Chiropractors, Osteopaths and Veterinarians interested in a career in Animal Chiropractic should visit the Course Information page for more details.

about AVCA and its Members

The AVCA (Australian Veterinary Chiropractic Association) membership only comprises Australian university qualified Animal Chiropractic professionals, with degrees in Chiropractic, Osteopathy or Veterinary Medicine at least, followed by a Graduate Diploma in Animal Chiropractic, or the Master of Chiropractic Science (Animal Chiropractic)

Chiropractors, Osteopaths and Veterinarians who have successfully completed the Graduate Diploma all share the common skill of practicing Chiropractic on animals. Beyond this scope, each of these three professions continues to practice within its usual boundaries. For example, Chiropractors and Osteopaths do not practice veterinary medicine, and Veterinarians do not practice chiropractic on humans. Animal Chiropractic qualified Chiropractors and Osteopaths will actively and frequently refer patients for Veterinary assessment.

The major benefit of the interprofessional collaboration within the AVCA is the bringing together of a vast array of experience from professions that would otherwise rarely cross paths. All practitioners who undertake the Animal Chiropractic program develop enormous respect for the members of the other professions. The AVCA provides avenues for practitioners from all 3 professions to exchange opinions on cases, and also provides continuing education for Animal Chiropractic graduates. RMIT Animal Chiropractic graduate practitioners will often use a combination of Chiropractic adjustive and soft tissue techniques, based on their background, their personal preferences and the response of the patient.

The general public is becoming far less tolerant of "self-trained" individuals, providing a variety of services, purporting to be something they are not, with a very shallow understanding of what they are doing. This is both misleading and potentially dangerous.

As with most professional associations, the AVCA was formed with this in mind, with the aim of safeguarding those utilising the Animal Chiropractic services of its members, ensuring clients will only be receiving the highest standard of quality care and training, by accountable practitioners. The AVCA welcomes feedback on its members and will investigate complaints thoroughly and impartially, should the need arise. All AVCA members are registered practitioners in the State in which they practice, and problems may also be reported to the relevant practitioner Registration Board.

With the advent of the AVCA, Animal Chiropractic is now being formalised as a "profession", and whilst there is a lot more work to do in this area, the process has at least begun.