# COMAR Title 15 — Maryland Department of Agriculture

## Subtitle 14 — Board of Veterinary Medical Examiners

### Chapter 01 — Standards of Practice and Code of Ethics for the Practice of Veterinary Medicine in the State

#### Regulation .05 Choice and Selection of Patients.

*COMAR 15.14.01.05*

A. Non-emergency Presentation.  A veterinarian may choose whom he will serve.  Once a veterinarian has undertaken care of a patient, and a veterinarian-client-patient relationship has been established, the veterinarian may not neglect the patient.

B. Emergency Presentation.  In an emergency, a veterinarian should render service to the best of the veterinarian’s ability, but this does not require a veterinarian to accept financial responsibility for the care and treatment of any animal.  The following procedures may be performed during an emergency without such actions constituting the establishment of a veterinarian-client-patient relationship:

  (1) Initial evaluation;

  (2) Diagnostics to assist in the initial evaluation; or

  (3) Initial treatments to stabilize a patient.