AAHA accreditation doesn’t mean much
AAHA accreditation doesn’t mean much Oct 9, 2018 Save
Some veterinarians tout their accreditation by the AMERICAN ANIMAL HOSPITAL ASSOCIATION. Also known as the ”AAHA Accreditation,” we are told this is the standard of veterinary excellence.
Based on my experience, I would like to say, don’t be fooled by the AAHA accreditation. It appears that the AAHA accreditation is an attempt to establish credibility where none is due. I have found the AAHA accreditation to be worthless to consumers and their animals.
My experience began when two area veterinarians at an AAHA accredited hospital failed to follow a single element of established veterinary protocol in treating my dog; instead, in their gross negligence, they administered a treatment that resulted in my dog’s death and then claimed to not know why my dog died.
The veterinarians administered drugs that the Merck Veterinary Manual stated should not be used. The veterinarians also failed to treat my dog for a liver condition that was revealed by diagnostic testing 10 1/2 years earlier. There were many other issues as well, but for the sake of brevity, I will not mention every issue.
The diagnostic testing that revealed my dog’s liver condition was never disclosed to me or even used to treat my dog’s condition, however, I was billed for the diagnostic test; this is consumer fraud. That diagnostic test remained in my dog’s medical record for over 10 1/2 years and was ignored by both veterinarians at an AAHA accredited hospital.
After my dog’s death, I requested her medical records and obtained a copy of the diagnostic test revealing my dog’s liver condition. The veterinary treatment the AAHA accredited hospital provided to my dog was substandard, not according to established protocol and neither was it according to the high standard of professional care required by Iowa Code.
I had been paying a local AAHA accredited veterinary hospital for over 10 years to treat my dog. According to The Merck Veterinary Manual the drugs the two veterinarians administered would exacerbate my dog’s condition, those drugs led to my dog’s death; it appears that they drugged my dog to death.
The established protocol for my dog’s liver condition was a low protein diet; this was never addressed by the veterinarians. In the end, neither veterinarian was able to tell me why my dog died; both veterinarians insisted that my dog did not have a liver condition when the diagnostic testing in the medical record revealed that for over ten and one half years she had an untreated liver condition.
I contacted the AAHA to file a complaint against their accredited animal hospital where the two veterinarians practice. After their investigation, I was advised that the veterinarian’s failure to diagnose, failure to treat, failure to follow established protocol as well as their failure to administer the proper medications and treatment according to established protocol were not a violation of AAHA standards.
The AAHA appears to be a worthless accreditation to consumers and their animals. It appears to be an accreditation used to deceive the general public into believing that the veterinarians at the veterinary hospitals they accredit are actually highly skilled and qualified to practice veterinary medicine.
At this time, Iowa veterinarians are unregulated and have not been held accountable for their medical malpractice because of self-regulation. More information can be found by visiting the website of the Iowa Ombudsman at https://www.legis.iowa.gov/Ombudsman/ . Read their special report titled, “A System Unaccountable; A Special Report on Iowa’s Professional Licensing Boards.”
AAHA boasts that their standards go above and beyond state and provincial regulations. AAHA also boasts that pet owners look for AAHA-accredited hospitals because they value their pet’s health and trust the consistent care provided by the entire health care team. We are told that at AAHA accredited practices; pet owners can expect to receive the highest quality care from well-trained professional veterinary teams.
I have found AAHA’s claims to be completely false. In spite of the evidence of veterinary medical malpractice, the AAHA determined that the two veterinarians conduct at the accredited veterinary hospital did not violate any AAHA standards.
For comments or additional information, please feel free to contact me.
Brenda Brown