CHAPTER 384
VETERINARY MEDICINE
Table of Contents
Sec. 20-197. License required. Practice defined.
Sec. 20-198. Qualifications for examination. Approved schools. Denial of eligibility for licensure.
Sec. 20-200. Issuance of license or temporary permit to persons licensed to practice in another state or territory.
Sec. 20-197. License required. Practice defined. No person shall practice veterinary medicine, surgery or dentistry until he has obtained a license as provided in section
20-199. A person shall be construed to practice veterinary medicine, surgery or dentistry,
within the meaning of this chapter, who holds himself out as being able to diagnose,
administer biologics for, treat, operate or prescribe for any animal or bird disease, pain,
injury, deformity or physical condition, or who either offers or undertakes, by any means
or methods, to diagnose, administer biologics for, treat, operate or prescribe for any
animal or bird disease, pain, injury, deformity or physical condition. The euthanizing
of animals in accordance with applicable state and federal drug laws by the Connecticut
Humane Society, the floating of teeth in horses by persons experienced in that practice
and the performance of myofascial trigger point therapy by persons experienced in that
practice shall not be deemed to be the practice of veterinary medicine. For the purposes
of this section, "floating teeth" means using hand-held rasps to reduce or eliminate sharp
or uneven edges on a horse's upper and lower molars to avoid injury to the tongue and
cheeks and to improve chewing food, but does not include treating decay or tumors or
extracting teeth. For the purposes of this section, "myofascial trigger point therapy"
means the use of specific palpation, compression, stretching and corrective exercise
for promoting optimum athleticism, and "persons experienced in that practice" means
persons who, prior to October 1, 2003, have attended a minimum of two hundred hours of
classroom, lecture and hands-on practice in myofascial trigger point therapy, including
animal musculoskeletal anatomy and biomechanics, theory and application of animal
myofascial trigger point techniques, factors that habituate a presenting condition and
corrective exercise.
(1949 Rev., S. 4600; 1957, P.A. 360, S. 2; P.A. 79-262, S. 1; P.A. 81-57, S. 1, 2; P.A. 86-123, S. 3; P.A. 98-94; P.A.
03-277, S. 1; P.A. 04-109, S. 3; P.A. 05-288, S. 83.)
History: P.A. 79-262 replaced "and" following "condition" with "or"; P.A. 81-57 excluded the euthanizing of animals
from consideration as practice of veterinary medicine; P.A. 86-123 eliminated provision exempting poultry from provisions
of section; P.A. 98-94 excluded floating of teeth in horses by persons experienced in that practice from meaning of practice
of veterinary medicine; P.A. 03-277 excluded the performance of myofascial trigger point therapy by persons experienced
in that practice from the meaning of practicing veterinary medicine and defined "myofascial trigger point therapy" and
"persons experienced in that practice"; P.A. 04-109 made technical changes, effective May 21, 2004; P.A. 05-288 made
technical changes, effective July 13, 2005.
Sec. 20-198. Qualifications for examination. Approved schools. Denial of eligibility for licensure. (a) No person shall be granted a license to practice veterinary
medicine, surgery or dentistry until the department finds that such person (1) was graduated with the degree of doctor of veterinary medicine, or its equivalent, from a school of
veterinary medicine, surgery or dentistry which, at the time such person graduated, was
accredited by the American Veterinary Medical Association, or (2) if graduated from
a school located outside of the United States, its territories or Canada, has demonstrated
to the satisfaction of the department that such person has completed a degree program
equivalent in level, content and purpose to the degree of doctor of veterinary medicine
as granted by a school of veterinary medicine, surgery or dentistry that is accredited by
the American Veterinary Medical Association. No person who was graduated from a
school of veterinary medicine, surgery or dentistry that is not accredited by the American
Veterinary Medical Association and that is located outside the United States, its territories or Canada shall be granted a license unless such person has also received certification
from the Educational Commission for Foreign Veterinary Graduates or Program for the
Assessment of Veterinary Education Equivalence.
(b) The department may, under such regulations as the Commissioner of Public
Health may adopt, in accordance with chapter 54, with the advice and assistance of the
board, deny eligibility for licensure to a graduate of a school that has been found to
have provided fraudulent or inaccurate documentation regarding either the school's
educational program or the academic credentials of graduates of the school's program
or to have failed to meet educational standards prescribed in such regulations.
(1949 Rev., S. 4601, 4602; P.A. 80-484, S. 76, 176; P.A. 86-123, S. 4; P.A. 89-115, S. 2, 7; P.A. 93-381, S. 9, 39; P.A.
94-210, S. 26, 30; P.A. 95-257, S. 12, 21, 58; P.A. 03-252, S. 13; P.A. 05-272, S. 8.)
