Veterinary Logos - 20 Compelling Design Ideas For Your Practice
Your veterinary clinic logo is more important than you think. It’s the first thing that most potential customers are going to see, well before they get a hint of your stellar medicinal skills. So, you want to make sure your logo stands out for effective veterinary marketing. Here are a few great veterinary logos for inspiration.
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Factors to Consider When Creating Your Veterinary Logo for Good Veterinary Marketing
You want your veterinary logo to grab your client’s attention and stick with them so that they remember you the next time they’re in need of veterinary services? Send that message with the following tips:
🟣 Use a color scheme that matches your atmosphere-do you want to convey professionalism, put off a funky vibe, or a caring tone
🟣 An image of an animal goes a long way, otherwise a paw print or a veterinary caduceus may be used but they’re not as memorable
🟣 Be concise with your wording, people don’t want a paragraph
🟣 Promote professionalism
🟣 Customize it to your preferences. If you like Scottish Terriers, use an image of one.
1. GV Vets
Designed by: 99designs.com.au
The above logo shows that GV Vets treat both large and small animals. It is simple and unique with a pleasing color scheme.
2. Vital Pets
Designed by: Carolina Mateos Salmon
This green paw print is very calming yet shows the variety of species that can be treated at this clinic. It also shows the name of the clinic very boldly so that it stands out, which is a great move from veterinary marketing perspective.
3. Animal Care Clinic
Designed by: Matthew Dimmitt
For a simpler design, Animal Care Clinic chooses outlines of animals with their name underneath. It gets right to the point yet has a way of being memorable.
4. Hillcrest Animal Hospital
Designed by: Laura Guardalabene
This veterinary logo reminds us of the special bond that is shared between animals and adds a small red cross to differentiate a veterinary clinic from some other form of animal care facility.
5. Westshore Veterinary Clinic
Designed by: Yesim Tuzan
This image just has a nice flow to it making it perfect for a holistic or integrative type of veterinary medicine. Customizing your veterinary logos to fit your specialty will help clients remember what you’re all about.
6. Blakehurst Vet
Designed by: Bossall691
Veterinary logos can be cute and still look professional. This one provides more of an animation but with a simple color scheme. It also has the space for a customized message at the bottom which makes the access to website easier. This is important when looking at different veterinary marketing ideas.
7. Holistika
Designed by: Truth & Design
If you’d rather not use an animal image, using a memorable font or emblem can work in the same way.
8. Melba Veterinary Clinic
Designed by: Julia S.
This veterinary clinic wanted to show that it was friendly and family-oriented with a soft and inclusive veterinary logo.
9. Four Labs
Designed by: C1k
If you have a great picture or drawing of one of your own pets, this shows how it can be used as a very memorable and unique logo.
10. Vet 2 Home
Designed by: Cooper
For a house call vet, this veterinary logo combines a paw print with a door to symbolize the specialty of their business. The image can still convey their message even without the wording.
11. Lincoln Square Animal Hospital
Designed by: tasa
The rainbow coloring on this veterinary logo matches a rainbow mural on the outside of the building making it easy for clients to remember this clinic.
12. All God’s Creatures
Designed by: agnes design
Nothing says love and care like a subtle heart in a veterinary logo. This combines a heart with silhouetted animals to convey their message.
13. Asheville Animal Acupuncture
Designed by: KVA
This veterinary logo creates a heart out of animals. It also adds some leaves for a bit of a natural touch that fits with their acupuncture practices.
14. The Pet Clinic
Designed by: Art and Pixels
For a nice balance, this veterinary logo combines animals, medicine, and a human hand to show the combination of care that this clinic hopes to take with pets.
15. TFB Equine
Designed by: Painted Pony Studios
This striking, yet simple veterinary logo uses a contrasting background to make their smooth-lined image really stand out.
16. New Leaf
Designed by: Alexandru.S
With the coloring and the leaf logo, it’s hard to forget this veterinary clinic’s name. Combining the name of your clinic, if possible, into an image is a great way to stick in client’s minds.
17. Port Orchard Veterinary Clinic
Designed by: Bossall691
Here’s another great combination veterinary logo that conveys happy animals and tranquility. Notice the small medical details as well as the tie-in of the tree with the Port Orchard name.
18. Choice Pets
Designed by: kerman
A nice splash of color and cute imagery helps make this veterinary logo stand out. It also incorporates the name of the clinic in the slogan as a great memory trick.
19. Wine Country Veterinary Hospital
Designed by: Creative “Pixel”
Here’s another way of incorporating the name into the image. Even though grapes and animals aren’t really related, it ties the clinic’s name in with the services they provide.
