As a pet owner, you want the best for your furry friend and work hard to provide a good life for them. You do your research, know your stuff, and choose the best products and services for your dog or cat. You also want the best possible health care for your pet, starting with the first line of defense: your veterinarian.
Did you know that Intermountain Pet Hospital is an AAHA accredited hospital? You may wonder what that even means—and more specifically, whether it’s even relevant for you and your pet—but we know that this accreditation spells out better care, better practices, and better resources for you and your dog or cat. Here’s why we’re proud to be an AAHA accredited pet hospital.
What AAHA Accreditation Means
AAHA stands for the American Animal Hospital Association, an organization that provides accreditation through standardization, protocol checklists, and best practices for veterinary clinics.
For human hospitals, accreditation is mandatory—meaning only hospitals that follow the right practices can practice medicine. In the animal hospital world, however, there is no mandatory accreditation—it’s all voluntary. Only 15% of animal hospitals in the United States are accredited with the AAHA. We believe your pet deserves the best standard of care possible, and our voluntary accreditation with AAHA proves that we’re ready to go the extra mile to ensure your dog or cat stays healthy as long as possible.
Accredited hospitals for humans are proven to have better standards of care, lower surgical problems, and fewer deaths under anesthesia. We believe the same holds true for animal hospitals and are committed to bringing this level of care to your pet.
Accreditation Requirements
AAHA requires several standards of care for every accredited veterinary clinic, including:
- Isolation units for contagious patients to reduce spread of disease
- Dental X-ray availability to treat dental disease
- Oxygen delivery system to save patients who are struggling to breathe
- Over 50 hours of continuing education per year for all veterinarians
AAHA accredited hospitals must complete regular audits and demonstrate adherence to all guidelines for surgeries, record keeping, health, and more. Each standard of care is designed to keep pets healthy and comfortable.
Why Intermountain Vet Hospital Chose AAHA Accreditation
You may wonder—why did we choose to pursue and hold AAHA accreditation if it’s voluntary? The answer is we love your pets, and we want to give you the peace of mind to know we do. We want to provide the highest quality care to every pet that comes through our doors—along with the assurance for every client that we’re committed to always improving.
We’re proud to serve the Treasure Valley and your pet. We love what we do. To learn more about how our AAHA accreditation keeps your pet healthy, safe, and comfortable, click here.
