Can a veterinarian refuse to treat an animal?

Answer 1

It depends, a vet can refuse to treat any animal unless the animal is in severe pain and distress and desperately needs treatment. Otherwise the vet can refuse to do anything they are not comfortable with.

Answer 2

It depends on the type of animal shelter. Private shelters generally have more ability to refuse animals, as they are run with private money and can set their own rules. County shelters usually take most animals unless they have no room to safety house the animals in a healthy fashion. Also, if a shelter is not set up to properly house a particular animal (for example, a county dog shelter is usuallly not capable of caring for a large snake), then the shelter could refuse to accept the animal.

Answer 3

Yes, a veterinarian can refuse to treat an animal because, unlike in human medicine, there is no legal requirement for treatment. The two most common reasons a veterinarian will refuse to treat an animal are lack of owner ability to pay for treatment and inexperience with the species or condition.

Veterinarians have to make a living too, with most being small business owners, and unfortunately some people will take advantage of veterinarians and expect them to work for free. If an owner has a history of not paying for treatments, a veterinarian will sometimes say they will not see any of that person's animals until the bill is paid in full (if there is a remaining balance) and/or require partial or full payment in cash or credit up front from that owner.

Veterinarians will also sometimes refuse to treat an animal out of concern that he/she may make the animal's condition worse. It is becoming more common for veterinarians to specialize, usually by species but also by condition. There are veterinarians who specialize in treating just cats, or have advanced training in surgery or treating cancer. For instance, a veterinarian who has treated only cats for the last ten years at a specialty clinic may refuse to treat a snake because that veterinarian doesn't have any training or experience with treating snakes. Usually in these situations the veterinarian who is refusing to treat will help the owner find a veterinarian who could see the animal (for instance, find a vet who specializes or focuses on treating reptiles).

In most cases, a veterinarian who refuses to treat an animal but knows that the animal is suffering may offer to euthanize the animal for free (or a small fee to cover the supplies) specifically for humane reasons. This is common in small animal emergency clinics, where well-intentioned people will bring unowned or stray animals in with severe injuries (such as an animal that was hit by a car) but not have the money to treat the animal. Every effort is made to find an owner (scan for microchips, check for a collar or ID tag), but if an animal is suffering and there is no one who can afford to pay for treatment, often the only option is to euthanize the animal.

Answer 4

Yes, a vet has the legal right to not treat an animal. However, once a vet has started treating the animal, they must continue to treat the animal or send it to another vet.

Answer 5

Laws differ from state to state but I think the general rule is as follows: If a vet suspects abuse he is obligated at least morally to report it to the proper authorities.

Answer 6

Yes, a veterinarian can refuse to treat an animal, although I don't know why the animal having a couch would affect a vet's decision to treat.