The European College of Veterinary Internal Medicine - Companion Animals (ECVIM-CA) is a veterinary specialty organisation, first recognized by the European Board of Veterinary Specialisation (EBVS) in 1994.
The ECVIM-CA was developed by the European Society of Veterinary Internal Medicine (ESVIM) as the result of initiatives in the late 1980s to respond to a growing demand for better specialist veterinary services for companion animals and harmonization of certification in this area for better consumer information. The first private initiatives were later coordinated and supervised by the Advisory Committee for Veterinary Training (ACVT) of the European Community (EC). European legislation of veterinary specialisation may be enacted in future.
The term ‘companion animal’ that is used here does not include equine, avian or other non-mammalian species.