What AVMA and State Boards Actually Require for Veterinary Website Advertising (And What They Don't)

The AVMA Principles of Veterinary Medical Ethics, Section VIII, governs advertising for veterinary professionals. The good news: the AVMA explicitly permits advertising. The framework focuses on preventing deception rather than restricting legitimate marketing.

Core requirements under AVMA Section VIII:

• Advertising must be truthful and not misleading
• Claims must be capable of substantiation
• Comparative claims about other veterinarians or practices are generally prohibited
• Fee advertising is permitted but must accurately represent actual charges

The AVMA draws a clear line between permissible promotion and deceptive practices. Stating that your practice offers "advanced dental care" is fine if you have appropriate training and equipment. Claiming to be "the best veterinary dentist in the region" crosses into problematic territory because it's both unverifiable and comparative.

What the AVMA doesn't regulate:

• The volume or frequency of your advertising
• Which platforms you use for marketing
• General promotional language that doesn't make specific claims
• Educational content about pet health topics

Many practice owners assume AVMA rules are more restrictive than they actually are. The framework is designed to protect pet owners from misleading claims while allowing practices to market their legitimate services. Educational content about conditions you treat, service descriptions, and practice information all fall well within permitted advertising.

This overview is educational — verify current AVMA guidelines at avma.org and consult your state board for jurisdiction-specific requirements.

While AVMA guidelines provide a national framework, your state veterinary practice act is the legally binding authority. State rules often impose additional restrictions that supersede AVMA guidance.

Common state-specific restrictions include:

• Mandatory inclusion of license numbers in advertising
• Specific disclaimers required for certain service claims
• Restrictions on using patient photos without documented consent
• Limitations on advertising emergency services without 24/7 availability
• Requirements for disclosing practice ownership structures

Some states have modernized their advertising rules to accommodate digital marketing, while others still reference regulations written for print advertising. This creates gray areas for social media posts, Google Business Profile content, and website testimonials.

States with notably specific requirements (as of 2024 — verify current rules with your board):

• California requires specific disclosures for mobile veterinary services
• Texas has detailed rules about specialty claim verification
• New York restricts certain comparative advertising language
• Florida requires specific format for fee advertising

The compliance risk most practices underestimate: rules that seem clear for traditional advertising become ambiguous for digital content. A Google Business Profile post, a Facebook ad, and a website page may all be treated differently under your state's interpretation of "advertising."

Action step: Download your state veterinary practice act's advertising section and review it against your current website content. Many state boards publish guidance documents that interpret the statutory language for common scenarios.

The Federal Trade Commission's truth-in-advertising rules apply to veterinary practices making claims about treatment outcomes, product effectiveness, or health benefits. These federal requirements operate alongside AVMA and state board rules.

FTC requirements for health-related claims:

• Claims must be truthful and not misleading
• Claims must be substantiated before making them (not after a complaint)
• Endorsements and testimonials must reflect honest opinions and typical results
• Material connections (paid relationships) must be disclosed

Where veterinary practices most commonly run into FTC issues:

Testimonials and reviews: Using a patient testimonial about an exceptional outcome without disclosing that results vary creates potential FTC exposure. Adding context like "Individual results may vary based on condition severity and patient factors" addresses this.

Product claims: If your website promotes specific supplements, diets, or products with health claims, those claims need substantiation. "Supports joint health" requires different evidence than "Cures arthritis."

Before/after photos: These are powerful marketing tools but require disclosure if the results shown are atypical. A dramatic weight loss case should note whether that outcome is representative of typical patient results.

Influencer and social media content: If you provide free services to pet influencers in exchange for posts, that material connection requires disclosure under FTC guidelines.

The FTC's approach is complaint-driven, but enforcement has increased for health-related advertising across industries. Proactive compliance is significantly less expensive than responding to an FTC inquiry.

Two areas where veterinary advertising compliance becomes especially strict: [pet owner data privacy](/resources/veterinarians/veterinary-website-data-privacy-compliance) and accreditation status. Both require specific documentation to advertise.