20. Good Vets
Designed by: Costin Logopus
This veterinary logo is just so striking with the color scheme and the initial simplicity. However, on closer look the triangle appears like a V for veterinary. There is also room to add a slogan at the bottom.
11 Steps to Create the Best Veterinary Facebook Marketing Strategy
While we all know that animals get a lot of love on social media, as a veterinary practice, you need to post much more than just animal images. Facebook is one of the most viewed social media platforms by pet owners so creating a veterinary Facebook marketing strategy is vital. It will help you get the best out of the platform. In this blog, we've given you 11 steps to create the best veterinary Facebook marketing strategy.
Free eBook: Digital Marketing for Veterinary Practices
1. Set your veterinary Facebook marketing goals
It's crucial to determine the results that you want from your Facebook marketing strategy, for example increasing website traffic, getting leads from your Facebook business page, or building brand awareness. There is no one-size-fits-all strategy, but having specific goals that follow the SMART strategy can provide focus.
2. Identify your audience
You need to define your target audience demographic. Whatever your demographic is, it's very likely they're on Facebook, and if you want to reach the right people, you need to determine this. As for your veterinary practice, the target audience commonly is pet owners, you need to determine what type of pet owners do you want to target? For example, the largest proportion of Facebook users are males between the ages of 25 to 34.
3. Learn the trend of engagement for posting
Getting into the minds of your target audience is crucial. Understanding the types of posts pet owners like and other factors, such as response times and how they engage (as well as when they engage) are all crucial.
4. Gather a list of pet/pet owner groups
With so many different veterinary Facebook groups, it's important to establish local pet and pet owner groups for you to engage with local pet owners. You can search for groups using the search bar and using search terms that relate to your business. For example, you can enter the terms “pets” or “pet care” and the name of your town/area to find many local groups.
5. Plan what you want to post
Once you have completed the above steps you can decide what you want to post on your feed and also share on groups you are part of. Your veterinary business brand will determine the tone of the content you want to post, but it is important to share reliable information as this will establish your credibility. You can share information through a number of veterinary associations that post regularly on Facebook, for example, the American Veterinary Medical Association and the American Pets Products Association. You could also share a behind-the-scenes look at your veterinary practice, discounts and offers, and polls as ways to boost engagement.
6. Establish a posting schedule
To establish consistent engagements, scheduling veterinary Facebook posts can help you to post regularly, increase your social media engagement, and save time creating individual posts. You can either do this by using third-party scheduling tools like Hootsuite, or you could use Facebook’s built-in posting scheduler.
7. Allocate someone incharge of facebook posting
It is vital to hand the reins over to someone who understands the business goals and has the knowledge to engage with the audience. If you feel there isn't anybody in-house that can handle the duties, you may want to consider appointing a freelance social media professional.
8. Prepare for negative comments
Online criticism is, unfortunately, par for the course, but the best approach is to respond politely to any attacks and move the conversation offline. However, if you have a loyal Facebook following, they are more likely to come to your defense.
9. Use the best features and functions
Utilizing all of Facebook's functions at its best will help you get the maximum out of it free of charge. Making sure the about section on your veterinary Facebook page is up to date and is similar to the details on your website will be highly beneficial when a new pet owner wants to reach out to you. Other functions like the profile picture, cover photo, booking button, detailed analytics, and reviews are key functions that will help you grow your business if properly used.
10. Use the Best Social Media Management Tools
Ensuring that you can manage your social media campaign is essential, and there are many popular social media management tools that your veterinary practice can use. Two of the most popular are Buffer and Hootsuite. You can also choose to hand over the responsibility to an agency that is an expert in the field like WhiskerCloud veterinary marketing
11. Facebook Reporting and Analytics
Gaining crucial insight into your audience is vital. There are many reporting and analytics tools out there on the market, but Facebook offers a free analytics tool called Audience Insights, which can give you a better understanding of who engages with your page so you can target your audience more effectively. There is also a detailed guide available to help you understand and the right type of approach for your veterinary business.
Conclusion
Ensuring your veterinary practice makes a big impact where it counts means utilizing Facebook and all of its functions. With two-thirds of Facebook users visiting a local business page at least once a week, this highlights that local businesses can create lasting connections within their communities and build that all-important engagement.
Veterinary SEO: 10 Ways To Improve Your Practice’s Ranking on Google
Every competitor wants to be at the top of the search engine results, and it’s the same in the world of veterinary practices, as veterinary SEO works in the same way as any other form of SEO. It can seem somewhat mysterious to the uninitiated, but there are ways to improve your Google rankings. Because Google's algorithm is always evolving, your veterinary practice needs to stay up-to-date. But how can you improve your practice’s ranking on Google?
