Is Your Veterinary Hospital Accredited? #AAHADay

   Let me ask you a question. Is your veterinarian an accredited member of the American Animal Hospital Association? If your answer is “no” or “I don’t know” there's no reason to panic, you are not alone. As many as 60% of pet parents assume their veterinary clinic is accredited when it is not. Many others have no idea what an AAHA accreditation means. Up until 3 years ago, I fell into the first category. Luckily, I met the AAHA representatives at our BlogPaws™ conference in Las Vegas 2014. Allow me to share some of the information that made me return home and change veterinarians.

What is AAHA?

   The American Animal Hospital Association has been recognizing outstanding veterinary hospitals for over 80 years. These accredited hospitals hold themselves to a higher standard. This means that your pet is receiving care from a hospital that has passed the highest standards of veterinary excellence.

Photo courtesy of University Veterinary Hospital 

Finding a Great Veterinarian is an AAHA Moment

Look for the AAHA logo.

How did you find your veterinarian? There is a variety of ways to find your pet’s doctor including word-of-mouth, proximity to your home, or letting your fingers do the walking through the yellow pages Google. I can honestly say that I have used each of these methods. I usually ended up changing after the first visit or two. The old saying, “When you know better, you do better” is certainly true. I learned better in Las Vegas at the BlogPaws 2014 conference. That is when I was introduced to the American Animal Hospital Association. It was definitely my “AAHA Moment.” I was thrilled when I was invited to a breakfast they hosted at this year’s conference in Nashville. Besides a terrific buffet, we were treated to some very interesting AAHA facts.