Section 25. Veterinary practices

A. Veterinarians under authority of commission veterinarian. Veterinarians holding valid veterinarian permits issued by the commission and practicing at any location under the jurisdiction of the commission are under the authority of the commission veterinarian and the stewards. The commission veterinarian shall recommend to the stewards the discipline that may be imposed upon a veterinarian who violates these regulations.

B. Treatment restrictions.

1. Only licensed trainers, licensed owners, or their designees shall be permitted to authorize veterinary medical treatment of horses under their care, custody, and control at locations under the jurisdiction of the commission.

2. Except as otherwise provided in the regulations, no person other than a licensed veterinarian holding a valid permit issued by the commission may administer a prescription or controlled medication, drug, chemical, or other substance to a horse at any location under the jurisdiction of the commission.

3. This section does not apply to the administration of the following substances unless the quantity administered results in detection in post-race samples or interferes with post-race testing:

a. A recognized noninjectable nutritional supplement approved by a commission veterinarian;

b. A noninjectable, nonprescription medication or substance approved by a commission veterinarian; and

c. A noninjectable medication or substance on the direction or by prescription of a licensed veterinarian.

4. No person, except a veterinarian holding a valid veterinarian's permit or an assistant under his immediate supervision, shall have in his possession within the enclosure any hypodermic syringe or needle or any instrument capable of being used for the injection of any substance.

5. No person, except a veterinarian holding a valid veterinarian's permit or an assistant under his immediate supervision, shall have in his possession within the enclosure any injectable substance.

6. Notwithstanding these regulations, a veterinarian or other permit holder may possess within the enclosure of a horse racing facility a hypodermic syringe and needle for the purpose of administering to himself a substance, provided that the permit holder has documentary evidence that the substance can only be administered by injection and that the substance to be administered by injection has been prescribed for him.

7. Unless granted approval by the commission veterinarian, practicing veterinarians shall not have contact with an entered horse on race day. Any unauthorized contact may result in the horse being scratched from the race in which it was scheduled to compete and may result in further disciplinary action by the stewards.

C. Veterinarian treatment reports.

1. Practicing veterinarians must maintain complete records of all treatments, including date, time, and proper identification of each horse. The record shall contain the name of the trainer, the name of the horse, all medications and dosages administered, and all diagnostic and therapeutic procedures performed on the horse.

2. At the request of the commission veterinarian or stewards, practicing veterinarians shall produce within 24 hours the billing and treatment records and other information for any horse treated by the veterinarian.

3. A medication report that is consistent with analytical results of a positive test and is filed prior to post time for the race in question may be used as a mitigating factor in determining the nature and extent, if any, of a rules violation.

Historical Notes

Derived from Volume 24, Issue 16, eff. April 14, 2008; amended, Virginia Register Volume 30, Issue 08, eff. January 1, 2014; Volume 31, Issue 18, May 1, 2015.

Statutory Authority

§ 59.1-369 of the Code of Virginia.