SAENA Code of Ethics

Duty 
of 
care

1. The 
primary 
professional 
duty
 of
 the 
practitioner 
is 
to 
competently 
assist
 the 
companion
 pet 
or 
horse 
in
 their 
care 
to
achieve
 optimum 
health,
 within the 
circumstances 
of
 their
 condition.
2. The 
practitioner 
shall
 always 
maintain 
the 
highest
 standards 
of
 professional
 conduct
 and
 duty
 of
 care 
to the 
animal 
in 
their 
care.
3. Under
 no
 circumstances
 shall
 a
 practitioner
 knowingly
 undertake
 any
 action
 or
 treatment
 that
 would
 adversely
 affect
 the 
health 
of 
the 
animal.
4. Diagnoses
 should 
always
 be
 gained 
from 
a 
vet.

Professional 
Conduct

1. The
 practitioner
 shall
 show
 respect
 and
 care
 for
 the
 animals
 in
 their
 care.

 Practitioners
 must
 behave
 with
 courtesy 
and
  respect
 toward
 the
 owners
 of
 the 
animals.
 
Their
 attitude 
must
 be
 competent
 and
 sympathetic,
 hopeful
 and
 positive.
2. A 
practitioner
 can
 only
 practice in
 the 
natural
 medicine 
discipline 
in 
which 
he/she  
is
accredited
 by
 the S.A.E.N.A.
3. The
 practitioner
 is
 to
 recognise
 a
 responsibility
 to
 give
 the
 generally
 held
 opinions
 of
 the
 relevant
 discipline
 when
interpreting 
and
 conveying 
scientific
 or
 empirical
 knowledge 
to  owners
 or
 to 
the 
general 
public.  

Where 
one 
presents 
any 
personal 
opinions, 
which 
is 
contrary
 to
 the 
generally 
held 
opinion 
of 
the 
discipline, 
clearly 
indicate
 that 
this 
is 
so.
4. A
 practitioner
 shall
 not
 provide 
false 
information 
on
 any 
documents.
5. A
 practitioner 
shall
 not 
use 
any 
unsafe
 or 
improper 
practice.
6. A
 practitioner
 shall
 at 
all 
times 
show 
due 
respect
 and
 co‐operate
 with
 practitioners 
of 
other 
disciplines.
7. Practitioners
 must
 never
 claim
 to
 “cure”.
 
 The
 possible
 therapeutic
 benefits
 may
 be
 described
 as 
recovery,
 but
 this 
must
 never 
be
 guaranteed.
8. A 
practitioner
 shall
 at 
no 
time
 take 
part 
in 
or 
promote 
any 
activity, 
verbal 
or 
otherwise, 
which 
will 
reflect 
improperly
 or
 denigrate
 the
 standing
 of
 natural
 medicine
 or
 the
 S.A.E.N.A.
 within
 the
 general
 community 
or
 in 
any 
professional
 circles.
9. Practitioner 
shall
 ensure 
that 
they 
are 
medically, 
physically 
and 
psychologically 
fit 
to 
practice.
10.  Practitioners
 will
 not
 offer
 treatment
 opinions
 via
 the
 phone
 without
 having
 seen
 the
 animal
 under
question.
11. A
 practitioner
 should
 not
 attend
 to
 any
 animal
 whilst
 under
 the
 influence
 of
 alcohol,
 drugs
 or
 other substances
 that
 would 
impair 
their judgement.  
It 
would
 be
 considered 
inappropriate
 for a 
practitioner 
to 
smoke 
in 
the
 clinical
 setting.
12. A 
practitioner
 shall
 not
 use 
their
 professional
 connections
 or 
affiliations 
in 
an 
unconscionable 
manner.
13. A 
practitioner  shall 
not 
knowingly
 breach 
any
 guidelines  
laid 
down 
in 
the
 articles
 of
 the 
S.A.E.N.A.

Confidentiality

1. A
 practitioner
 may
 not
 disclose 
information
 obtained 
in
 confidence
 from
 or 
about
 any
 animal  
in
 their 
care 
unless 
consent 
has 
been 
given.
2. Client
 records
 are
 to
 be
 kept
 confidential
 at
 all
 times
 and
 access
 restricted
 to
 the
 practitioner
 or  
assistant,
 except
 where
consent 
has 
been  
obtained
 from
 the 
owner 
and 
then 
only 
to 
the 
extent 
of 
the 
agreed 
disclosure.