What is an AAHA Hospital?

Passing the test: AAHA Accreditation means quality care for pets.

Your Veterinary Clinic is part of an exclusive circle.  Ask your veterinary professionals about the American Animal Hospital Association's accreditation stands for practice excellence.

The silver accreditation plaque that hangs in your veterinary practice represents the gold-standard of veterinary care.  It shows that your veterinary practice passed a test that includes 90 standards that were developed by the American Animal Hospital Association (AAHA) to ensure the highest quality of veterinary care.

AAHA created the standards-the industry's only benchmark for excellence-in 1933 to elevate the level of care provided to companion animals.  Today there are 2,133 small animal veterinary clinics in the United States, and accreditation is one way to distinguish between the good practices and the best.

More than one hundred practices in North America apply for accreditation each year and the process, which takes about eight hours, entails a thorough review of medical procedures and facilities.  It is a challenging evaluation that some clinics fail.

Your veterinary clinic is one of 2,800 in North America that passed the test.

AAHA reevaluates practices every three years to ensure that its high standards, which include client care, continue to be met.  All team members are evaluated in the process, from the doctors and owners to the technicians, receptionists and kennel workers.  Every team member represents and important part of the clinic's success.

From a pet owner's perspective, the AAHA accreditation symbol shows that your veterinary team is one of the best in the country, which translates into better medical care, and longer lives for the pets you love.

A recognized symbol of excellence, AAHA accreditation represents a special achievement.  It shows that your veterinary professionals continue to pursue excellence and surpass industry expectations.

Are Appointments needed?

Please call 518-399-5213 to schedule your appointment. We believe we can better serve your needs when appointments are scheduled. Our appointment system has been developed to help us triage the various levels of care we must provide. We have routine appointments for things like vaccines, problem appointments for things such as checking ears or several days of lameness and urgent appointments which are time slots we hold open daily for that "must be seen" sick pet. Major emergency situations are handled as they occur and take priority over all others. We try our best to accommodate your schedule and minimize your wait time.

Do you provide emergency services?

Burnt Hills Veterinary Hospital provides on-site emergency care for your pets 24 hours a day Monday thru Friday.  We can provide around the clock nursing care and monitoring in the event that it's needed. 

We are also available for on-site emergency care on Saturdays and Sundays from 8:00am to 6:00pm.  Doctors on call speak with you directly to establish a plan of care for your pet.

Weekend after hours are directed to 2 fully staffed, high quality emergency clinics.   Capital District Animal Emergency Clinic at 785-1094, or Northway Animal Emergency  Clinic at 761-2600.

What are your Financial Policies?

Our financial policy requires full payment at the time of service. We accept cash, checks, MasterCard, Visa and Discover. If and emergency or severe illness of a pet occurs and an established client is unable to pay the bill in full, special arrangements may be made with the practice manager or doctor prior to initiating treatment or surgery.

Do you offer Boarding?

We have an excellent boarding facility, which is available exclusively to our clients. Dogs are hand walked at least four times daily. We emphasize individual care to each dog, cat, ferret, bird or rabbit boarding with us. Pets must be current on applicable vaccinations and free of fleas! We also provide hospitalized boarding for those pets that require higher levels of observation and care. Our doctors will evaluate your pet's status daily.