Each time that you use a therapist such as a physiotherapist, a chiropractor which may include McTimoney, or an osteopath, they are actually required by law to ask the treating veterinary surgeon (your vet) for their permission to treat the animal.
When it comes to other complementary therapies carried out by a massage therapist, Bowen practitioner, Body works practitioner, TTouch practitioner etc, they are encouraged to inform the vet as it is considered good practice. 
Basically, if you ask someone to come and look at your horse, dog or cat, that person should always tell your vet. If they are only visiting to carry out a basic assessment or basic massage it is not obligatory, but still considered good practice.
There are two Acts that must be considered by a physiotherapist or in fact any person that is going to carry out any kind of work on your animal. These are The Veterinary Surgeons Act 1966 and Veterinary Surgery (Exemptions) Order 1962
These two Acts explain who may diagnose and treat animals.
The act of examination with the aim of giving a diagnosis of an ailment or disease is an act of veterinary surgery and may only be performed by a qualified and registered veterinary surgeon. Once the diagnosis has been made, the veterinary surgeon may then pass the treatment on to a suitably qualified person, i.e. a veterinary physiotherapist.
There are two pieces of law which are relevant to veterinary physiotherapy and your chosen therapist should abide by them.
The Veterinary Surgeons Act 1966, Section 19 restricts the practice of veterinary surgery to registered members of the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons subject to a number of exceptions.
Additionally, the Veterinary Surgery (Exemptions) Order 1962 Section 4(a) states that any treatment by physiotherapy given to an animal by a person must be under the direction (i.e. prescription) of a veterinary surgeon. The Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons has interpreted physiotherapy as any manual therapy, which also includes, but is not restricted to, osteopathy and chiropracty. This does not include aromatherapy or acupuncture.
It is the act of physiotherapy that is referred to in the 1962 Order, not that it must be carried out by a physiotherapist (which is a protected title).
As such, it is important that a veterinary physiotherapist only treats an animal after referral from a veterinary surgeon. By treatment, we mean physiotherapy targeted at an already diagnosed condition, with the purpose of curing or improving that condition. A veterinary physiotherapist may perform a general massage etc on an animal with the owner’s permission for reasons of an approach to improve the animal’s flexibility and movement, such as ‘toning up’. If an animal is presented with an injury or condition that might need attention from a veterinary surgeon, then the animal should be referred back to the veterinary surgeon for investigation. Only a veterinary surgeon can diagnose a disease or condition in an animal and prescribe the necessary treatment.
With all cases of general massage, it is generally considered ‘good practice’ to inform the client’s usual vet as well as obtaining consent. This also gives the opportunity to discuss the animal, and may even highlight a previous injury that has been previously forgotten from the animal’s treatment history. This could be important when it comes to the therapist putting together a bespoke treatment plan. 
What does this mean to me and my animal?
The problem that we face is that there are many therapists out there that are actually practising illegally! They don’t ask the vet if they can treat, they may be using techniques or even equipment that they are not qualified or trained to use, or even worse, they aren’t actually qualified or insured!
All of the above are significantly detrimental to the health and wellbeing of your pet! You wouldn’t see an unqualified or unlicensed human medical practitioner, so the same really should apply to your pet!
You will have friends / colleagues / yard friends recommending all sorts of people to you, they may even be claiming that this person helped their pet get back into top form, cured a problem and that they wouldn’t use anyone else! Maybe you saw an ad posted in a Facebook group. As an owner you should never be afraid to question your therapist and go with your gut instinct!
Simple questions that you should ask are:
- What qualifications do you have? – don’t be afraid to ask for proof! A therapist will be willing to show you evidence of certificates.
- Are you insured and what does your insurance cover? – Again, don’t be afraid to ask for proof!
- Do you work under the Veterinary Surgeons Act? How does this work?
- Are you a member of a professional body?
Your therapist must ideally be trained to a Level 6 or above (this is equivalent to a Post Graduate, Advanced Certificate, MSc level). The therapist should also have professional and public liability indemnity cover and without this should be nowhere near your pet! They should have a firm understanding of the Veterinary Surgeons Act, how it works and be able to explain it to you and how they work within the legislation. Each therapist should also be a member of a professional body such as ASSVAP, IRVAP, NAVP or ACPAT, all of which ensure high standards of training and Continuing Professional Development (CPD) for their members.
If you are in any doubt about selecting a therapist for your animal, get in touch with ASSVAP in order to find out about registered professionals in your area.
ASSVAP is the Association for the Scientific Study of Veterinary and Animal Physiotherapy. ASSVAP exists to create an interface between vets and vet physios for the exchange of knowledge and expertise to enhance the welfare of animals.
More information can be found via http://www.assvap.com
Hounds to Horses Physiotherapy 