AAHA is Sending Me to BlogPaws!

You’re taking me WHERE??!? Don’t worry, Tara, it’ll be fine. The vet loves you, and they maintain the gold standard of care!

I’m thrilled to announce that I’ve been selected to be a sponsored blogger, and that means I’ll actually be able to go to my favorite conference ever. Who’s doing the sponsoring? The American Animal Hospital Association®, that’s who.

Why did I accept this deal? Because I believe AAHA is doing a great service to pet guardians, and I don’t do sponsorship deals with brands or organizations I don’t believe in, no matter how sweet the sponsorship offer.

I am a BlogPaws® Conference Sponsored Blogger on behalf of the American Animal Hospital Association. I am being compensated to help share information about the American Animal Hospital Association (AAHA) with my readers and fellow Influencers, Neither AAHA nor BlogPaws are responsible for the content of this article.

So, exactly what is AAHA and what does it do?

Basically, it’s a membership and accreditation organization for veterinary clinics in the U.S. and Canada. Any hospital can be an AAHA member, but it takes a lot to become an AAHA-certified hospital. In order to be accredited, the hospital is measured against more than 900 standards of veterinary care across 18 categories including patient care, surgery, exam facilities, cleanliness, dental care, diagnostic imaging, pet health records, and continuing education. Fifty of the standards are mandatory, and then a certain number of points must be accumulated throughout the 18 categories to uphold accreditation.

You wouldn’t think a veterinary clinic would have problems with basic things like sterile surgery practices, but I’ve seen some TV shows about veterinarians that have me thinking otherwise. If you’re a fan of veterinarian shows, I think you know what I’m talking about! AAHA-accredited veterinary hospitals maintain surgical suites that are clean and contamination-free during surgery. According to the organization’s standards, surgical suites must be separate, closed rooms dedicated to aseptic surgical procedures. And wouldn’t you want to have the peace of mind of knowing that your pet is being operated on in a completely sterile environment?

Thomas says he likes knowing that if he needs an operation, the surgical suite will be closed and sterile.

How does AAHA keep up with hospitals and know that they’re adhering to the standards of care? The organization sends consultants to AAHA-accredited hospitals every three years to ensure that they continue to adhere to the standards of accreditation–basically the gold standard for everything about veterinary care.

Who chooses these guidelines for certification? AAHA works with leading veterinary experts to develop them. These guidelines, which are used industrywide, are a set of best practices that help guide veterinarians and their staff in delivering vet care for all kinds of pet health concerns. Although these resources aren’t mandatory, they are a helpful tool for vet care professionals and pet guardians, too.

AAHA has created guidelines for diabetes management in dogs and cats, and diabetes education and home monitoring resources. As you know, feline diabetes is a subject close to my heart, and I’m really thrilled that the organization’s guidelines for diabetes management specify that a diet low in carbohydrates is best for cats, and that remission is a realistic goal for diabetic kitties. After all, Bella has been in remission from diabetes for five years now!

Is your veterinary clinic AAHA-certified? You can find out with the AAHA-Accredited Clinic Locator at their website.

One last question I have for you: Do you know where to go if your pet has a medical emergency? AAHA-accredited hospitals offer emergency services or referral to an appropriate emergency practice 24 hours a day, seven days a week. My local 24-hour emergency clinic is AAHA-accredited, so I have the peace of mind of knowing that if Thomas, Bella or Tara has a medical emergency, they’ll be treated at a clinic that offers the best of everything for my cats’ care.

For these reasons, and many more, I’m delighted and honored to be attending BlogPaws 2018 as an AAHA-sponsored blogger.

Thomas and I can relax, knowing that the vet care he gets is second to none.

This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of AAHA. The opinions and text are all mine. Comments submitted may be displayed on other websites owned by the sponsoring brand.