Description
AAHA Working, Assistance, and Therapy Dog Guidelines help veterinary teams provide top-notch patient care for this unique population of pets with specialized training for invaluable human support. When these skills and relationships are in place, the healthcare of working dogs represents one of the most rewarding and valuable services that a veterinary practice can render.
Our guidelines include resources that simplify and make it easy to utilize in any clinic. In addition, these guidelines include a toolkit that enable patient care recommendations to become one with your practice culture.
Contributors
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AAHA Working, Assistance, and Therapy Dog Guidelines Task Force
These guidelines were prepared by a task force of experts convened by the American Animal Hospital Association (AAHA) and were subjected to a formal peer-review process. This document is intended as a guideline only, not an AAHA standard of care.These guidelines and recommendations should not be construed as dictating an exclusive protocol, course of treatment, or procedure. Variations in practice may be warranted based on the needs of the individual patient, resources, and limitations unique to each individual practice setting. Evidence-based support for specific recommendations has been cited whenever possible and appropriate.
Other recommendations are based on practical clinical experience and a consensus of expert opinion. Further research is needed to document some of these recommendations. Because each case is different, veterinarians must base their decisions on the best available scientific evidence in conjunction with their own knowledge and experience.
Guidelines Contributors (click here)