What Is Local SEO?
Local SEO requires a focus on a variety of different ranking factors. It is an SEO strategy that helps your business to be more visible in local results in Google's searches.
To rank for local searches, you have to combine different ranking factors, as Google's algorithm will rely on so many different signals. Getting your business to rank up is more difficult, but let's dive deep into some of the key areas that can help you rank locally.
Free eBook: Digital Marketing for Veterinary Practices
10 ways to improve your veterinary SEO:
1. Optimize your website for keywords
You have to start with coming up with a list of keywords you want your website (different pages) to rank for. Once you have determined them, you need to add those keywords to your website as much as you can but as it makes sense (keyword stuffing will negatively impact your ranking). Your keywords are crucial to your ranking, so it needs to be within, your title tag, meta description, and content. The image below indicates what a title tag and meta description is.
2. Check the site's speed
User experience, commonly abbreviated to UX, is one of the key page ranking methods for Google. If your website loads fast, users are more likely to stay and return. There are main tools to check the page load times, including Google PageSpeed Tools.
3. Have a mobile friendly site
There are many more searches conducted on mobiles than on laptops. This will have significant implications for the ranking of your site. If your website isn't mobile-ready, this lowers your Google ranking. The algorithm is also programmed to look for the load speed, and if your website isn't loading on mobile devices, this will affect your ranking. In fact, 57% of users say they will not recommend a business if it has a poorly designed website on mobile.
4. Create informative and quality content
Google created EAT to guide their search engine results pages. EAT, short for expertise, authority, and trustworthiness can impact several aspects of your website. Websites need to be considered authorities in their industry. Creating trustworthy content will improve your rankings. Creating informative content can be done through a number of approaches, including outsourcing to blog writing or working with digital agencies. However, the best of all is using your internal experience and sources to create useful content. For eg: your own vets writing about pet care for your website will have a lot of value.
5. Use Google Analytics
You need to set up your website with Google Analytics, as this tool can help you track conversions and sign up to your website while also giving you insight into the speed of your website's common keywords, and significant other factors. Because it is designed by Google it is one of the best ways to improve your website ranking.
6. Stick with a standard URL structure
The age of your domain doesn't Factor into Google's ranking, but if you change your URL, this will have a direct impact on how your website performs. When you change your URL, this can break all existing links to your website unless you create proper redirects. You need to keep your URL structure the same, and if you need to move some of your site's content, you need to add redirects.
7. Improve your website's architecture
Good quality website architecture means logically organizing the information. As a rule, it should take no more than three clicks to get to the deepest part of your website. If your website is confusing, users will go back to the search engine results page, which increases your bounce rate, which is the percentage of visitors who enter the website and then leave rather than going deeper into the website.
8. Claim pages on major directories
Google is the highest-ranking directory than others, but to boost your local SEO ranking, you can add your business through Google Maps and claim your business via the same process
9. Emphasize positive reviews
Another key aspect of local SEO ranking is to have more positive reviews. Google will reward businesses with positive reviews more favorably.
10. Be consistent
Finally, Google rewards websites with accurate information across every platform. Ensuring that your contact information on your website is consistent with social media is important. Additionally, you need to make sure that everything is consistently spelled, for example, the spelling of “Road” can be abbreviated to “Rd.” The small details will help Google cross-reference information on specific pages.
Conclusion
Veterinary SEO (Search Engine Optimization) is the defining factor in improving your search engine rankings. 0.78% of all Google searches click on results from page 2 of your search engine results page and as SEO will drive 1000%+ more traffic than organic social media, it is more important than ever to improve your practice’s ranking.
Top 17 Veterinary Blog Sites for Your Practice
There are a ton of blogs out there that cover every topic imaginable, and a veterinary blog is no different. With so many to pick from, how can you choose how to spend your time wisely? While many veterinary blogs are geared toward pet owners, there are still quite a few that are authored by veterinary professionals, for veterinary professionals.
When signing up to follow veterinary bloggers, you’ll reap a host of benefits that cater to your lifelong love of learning.
Top perks to following veterinary blogs include learning about:
🔵 Real-life experiences
🔵 Industry updates
🔵 Innovative products, procedures, and therapies
🔵 The state of veterinary medicine
🔵 Veterinary marketing
🔵 Practice management
🔵 Technology and software
🔵 Team wellness and culture
Here are our top picks (in no particular order) for veterinary blogs you need to add to your favourites list.
Free eBook: 5 Time-Saving Veterinary Checklists
17 of the best veterinary blog sites you must follow:
1. IDEXX blogs
IDEXX offers five different veterinary blogs, some of which focus solely on their software products, while others concentrate on practice management, client communication, technology, and well-being.
