Iowa Code § 169.4 — IA Code / Title V / Chapter 169 / Section 169.4
License requirement and exceptions.
Status: in_force

A person shall not practice veterinary medicine in the state who is not a licensed veterinarian or the holder of a valid temporary permit issued by the board. This chapter shall not be construed to prohibit any of the following:

(1) An employee of the federal, state, or local government from performing official duties.

(2) A person who is a veterinary student in an accredited or approved college of veterinary medicine from performing duties or actions assigned by an instructor of the college, or acting under the supervision of a supervising veterinarian as provided in subchapter II. The board shall issue to a veterinary medicine student who attends an accredited veterinary medicine college or school and who has been certified as being competent by an instructor of such college or school to perform veterinary duties under the direction of an instructor of veterinary medicine or under the supervision of a supervising veterinarian, a certificate authorizing the veterinary medicine student to perform such functions.

(3) A veterinarian currently licensed in another state from consulting with a licensed veterinarian in this state.

(4) Any manufacturer, wholesaler, or retailer from advising with respect to or selling in the ordinary course of trade or business, drugs, feeds, including, but not limited to customer-formula feeds as defined in section 198.3, appliances, and other products used in the prevention or treatment of animal diseases.

(5) The owner of an animal or the owner’s bona fide employees from caring for and treating the animal in the possession of such owner except where the ownership of the animal was transferred solely for the purpose of circumventing this chapter.

(6) A member of the faculty of an accredited college of veterinary medicine from performing functions in the classrooms or continuing education. However, those faculty members who have professional responsibility to the owner must be licensed. A temporary permit may be granted for a period not to exceed two years to interns or residents who are on the staff of the college of veterinary medicine of Iowa state university of science and technology. Such permit shall be renewable annually upon the application of the dean of the college of veterinary medicine.

(7) Any person from manufacturing, selling, offering for sale, or applying any pesticide, insecticide, or herbicide.

(8) Any person from engaging in bona fide scientific research which reasonably requires experimentation involving animals.

(9) Any veterinary auxiliary personnel when performing delegated tasks under the supervision of a supervising veterinarian as provided in subchapter II.

(10) A graduate of a foreign college of veterinary medicine, who has or is in the process of obtaining an ECFVG certificate, when performing delegated tasks under the supervision of a supervising veterinarian as provided in subchapter II.

(11) Any person from advising with respect to or performing accepted livestock management practices.

(12) Any person from engaging in the full-time study of the improvement of the quality of livestock.

(13) Any person from performing post-mortem examinations on swine or cattle.

(14) Any person from collecting or evaluating semen from livestock or poultry, or artificial insemination of livestock and poultry.

(15) Any person from castrating, dehorning or branding notwithstanding section 169A.14.

(16) A person performing animal massage.

(17) (a) An emergency medical care provider certified pursuant to chapter 147A who elects to provide veterinary medical services by diagnosing or treating a police service dog, if all of the following apply:

(17) (a) The police service dog was on duty under the supervision of a peace officer as defined in section 801.4.

(17) (a) The police service dog suffered a severe injury.

(17) (a) The veterinary medical services are necessary to immediately stabilize the police service dog’s condition for later diagnosis or treatment by a licensed veterinarian or the holder of a valid temporary permit.

(17) (b) An emergency medical care provider certified pursuant to chapter 147A may elect not to provide veterinary medical services under paragraph “a”.

(17) (c) If an emergency medical care provider certified pursuant to chapter 147A elects to provide veterinary medical services under paragraph “a”, the emergency medical care provider shall not be civilly liable for diagnosing or treating the police service dog if the emergency medical care provider acted reasonably and in good faith.

(17) (d) An emergency medical care provider certified pursuant to chapter 147A electing to provide veterinary medical services under paragraph “a” shall comply with all of the following:

(17) (d) The emergency medical care provider may diagnose or treat a severely injured police service dog only after the emergency medical care provider furnishes all diagnoses or treatment needed by the last human at the scene of the emergency.

(17) (d) The emergency medical care provider shall not use equipment, or shall discontinue the use of equipment, to diagnose or treat a severely injured police service dog at the scene of an emergency, if any of the following apply:

(17) (d) The equipment is needed to diagnose or treat a human at the scene of the emergency.

(17) (d) The equipment is dispatched to another location.

(17) (d) The emergency medical care provider shall not diagnose or treat a severely injured police service dog, or shall discontinue diagnosing or treating a severely injured police service dog, at the scene of an emergency, if any of the following apply:

(17) (d) The emergency medical care provider is dispatched to another location.

(17) (d) A vehicle used to transport the emergency medical care provider is dispatched to another location.

(17) (e) A severely injured police service dog shall not be transported in a vehicle that provides emergency medical or ambulance services.

[S13, §2538-a; C24, 27, 31, 35, 39, §2766; C46, 50, 54, 58, 62, 66, 71, 73, 75, 77, §169.3; C79, 81, §169.4]83 Acts, ch 115, §32023 Acts, ch 155, §5 – 7, 24; 2025 Acts, ch 53, §2