AAHA
Choosing A Veterinary Hospital?
Looking For A Veterinarian?
Did You Know..?
The American Animal Hospital Association (AAHA) is an international association of more than 13,000 veterinarians who treat companion animals. Established in 1933, AAHA is well known among veterinarians and pet owners for its standards for hospitals and pet health care. Over 2,600 veterinary hospitals voluntarily participate in the AAHA hospital evaluation program. Trained consultants regularly visit these hospitals to ensure compliance with AAHA's standards for services and facilities. Individual veterinarians can also be members of AAHA. These affiliate members subscribe to the same general principles as hospital members but do not participate in AAHA hospital evaluations.
AAHA reminds pet owners that they can help pets live healthier and longer lives by taking their pets to the veterinarian for annual physical exams, vaccinations, and dental care as well as providing pets with fresh water, a balanced diet, and exercise.
Choosing A Veterinary Hospital
It's important to choose a veterinary hospital before you need one. Ask family, friends and neighbors for recommendations. Once you find a hospital, take some time to check it out. Ask for a tour of the facility, and use your eyes and nose to detect cleanliness. Also check if the facility is well lit. Does it have laboratory equipment? Is there gas anesthesia? If it doesn't meet your expectations, turn around and leave.
Hospitals that are accredited by the American Animal Hospital Association (AAHA) meet high veterinary care standards. Each hospital voluntarily completes a detailed evaluation of its services and equipment. Then a trained practice consultant thoroughly inspects the hospital to make sure it meets AAHA's high standards in the areas of:
- Emergency services
- Surgery and anesthesia
- Radiology services
- Pathology services
- Nursing care
- Pharmacy
- Dentistry
- Examination facilities
- Pet medical records
- Medical library
- Housekeeping and maintenance
Less than 17 percent of the small animal veterinary hospitals in the United States and Canada are accredited AAHA members.
In addition to the facility, you'll also want to make sure the veterinarian meets your expectations. It's important that you and your pet are comfortable with the doctor. The veterinarian should be able to communicate with you and make you feel comfortable asking questions. Even if the doctor is highly qualified, if you don't hit it off, you may need to go elsewhere.
Finally, when choosing a veterinary hospital, make sure the office hours and payment policy are convenient for you. Ask for a hospital brochure or welcome letter that explains the hospital policies and procedures.
Looking for a veterinarian?
Are you moving, traveling, or looking for a veterinarian for a new pet? Pet owners can call AAHA at 1-800-883-6301 or search AAHA's online Hospital Locator for referrals to AAHA-accredited animal hospitals in nearly every area of the United States and Canada.
Did kou know that veterinarians are highly educated and are much like 21 human doctors rolled into one?
In your lifetime, there are 21 different doctors who can or will take YOU from birth to death: the obstetrician, pediatrician, orthodontist, endodontist, internist, surgeon, radiologist, anesthesiologist, gynecologist, endocrinologist, psychiatrist, urologist, neurologist, psychoanalyst, metabolist, oncologist, dietician, cardiologist, geriatrist, and pathologist. Veterinarians need to know about all these areas of animal medicine.
Did you ever stop to think about veterinarians and what they need to know in order to take care of YOUR PET? Unfortunately, some people still believe veterinary medicine to be an almost vocational trade, something learned on the farm. The reality is that a veterinarian is a highly educated person, skilled in preventing, diagnosing, and treating animal health problems.
Veterinarians earn a four-year undergraduate degree before applying to veterinary school. Once accepted, veterinarians earn a four-year doctor of veterinary medicine degree. After graduation, veterinarians are licensed by the state where they practice medicine. Ongoing education is a big part of most veterinarians' careers. In fact, more than half of the states in the U.S. require continuing education as part of the re-licensing process.