Here are two of our favorite posts:
🟣 Are Veterinary Practices Suited for WFH? — After lockdown, many people aren’t thrilled about returning to work, and this blog post lets you know if there are work-from-home positions for vet practices.
🟣 How Can Artificial Intelligence Help Veterinarians? — Vets need all the help they can get to take care of the never-ending patient load, and AI might be the answer.
Who should read it: Veterinary professionals, managers, owners
Region: US
Website: https://www.idexx.com/en/blogs/
2. Vetstoria blogs
No, we’re not biased. When it comes to veterinary blogs and resources, most of our focus is on veterinary life, efficiency, culture, saving time, productivity, revenue, and pet owner experience. We also write about veterinary software, industry insights, and technology.
Here are two of our highlights:
🟣 Veterinary Industry: Top Trends Practices Should Know — This blog post covers the up-and-coming trends within the veterinary industry that will help keep you at the front of the pack.
🟣 8 Ways to Retain Your Veterinary Receptionist and Save Time — This blog post shares tips on how to keep your receptionists happy, which is crucial during this worldwide veterinary staffing shortage.
Who should read it: Veterinary practice managers and owners
Region: UK
Website: https://www.vetstoria.com/blog/
3. Dr. Andy Roark veterinary blogs
Dr. Andy Roark’s veterinary blogs cover personal experiences in the clinic with colleagues and pet owners, authored by various veterinary professionals.
Here are two of our favorite posts:
🟣 Where Have the Working Moms Gone? — Learn how to incorporate more mothers into this female-dominated industry.
🟣 Financial Self-Care in Veterinary Medicine — Discover the link between financial wellness and overall well-being.
Who should read it: Veterinary managers and owners
Region: US
Website: https://drandyroark.com/blog/
4. Vet2Pet blogs
Vet2Pet’s veterinary blog shares tips on how to use technology to create more streamlined workflows and efficient practice, along with how to support your team and implement a positive clinic culture.
Here are two of our favorite posts:
🟣 Short-Staffed Veterinary Practice? 8 Tips to Do More With Less — Who isn’t short-staffed nowadays? This post shares ways to tackle your overbooked schedule with minimal staff.
🟣 How Technology Can Help Your Veterinary Practice Recruit Employees — Learn how to use every available perk (like technology) when attracting new hires in this blog post.
Who should read it: Veterinary managers, owners
Region: US
Website: https://vet2pet.com/blog/
5. Veterinary Practice News
The Veterinary Practice News blog covers a vast array of topics, from practice management and medicine to large animals and exotics. They also share the latest industry news, technological advancements, and innovative products.
Here are two of our favorite posts:
🟣 Overworked? You might want to blame poor productivity; not pandemic puppies — This post explains in-depth why you may seem busier, although revenue and the number of patients seen don’t seem to reflect it.
🟣 Local blocks to prevent pain in spay and neuter procedures — Dive into this discussion of fear and pain, and how both can be reduced through local blocks.
Who should read it: Veterinary owners, managers, and doctors
Region: US
Website: https://www.veterinarypracticenews.com/news/
6. PetDesk Blogs
PetDesk provides resources, like client communication and staff efficiency tips, to help your practice run more smoothly, along with advice for pet owners.
Here are two of our favorite posts:
🟣 6 Ways to Advance Your Vet Tech Career — A bored, unfulfilled vet tech is one who is likely to leave the field, so learn how to grow and thrive in your career.
🟣 Things to Consider When Shopping for Practice Information Management Software (PIMS) — Purchasing a new PIMS is not a decision to be made lightly, but this blog post can help guide you through it.
Who should read it: Veterinary professionals and pet owners
Region: US
Website: https://petdesk.com/blog/
7. VETgirl
VETgirl provides plenty of continuing education (CE) opportunities in their blog and covers topics ranging from emergency and critical care to self-care and personal wellness.
Here are two of our favorite posts:
🟣 The Top 10 Essential Veterinary Technician Survival Tools — Learn the 10 essentials every vet tech needs to survive and thrive in their career.
🟣 Understanding Anxiety in Cats: Helping Cats Cope with Environmental Change — Learn how to ward off feline idiopathic cystitis by helping cats handle change better.
Who should read it: Veterinarians and Veterinary technicians
Region: US
Website: https://vetgirlontherun.com/blog/
8. Vet Education
The Vet Education blog and website provide multiple types of interactive learning that cover every aspect of veterinary care, from surgery to wellness.
