the natural state of animals
6.10 Claw removal in dogs, cats and ferrets
6.11 Demusking of ferrets
14.15 Venomoid surgery in snakes
Other relevant policies and position statements
8.3 Tail docking of cattle
10.1 Pizzle dropping
6.7 Desexing (surgical)
10.6 Mulesing
12.1 Beak trimming of commercial poultry
Date of ratification by AVA Board: February 2009
Proposed by:
SIG: ASAVA
Date Draft 1: 7 October 2014
Amended by:
Date Amended: 14 April 2020 (automatic – do not enter)
Page 2