History: P.A. 80-484 essentially transferred powers previously held by board to department of health services, except
power to approve schools which requires health services commissioner's consent and deleted requirement that applicant
present "certification of good moral character, signed by two reputable citizens"; P.A. 86-123 revised qualifications for
licensure to distinguish between schools accredited by American Veterinary Medical Association and others approved by
board and added provision specifying circumstances under which eligibility for licensure may be denied; P.A. 89-115
added the requirement for certification from the Educational Commission for Foreign Veterinary Graduates of the American
Veterinary Medical Association for persons seeking a license who were educated outside the United States, its territories
or Canada; P.A. 93-381 replaced commissioner of health services with commissioner of public health and addiction services,
effective July 1, 1993; P.A. 94-210 amended Subdiv. (2) to approve degree programs deemed equivalent to programs
accredited by the American Veterinary Medical Association, effective June 9, 1994; P.A. 95-257 replaced Commissioner
and Department of Public Health and Addiction Services with Commissioner and Department of Public Health, effective
July 1, 1995; P.A. 03-252 added Program for the Assessment of Veterinary Education Equivalence and made technical
changes; P.A. 05-272 divided existing provisions into Subsecs. (a) and (b), amended Subsec. (a) to make technical changes,
to remove reference to schools "located in the United States, its territories or Canada" and to add prohibition re granting
of licenses to persons graduating from any school that is not accredited by the American Veterinary Medical Association,
and amended Subsec. (b) to add a reference to chapter 54 and make a technical change.
Sec. 20-200. Issuance of license or temporary permit to persons licensed to
practice in another state or territory. (a) Notwithstanding the provisions of section
20-198, the Department of Public Health may issue a license by endorsement to any
veterinarian of good professional character who is currently licensed and practicing
in some other state or territory, having requirements for admission determined by the
department to be at least equal to the requirements of this state, upon the payment of a
fee of four hundred fifty dollars to said department. Notwithstanding the provisions of
section 20-198, the department may, upon payment of a fee of four hundred fifty dollars,
issue a license without examination to a currently practicing, competent veterinarian in
another state or territory who (1) holds a current valid license in good professional
standing issued after examination by another state or territory that maintains licensing
standards which, except for examination, are commensurate with this state's standards,
and (2) has worked continuously as a licensed veterinarian in an academic or clinical
setting in another state or territory for a period of not less than five years immediately
preceding the application for licensure without examination. No license shall be issued
under this section to any applicant against whom professional disciplinary action is
pending or who is the subject of an unresolved complaint. The department shall inform
the board annually of the number of applications it receives for licensure under this
section.
(b) The Department of Public Health may issue a temporary permit to an applicant
for licensure without examination upon receipt of a completed application form, accompanied by the fee for licensure without examination, a copy of a current license from
another state of the United States, the District of Columbia or a commonwealth or territory subject to the laws of the United States, and a notarized affidavit attesting that the
license is valid and belongs to the person requesting notarization. Such temporary permit
shall be valid for a period not to exceed one hundred twenty calendar days and shall not
be renewable. The department shall not issue a temporary permit under this section to
any applicant against whom professional disciplinary action is pending, or who is the
subject of an unresolved complaint.
(1957, P.A. 360, S. 8; June, 1971, P.A. 8, S. 68; P.A. 80-484, S. 78, 176; P.A. 86-123, S. 6; P.A. 89-251, S. 107, 203;
P.A. 93-381, S. 9, 39; P.A. 95-125, S. 3, 6; 95-257, S. 12, 21, 58; P.A. 03-252, S. 14; P.A. 05-272, S. 9.)
History: 1971 act increased fee from seventy-five to one hundred fifty dollars; P.A. 80-484 transferred powers formerly
held by board to department of health services, allowed unconditional waiver of examination, deleting requirement for
practical examination of proficiency, required that applicants be of good "professional", rather than "moral", character,
replaced requirement for five years' experience with requirement that applicants be currently licensed and practicing and
added provisions forbidding issuance of license to person involved in disciplinary action or unresolved complaint and
requiring annual notification of number of applications received; P.A. 86-123 deleted provision requiring reciprocity for
the issuance of a license to out-of-state veterinarians and added provisions regarding licensure without examination of
out-of-state veterinarians; P.A. 89-251 increased the fee from one hundred fifty dollars to four hundred fifty dollars; P.A.
93-381 replaced department of health services with department of public health and addiction services, effective July 1,
1993; P.A. 95-125 increased from one hundred fifty to four hundred fifty dollars the fee for veterinarians from other
states who meet the requirements of Subdivs. (1) to (3), effective June 7, 1995; P.A. 95-257 replaced Commissioner and
Department of Public Health and Addiction Services with Commissioner and Department of Public Health, effective July
1, 1995; P.A. 03-252 replaced provision re issuance of license without examination with provision re issuance of license
by endorsement, deleted requirement of certificate from out-of-state board, deleted requirement that veterinarian graduate
from accredited school of veterinary medicine, surgery or dentistry and made technical changes; P.A. 05-272 designated
existing provisions as Subsec. (a), made a technical change therein and added Subsec. (b) authorizing the issuance of
temporary permits to veterinarians currently licensed and practicing in another state under certain circumstances.