Here are two of our favorite posts:
🟣 Management of Hypothermia under General Anaesthesia — This blog post shares ways to ward off hypothermia side effects in anesthetised patients.
🟣 5 Things You Need To Know About Wound Management in Small Animal Practice — Learn how to prevent common mistakes in wound management and promote speedy healing.
Who should read it: Veterinarians and Technicians
Region: Australia
Website: https://veteducation.com.au/blog/
9. AVMA@Work
The American Veterinary Medicine Association blog shares the latest industry news and various tools and services to help support veterinary professionals.
Here are two of our favorite posts:
🟣 Celebrate Veterinary Technician Week by using all their skills — Your vet techs are an integral part of the team, so learn how to celebrate them in this post.
🟣 Help prevent suicide in veterinary medicine — Discover suicide prevention tools for veterinarians in this blog post.
Who should read it: Veterinary owners and managers
Region: US
Website: https://www.avma.org/blog
10. I Love Veterinary
Divided into sections for veterinary professionals and pet owners, the I Love Veterinary blog covers a wide range of topics and includes interviews with vets, techs, and vet students.
Here are two of our favorite posts:
🟣 How to Become a Dog Trainer — Branch out in your professional interests and discover how to become a dog trainer.
🟣 Introducing Osteopathy into Your Veterinary Practice — This blog post covers the ins and outs of osteopathy and how to become proficient at performing this manual therapy.
Who should read it: Veterinary doctors, managers, students, and pet owners
Region: US
Website: https://iloveveterinary.com/
11. The Vet Recruiter
Understanding how to successfully recruit a full team is critical during this staffing shortage, and The Vet Recruiter blog shares a wealth of information on how to attract new hires.
Here are two of our favorite posts:
🟣 Why Your New Hires Are Failing (And What You Can Do About It) — Finding people to hire is difficult enough, so learn how to help new hires succeed in this post.
🟣 How to Improve Company Culture for Better Animal Health and Veterinary Hiring — With so many open positions, you need to take every advantage when it comes to hiring, and this post tells you how.
Who should read it: Veterinary professionals, job seekers, hiring practices
Region: US
Author: Stacy Pursell, founder, and CEO of The Vet Recruiter
Website: https://thevetrecruiter.com/news/
12. Beyond the Numbers
This blog by VetSuccess focuses on practice management, covering everything from industry trends and finances to marketing and metrics.
Here are two of our favorite posts:
🟣 Let’s separate facts from feelings: The data behind emerging veterinary trends — This blog post shares data on how the COVID-19 pandemic has affected practices.
🟣 Veterinary inventory waste: 6 ways you can combat this pesky revenue killer — Inventory management is a major pain point for many practices, but this post helps you get your inventory under control.
Who should read it: Veterinary professionals, managers, owners
Region: Canada
Website: https://vetsuccess.com/blog/
13. VetX International
VetX International provides resources for practice managers, owners, and vet professionals alike. They cover topics like industry news, practice life, leadership, culture, and much more.
Here are two of our favorite posts:
🟣 Nine Ways to Improve Employee Retention in Your Practice — With the worldwide veterinary staffing shortage, you won’t want to miss the tips in this blog post.
🟣 7 Veterinary Appointment Scheduling Tips To Keep You On Time — Appointments frequently run late in vet med, but these tips can help you stick to your schedule.
Who should read it: Veterinary owners, and managers
Region: UK
Website: https://www.vetxinternational.com/articles/
14. Pick the Brain
Although many of their blog posts cover how to use their software for a smooth-operating practice, there are also tons of general hospital operations tips.
Here are two of our favorite posts:
🟣 Retaining Veterinary Staff During Our Current Staffing Crisis — Check out three ways to make your team happy—and find new staff—during the staffing crisis.
🟣 Prescription Safety Tips for Veterinary Teams — Learn ways to keep your patients safe through an accurate prescription filling process.
Who should read it: Veterinary receptionists, owners, and managers
Region: US
Website: https://pickthebrain.instinct.vet/
15. Worms & Germs
This blog discusses everything about infectious diseases that could have an affect on the public and is an excellent resource for COVID questions.
Here are two of our favorite posts:
🟣 Animal-Only Antibiotics: A Solution to the Scourge of Antimicrobial Resistance (Spoiler… Probably Not) — This post discusses the importance of antimicrobial stewardship and what impact animal-only antibiotics could have.
🟣 More About a Potential Dog-Origin Coronavirus in People — Learn more about a potentially new coronavirus that could infect people.
Who should read it: Veterinary doctors and technicians
Region: Canada
Website: https://www.wormsandgermsblog.com/
16. SkeptVet
SkeptVet is a blog that tackles controversial issues in veterinary medicine, like nutrition, supplements, behaviour, and much more, by using science-based evidence to back up claims.
