The Veterinary Association says people using alternative treatments for livestock need to ensure they are not compromising the health or welfare of their animals.
It's comments come after the New Zealand Skeptics group condemned Rural Women New Zealand for presenting its top enterprise award this year to a homeopathic business that supplies livestock remedies to farmers.
The Skeptics criticised the award for recognising a business that it says sells products which are not scientifically proven and do not contain any active ingredients.
The Rural Women organisation says it's not an endorsement of homeopathic or any other products, but is about recognising women entrepreneurs in the rural sector.
Supporters and critics of homeopathy have weighed into the debate.
Dr Wayne Ricketts of the Veterinary Association says medicine is constantly changing and, for both vets and owners, animal welfare is paramount.
"We certainly do have veterinarians in New Zealand who do use alternative treatments. They must do so with the full consent of the owner, just as they do for any other sort of treatment."
He says alternative treatments are legal, but don't undergo the scrutiny that conventional medicines are subjected to.
