FAQ's

1. What is AAHA?

Established in 1933 by leaders in the veterinary profession, AAHA is the only exclusive companion animal veterinary association. AAHA is well known for its high standards in veterinary practices and quality pet care and promotes those standards within the veterinary profession and to the public. The Association develops benchmarks of excellence, business practice standards, informative publications and educational programs designed to help companion animal practices thrive.

AAHA believes in “Healthy Practices. Healthier Pets.” and is dedicated to raising the bar in veterinary care. Throughout the Association’s 75 years, its mission has remained the same: provide veterinary professionals with the resources they need to effectively manage their businesses and deliver the best in companion animal care.

Today, AAHA serves approximately 6,000 practice teams in the United States and Canada that are comprised of more than 36,000 individual veterinary care providers. Nearly 3,000 of the total practice teams are accredited.

• Visit us for a senior health care exam at least once a year to monitor changes in your pet's health.
• As your pet approaches senior status, we may recommend basic blood and urine tests as a baseline for measuring future changes. Regular blood testing can help identify diseases in their earliest and most treatable stages of senior age.
• Note changes in behavior or appearance. Treat simple medical problems, such as incessant ear-scratching, immediately. A trip to the veterinarian can get problems under control early, before they become major problems requiring more extensive treatment.
• Switch to a quality senior food that provides enhanced levels of key nutrients such as antioxidants, vitamin E and beta-carotene, plus gamma linolenic acid (GLA), a fatty acid important to skin and coat health. We have a full line of Science diet foods for your pet to take advantage of in their advancing years.
• Schedule an annual or biannual dental cleaning regiment to reduce the chances of any oral diseases that can also lead to other more serious internal organ diseases if left untreated.
• Provide moderate exercise. This will help with weight control and keep muscles toned.
• Groom your senior pet at least once each week. Check for lumps, sores, parasites and foul-smelling ears or discharge. Older pets may need to he bathed with medicated or moisturizing shampoo.
• If your pet has not been spayed or neutered, ask us about having this done to avoid tumors of the mammary or prostate glands.