Here are two of our favorite posts:
🟣 Fresh Diets for Pets: Are they Healthier than Kibble or Canned? — Check out this blog post for studies regarding fresh diets for pets.
🟣 Evidence Update: Discouraging News for CBD & Arthritis in Dogs — This blog post shares the latest studies and evidence about CBD use in arthritic dogs.
Who should read it: Veterinary doctors, pet owners
Region: US
Website: https://skeptvet.com/Blog/
17. Merck Manuals Student Stories
Packed with real-life stories to guide vet students through their journey, the Merck Manuals Student Stories blog also covers trending topics and clinical experience.
Here are two of our favorite posts:
🟣 3 Tips to Achieve Your Veterinary Career Goals — Whether you’re at the beginning of your vet career or looking for a change, this is the blog post for you.
🟣 The Pandemic Puppy Boom: What is to Come? — Is separation anxiety going to rise in pets? Find out in this blog post.
Who should read it: Veterinary students
Region: US
Website: https://vetstudentstories.merckmanuals.com/blog/
Final thoughts
While podcasts and webinars are all the rage, there’s nothing quite like a well-written article that you can bookmark to read again and again. By subscribing to this list of fantastic veterinary blogs to follow, you’ll discover the latest industry news, innovative products and techniques, wellness tips, client communication methods, and so much more. With so many topics covered, it will be tough to narrow down your favorite blogs to follow, so why not follow them all?
Vetstoria & PetPack are officially partners
Vetstoria and veterinary marketing agency PetPack have been working in tandem for quite some time to help vets provide the best possible online experience for their clients. With this partnership, we'll be expanding our capabilities through joint promotions, enhanced analytics, and shared expertise.
This partnership will benefit PetPack and Vetstoria clients through access to exclusive pricing and promotions, as well as enhanced integration between Vetstoria's online booking system and PetPack's online marketing services.
Bringing our systems closer together will provide our teams and veterinary clients with greater insight into how pet owners find and interact with online bookings. The enhanced analytics capability will mean the client journey can be tracked end-to-end: from an initial Google search right through to a confirmed booking.
The partnership will also benefit veterinary practices utilising PetPack online marketing campaigns. Connecting PetPack's campaigns with Vetstoria's campaign booking feature will provide vet practice promotions with a more effective call-to-action, and pet owners with a seamless method for claiming discounts or promotional tie-ins.
“We’re big fans of Vetstoria and the platform they have built. Their focus on the pet owner experience and in providing practices with tools that are built for the industry but also flexible is very much in line with our own business model. We are thrilled to partner with them.”
- Dr James Ramsden, PetPack Founder
“PetPack has always been a pleasure to work with. Our paths have crossed many times because of mutual clients needing our services to join up. This partnership will see more practices combine digital marketing with online booking, which we know is a winning formula to grow business and save time.”
- Dr Julien Renard, CEO of Vetstoria
This partnership represents the shared trust between our two organisations, and our joint goal to serve the veterinary industry and pet owners.
FREE PetPack + Vetstoria joint webinar on client experience and time-saving!
Vet teams are busier than ever, so it's important to find ways to save time that don't sacrifice the customer experience.
We're inviting you to a free webinar with veteran technology advisor Sharon Kibble of Vetstoria and Dr. James Ramsden of PetPack on this webinar on client & staff experience.
During the webinar, you'll learn:
- How to use online booking to save time in your practice
- How digital marketing keeps your clients cool, calm, and collectively well-informed
Thu 11th of Nov | 6 pm AEST (Melbourne/Sydney) or 7 am GMT (London)
Veterinary Software - The Ultimate List
Table of contents
Where is veterinary software headed
Benefits of veterinary software
Veterinary software ROI
Checklist for choosing the right veterinary software
Types of veterinary software
- Practice management software (PMS)
- Online appointment scheduling and reminders software
- Inventory management software
- Client communications software
- Telemedicine software for vets and veterinary practices
- Dictation software
- Reporting software
- Payment software
- Mobile check-in software
- Electronic medical records (EMR) software
- Patient workflow software
- Customised veterinary software builder
Where is veterinary software headed?
North America is expected to witness the highest compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of the veterinary software market over the next five years. It is because of the increasing number of households that own pets, and the growth in animal health care expenditure. Additionally, product innovation, software integration, sophisticated technology, and a high percentage of tech-savvy owners are other factors driving the veterinary software advancement.
There are 3 veterinary industry trends that rely on advancing technology to provide better pet care. They are mobile apps, telemedicine, and artificial intelligence. Because of the recent skyrocketing demand, these efficient technology trends are here to stay. Furthermore, these technologies help battle the staffing shortage issue plaguing the industry.