Specialty claims under AVMA guidelines:

You can only advertise as a "specialist" or use specialty titles if certified by an AVMA-recognized veterinary specialty organization. Having extensive experience in dermatology doesn't permit marketing yourself as a "veterinary dermatologist" — that requires board certification through the American College of Veterinary Dermatology.

Permitted alternatives for non-boarded practitioners:

• "Special interest in veterinary dermatology"
• "Advanced training in dermatological conditions"
• "Focus area: skin and coat conditions"

AAHA accreditation claims:

If your practice is AAHA-accredited, you can advertise this status — but only while your accreditation remains current. Using outdated AAHA logos, claiming accreditation after it lapses, or misrepresenting your accreditation status violates both AAHA requirements and general truth-in-advertising standards.

AAHA accreditation must be accurately represented:

• Use current AAHA logos (outdated versions suggest lapsed status)
• Don't imply accreditation covers services it doesn't evaluate
• Remove all accreditation references if status lapses before renewal

Fear-Free, Cat Friendly Practice, and similar certifications have their own usage guidelines. Each certification program specifies how their marks can be used in advertising. Using certification logos without current status or outside permitted contexts can trigger trademark issues alongside advertising compliance concerns.

Understanding where complaints originate helps prioritize compliance efforts. Based on patterns observed across veterinary marketing, these scenarios generate the most regulatory attention.

Scenario 1: Unsubstantiated outcome claims

A website states "95% of our cancer patients achieve remission" without clinical data to support the claim. A competing practice or dissatisfied client files a board complaint. The practice cannot produce documentation for the statistic.

Scenario 2: Implied specialty status

A practice heavily markets "surgical expertise" and "our surgical specialists" when no board-certified surgeons are on staff. A referring veterinarian files a complaint after a client misunderstood the practice's credentials.

Scenario 3: Lapsed accreditation

AAHA accreditation expires but the practice continues displaying AAHA logos and claiming accredited status. AAHA notifies the practice, but the website isn't updated for months. A competitor reports the discrepancy to the state board.

Scenario 4: Misleading testimonial use

A practice features a dramatic recovery story on their homepage without context that results vary. The pet owner who provided the testimonial later has a negative experience and files a complaint about the original marketing.

Scenario 5: Emergency service claims without 24/7 coverage

A practice advertises "emergency care available" but only offers it during business hours. A pet owner brings in an after-hours emergency based on the advertising, finds the practice closed, and files a complaint with both the state board and BBB.

Most complaints come from three sources: competitors monitoring each other's marketing, dissatisfied clients who feel misled, and regulators reviewing practices for other reasons who notice advertising issues.

Compliance doesn't require eliminating marketing — it requires systematic review and appropriate documentation. Here's a practical framework for veterinary practice advertising compliance.

Step 1: Audit current claims

Review your website, Google Business Profile, social media, and any print materials. List every claim about outcomes, expertise, certifications, or comparative quality. For each claim, ask: "Can I document this if challenged?"

Step 2: Verify credential claims

Confirm all specialty designations are supported by current board certification. Verify accreditation status is current. Check that certification logos are current versions with valid usage rights.

Step 3: Add appropriate context

Testimonials need "results may vary" language. Outcome claims need substantiation or should be softened to "many patients experience" rather than specific percentages. Before/after photos need typicality disclosures.

Step 4: Check state-specific requirements

Download your state's veterinary practice act advertising section. Compare your website content against specific requirements. Add any mandatory disclosures (license numbers, ownership information, etc.).

Step 5: Document your review

Keep records of your compliance review, the changes made, and the reasoning. If a complaint arises, documented good-faith compliance efforts matter.

Step 6: Establish ongoing review

Marketing content changes over time. Set a quarterly calendar reminder to review new content against compliance requirements. Brief staff who post social content on basic compliance parameters.

For practices seeking professional help with compliant veterinary marketing, working with agencies that understand these regulations matters. Our compliant SEO services for veterinary practices build these considerations into strategy from the start rather than creating compliance problems you'll need to fix later.