Kansas Veterinarians: Are You Putting Your Professional License at Risk?

The Kansas Board of Veterinary Examiners (Board) is the licensing agency for Kansas practitioners of veterinary medicine. The mission of the Board is not to protect its licensees, but rather, to protect the public’s health, safety and welfare as it relates to the practice of veterinary medicine. Licensees who fail to meet the professional conduct standards risk the Board taking disciplinary action. Disciplinary measures can range from a reprimand to a revocation of the practitioner’s license. The following are some of the most common acts that have put a veterinarian’s license at risk:

  1. Cruelty or inhumane treatment of animals: A licensee who is found to have provided any animal with cruel or inhumane treatment may not only face state criminal charges, but may also risk losing his or her license.
  2. Practicing without a license: A licensee can find oneself in hot water if he or she does not timely renew his or her license. A licensee who continues to practice veterinary medicine with an expired license is in fact practicing without a license. It is always a good idea to mark your calendar so you do not miss the deadline to renew your license.
  3. Controlled Substance Abuse: A licensee struggling with alcohol or drug addiction risks not only providing substandard care to his or her patients, but also increases the chances of having his or her license suspended or revoked.
  4. Any Felony Conviction: Even if the felony is not related to a licensee’s practice, a conviction can be cause for the Board to take disciplinary action against the licensee.
  5. Creating unreal or unjustified expectations: In the world of veterinary medicine, there is a fine line between being optimistic about a patient’s perceived success rate based on a certain course of drug therapy or after a surgical procedure and creating unjustified expectations for the client. Promising a cure or a specific result can lead to disappointed clients and subsequent complaints made to the Board.
  6. Extending the practice of veterinary medicine to humans: Recently a licensee in another state was charged with providing medical care to humans. Of course, a licensee is free to provide emergency care or first aid to persons, but a licensee’s practice must be limited to animals.
  7. Drug or substance abuse related convictions: Conviction of more than one misdemeanor or for any felony conviction that involves use or consumption of a controlled substance for a non-medically related purpose is considered to be “unprofessional conduct” and can subject a licensee to discipline.
  8. Providing animal with drugs for a non-medically sound reason: Causing an animal to receive a controlled substance for solely training, showing or racing purposes is a violation of the professional ethics.

If you have received notice from the Kansas Board of Veterinary Examiners that you are the subject of an investigation, contact the Sanger Law Office today at 785-979-4353. The Sanger Law Office will work with you to make sure that you understand your rights and that everything necessary is done to protect your license. Call the Sanger Law Office today to schedule your free and completely confidential consultation.

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