Veterinary mobile apps 📱
With the advent of cloud-based software, veterinary professionals are no longer tied to clunky desktops to access client and patient data. Mobile apps only furthered the ability to access practice data from anywhere. They typically perform better and provide an optimal user experience than browser versions of software. By completing tasks on your mobile app and automatically syncing to your practice management software (PMS), you can save tons of time. Certain PIMS also offer an app as one of their features. As these apps become even more functional they will become the industry standard, rather than a nice add-on.
Veterinary Telemedicine 💻
Telemedicine was slowly making its way into the veterinary industry before it was greatly accelerated by the pandemic. Due to the new socially distanced form of practicing medicine, veterinary professionals and their clients enjoy the numerous benefits telemedicine offers. Several of the major practice management software also responded quickly by integrating telemedicine capabilities. Without needing to leave your software to schedule, initiate, or host a virtual appointment, you can save even more time through increased efficiency. Full-service telehealth offerings with mobile, desktop, and browser-based interfaces allowing for billing options, medical record integrations, calendar access, automated follow-ups, and auto prescription refills will grow to be the norm in the veterinary industry over the next five years.
Veterinary artificial intelligence 🤖
Artificial intelligence (AI) is joining the veterinary workforce to help get more done in less time. It’s currently making huge strides in the radiology department by automating routine readings and saving the more difficult cases for specialists. AI technology can be tied into your PMS so that all images can be automatically scanned and evaluated, providing results in minutes for a rapid diagnosis. When AI is partnered with practice management software, every radiograph can be screened as a fast, affordable standard of care. As data sources and AI engines become more sophisticated, look for AI to assist in many areas of veterinary medicine in the coming years.
Benefits of veterinary software
Using technology to perform everything from mundane, administrative tasks to the act of practicing medicine simplifies each and every workflow within your practice. Benefits of veterinary software include the following:
🔵 Streamlines processes - Tracking inventory, managing transactions, and generating advanced reports and analytics are just a few tasks a robust veterinary management system performs.
🔵 Boosts client engagement - Veterinary software helps strengthen client communication and improve pet owner convenience by sending appointment and health service reminders, laboratory reports, and itemized invoices via email, text, or app notifications.
🔵 Stores data in a centralized location - A practice management software acts as a centralized data storage and eliminates paper-based workflow, enabling rapid search and management features.
🔵 Supports your practice - Saves time, minimizes staff shortages, grows your business, helps you stay ahead of the competition, and future-proof your practice.
Veterinary software ROI
The more you understand how to use all your software’s features, the higher your ROI on your veterinary software. IT professionals often say that 80% of customers use only 20% of the features in a given piece of technology. You’re paying for features that could boost your practice productivity, but you’re not converting those tools into actual returns for your practice.
Here's a stat released through a case study published by Rishabh Software. Their cloud-based veterinary practice management software helped boost productivity by automating workflows. Which resulted in a 46% improvement in operational efficiency and a four times faster turnaround of report generation and billing. By undergoing whole-team training, the entire practice understood how to best use their software’s features to improve clinical processes, ensuring they utilized their software to its fullest.
Checklist for choosing the right veterinary software
Find out:
🔲 How old the software is
Making sure the software is old enough to have learned your veterinary practice needs will ensure it solves your problems.
🔲 The latest software version release date
With the latest software version releases comes a significant upgrade in technology that will help your practice even better. They can be server to cloud-based model transition, pricing changes, the release of mobile apps, etc.
🔲 If the software is server or cloud-based
Choosing cloud-based software will help you store your clinic’s data in the cloud reducing your hardware expense and giving you more secure data storage.
🔲 Ability to grow your practice (potential ROI)
Make sure the software can help you generate a positive ROI by increasing clients, improving customer satisfaction, and providing you with detailed analytics and marketing opportunities.
🔲 What the monthly Vs annual price of the software is
If the monthly rate is not affordable or does not give you return on Investment, you will make a loss by purchasing the software.
🔲 Ability to use on mobile devices
Convenience is key. Check if the software can be accessed anywhere, at any time using any device by your team or customers.
🔲 If the features fit your requirements
If the functions of the software do not help you fulfill your requirement or solve an issue, that is not the right software for you.
🔲 Integration possibilities with other software systems
You will be wasting days of your valuable time if the software does not integrate with the other software you use in your practice. A new integration takes time.
🔲 User experience
If your veterinary team is complaining about using the software, that is a sign of a bad user experience. A software with a great user experience should make it easy, smooth, and interesting to the users.
