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ABOUT THE VBMA
The Veterinary Botanical Medicine Association was established by Susan Wynn, DVM, CVA, CVCH, AHG in 2002. A list of current VBMA Board Members can be found on our VBMA Board page.
VBMA Goals
1. To represent member veterinarians and herbalists as political and professional issues arise
2. To establish standards of training and herbal training programs and to identify established programs with the goal of developing or reviewing certification standards and Degree Programs in Herbal Medicine
3. To support ethical scientific clinical research in herbal veterinary medicine and maintain avenues for exploration of traditional care in veterinary botanical medicine
4. To explore cultural traditions such as TCM, Greek/western herbalism and Ayurveda for their proper translation to and application in modern day animal conditions and communicate these
5. To compile databases of existing science; ethnoveterinary medicine advances; and eventually a library online
6. To liaise with manufacturers so that they have an expert body to advise them on the needs of veterinary herbalists and quality control concerns
7. To support sustainable environmental, agricultural and husbandry practices
VMBA Purpose
The Veterinary Botanical Medicine Association is a group of veterinarians and herbalists dedicated to developing responsible herbal practice by encouraging research and education, strengthening industry relations, keeping herbal tradition alive as a valid information source, and increasing professional acceptance of herbal medicine for animals.
VBMA Bylaws & Related Documents
To view the bylaws of the Veterinary Botanical Medicine Association, CLICK HERE.
To view the VBMA Constitution, CLICK HERE.
To view our Advisory Board Charter, CLICK HERE.
Certification of Competency
The VBMA seeks to provide animal owners, farmers, and veterinarians with some standard of competency by which to choose a veterinary herbalist. For certification by VBMA, the herbalist must pass a competency examination with a grade of 75%. In addition, the herbalist must submit and have accepted 3 case reports that are publication quality. Veterinarians certified by VBMA will earn the title "Certified Veterinary Herbalist". Non-veterinary herbalists will earn the title "Certified Veterinary Herbalism Educator".
For more information on obtaining your certification, please CLICK HERE.
CURRENT MEMBERS: for details regarding our long-term goals, please view our STRATEGIC PLAN.
VBMA Members on an herb/garden walk on our 2019 International Ecotour in the Scottish Highlands.
VBMA Endorses Quality Herbal Products
VBMA recognizes that the herbal product industry has faced quality control and regulatory challenges, and we recommend supporting those companies attempting to self regulate in a meaningful way. Companies that manufacture herbal products marketed for humans should be members of the American Herbal Products Association, an industry organization which explores issues, interacts with regulators, and establishes policy. Veterinary product companies should be members of the National Animal Supplement Council, an organization which develops policies and procedures on adverse event reporting and quality control.
All content © Veterinary Botanical Medicine Association (VBMA) 2021.
The VBMA is not affiliated with the American College of Veterinary Botanical Medicine (ACVBM).
Important Message For Pet Owners
The VBMA does not endorse any products sold on the internet for self prescribing to animals. We believe in the interests of safety that any herb should always be prescribed by a qualified practitioner. There are companies using our name with the suggestion that we endorse their recommendations or products. We specifically DO NOT support any website that unethically sells herbs to the public for non prescribed use in animals. If you are in any doubt as to the authenticity of a claim made on a website about VBMA, please contact us at office@vbma.org. You may use the 'find a veterinarian' link on our site menu to find a qualified practitioner near you.