WHAT IS MUMS?
Officially named The Minor Use and Minor Species Animal Health Act of 2004, dubbed the MUMS act for Minor Use/Minor Species, the law was signed on August 2, 2004. The law helps make more medications legally available to veterinarians and animal owners to treat minor animal species and uncommon diseases in the major animal species. Before this legislation, pharmaceutical companies could rarely afford to bring drugs to market for minor species because the markets were too small to generate an adequate financial return. WHAT ARE MINOR SPECIES? Cattle, horses, swine, chickens, turkeys, dogs, and cats are considered major species. Minor species are all animals other than the major species, which includes zoo animals, ornamental fish, parrots, ferrets, and guinea pigs. Some animals of agricultural importance are also minor species. These include sheep, goats, catfish, and honeybees. Complete information is at www.fda.gov/cvm/minortoc.