🔲 Seemless onboarding and friendly client support
A seamless start is a sign of a great result. Make sure the software provides great support in onboarding and after purchase and helps you make the best use of their software.
Types of veterinary software
1. Practice management software (PMS)
Veterinary PMS is used to assist in the daily operations of hospitals, and typically includes such features as invoicing, accounting, inventory tracking, electronic medical records (EMR), client database, and appointment scheduling. Here is a list of the top practice management software companies in the industry.
IDEXX Cornerstone
Used by over 125,000 professionals at North America's most advanced veterinary hospitals, Cornerstone is known for its advanced integration with numerous apps, services, and products, allowing practices to be fully synced with their laboratory equipment, imaging system, client app, and more.
● Features: Diagnostic and imaging integration, appointment scheduling, inventory, EMR, compliance assessment, invoicing, reporting, whiteboard
● Best for: Practices that want versatile, feature-rich software
● Starting price: Not provided
● Capterra rating: 4.1
● Website: www.idex-cornerstone.com
AVImark
More than 10,000 practices have chosen Avimark because it’s powerful and scalable enough to support practice growth, and also easy to learn and use. Take advantage of the free trial offered.
● Features: Appointment scheduling, billing, invoicing, confirmation, reminders, imaging, inventory management, patient records management, prescription processing, treatment planning
● Best for: Practices of all sizes
● Starting price: Not provided
● Capterra rating: 4.1
● Website: www.avimark.net
IDEXX Animana
Available in many languages, Animana is a widely adaptable cloud-based PMS. Animana can be used anywhere, works on PC, Mac, and tablets. The platform is not limited in the number of users and is backed by a 24/7/365 free hotline.
● Features: Diagnostic and imaging integration, appointment scheduling, billing, invoicing, digital marketing, loyalty program, confirmation, reminders, inventory management, patient records management, prescription processing, treatment planning
● Best for: All small or large animal practices
● Starting price: Not provided
● Capterra rating: 4.4
● Website: www.idexx-animana.co.uk
IDEXX Neo
Intuitive to use and easy to learn, Neo has all the features you need to get it up and running quickly, with the added benefit of accessing this cloud-based PMS anywhere.
● Features: Diagnostic integration, appointment scheduling, billing, invoicing, digital payments, confirmation, reminders, inventory management, patient records management, prescription processing
● Best for: General practitioners, mobile clinics, and shelters
● Starting price: $199/user/month
● Capterra rating: 4.2
● Website: www.idexx-neo.com
eVetPractice
As a cloud-based PMS, eVetPractice runs on any internet-enabled device and provides seamless integrations with lab equipment, a pet owner portal, and wellness plans.
● Features: Practice whiteboard, EMR, pet owner-accessible portal, telemedicine, integrated inventory, prescription management, lab systems, and accounting and payment
● Best for: Hospitals and mobile practices with 1 to 150 employees
● Starting price: Tiered pricing starts at $250/month
● Capterra rating: 4.3
● Website: www.evetpractice.com
Vetter
Vetter is a cloud-based PMS that automates manual tasks, streamlines workflows, and improves visibility into the health of your practice, all while requiring no contract.
● Features: Appointment scheduling, billing, invoicing, confirmation, reminders, imaging, inventory management, patient records management, prescription processing, treatment planning
● Best for: Smaller practices with up to 15 users
● Starting price: $99/month
● Capterra rating: 4.6
● Website: www.vettersoftware.com
RxWorks
Used in 19 countries by universities and large corporate groups, RxWorks is a PMS that automates many tasks to provide a more consistent standard of care and prevent missed charges.
● Features: Appointment scheduling, billing, invoicing, confirmations, reminders, inventory management, patient records management, prescription processing, treatment planning, insurance claims management, virtual visits, client-facing check-in kiosks
● Best for: Practices that want a highly automated PMS
● Starting price: Not listed
● Capttera rating: 4.3
● Website: www.rxworks.com
rhapsody
As a unified platform, rhapsody is a cloud-based PMS with a ton of advanced features that are simple to learn and use, and all the essentials are accessible on a single screen.
● Features: Appointment scheduling, mobile and online payments, confirmation, reminders, inventory management, patient records management, prescription processing, treatment planning, telehealth, check-in kiosk, whiteboard
● Best for: Practices that want an advanced, yet easy use, PMS
● Starting price: Not listed
● Capterra rating: 5.0
● Website: www.rhapsody.vet
Vetera
With more than 18,000 users in the DACH region and beyond, the German-based PMS, Vetera, provides extensive and modern functions for all types of veterinary practices, from single-doctor equine practices to universities.
● