Referral Guidelines Contributors
In This Resource:
Referral Guidelines Task Force
Derek Burney, DVM, PhD, DACVIM (Small Animal Internal Medicine)†
Veterinary Specialists of North Texas, Fort Worth, Texas
Genesis Jones, DVM†
Petfolk Veterinary & Urgent Care, Raleigh, North Carolina
Christopher Byers, DVM, DACVECC, DACVIM (Small Animal Internal Medicine), CVJ
CriticalCare DVM.com, VCA MidWest Veterinary Referral & Emergency Center
Courtney Campbell, DVM, DACVS-SA
Stitches Veterinary Surgery, Long Beach, California
Jason B. Coe, DVM, PhD
Ontario Veterinary College, University of Guelph, Guelph, Ontario, Canada
Jordan Gagne, DVM, DABVP (Canine and Feline), DABVP (Feline)
Hopkinton Animal Hospital, Hopkinton, New Hampshire
Bret A. Moore, DVM, PhD, DACVO
University of Florida, Department of Small Animal Clinical Sciences, Gainesville, Florida
Gene Pavlovsky, DVM, DABVP (Canine and Feline)
University of Illinois, Urbana, Illinois
Chelsea Pulter, DVM
Banfield Pet Hospital, Reno, Nevada
Ashli Selke, RVT, CVT
Purdue University College of Veterinary Medicine, West Lafayette, Indiana
Rae Ann Van Pelt, DVM
Collaborative Care Coalition, Chicago, Illinois
Contributing Reviewers
Jan Bellows, DVM, DAVDC, DABVP
All Pets Dental, Weston, Florida
Susie Crockett, BS, CVPM
Indianapolis, Indiana
†Derek Burney and Genesis Jones are the cochairs of the AAHA Referral Guidelines Task Force.
Correspondence: [email protected]
These guidelines were prepared by a task force of experts convened by the American Animal Hospital Association. This document is intended as a guideline, not an AAHA Standard of Care. These guidelines and recommendations should not be construed as dictating an exclusive protocol, course of treatment, or procedure. Variations in practice may be warranted based on the individual patient’s needs, resources, and limitations unique to each practice setting. Evidence-guided support for specific recommendations has been cited whenever possible and appropriate. Other recommendations are based on practical clinical experience and a consensus of expert opinion. Further research is needed to document some of these recommendations. As each case is different, veterinarians must base their decisions on the best available scientific evidence in conjunction with their knowledge and experience.
Conflict of interest statement: The authors declare no conflict of interest.
AAHA gratefully acknowledges the following individuals: Mia Cary, DVM (she/her) of Cary Consulting, task force facilitator, and Roxanne Hawn, developmental editor.
Referral Guidelines Abbreviations and Acronyms
CrVT (credentialed veterinary technician [e.g., CVT, LVT, RVT, LVMT]); DV (directing veterinarian); NAVTA (National Association of Veterinary Technicians in America); PCT (primary care team); SCT (specialty care team); VCPR (veterinary-client-patient relationship); VTS (veterinary technician specialist)
The 2025 AAHA Referral Guidelines are generously supported by CareCredit.
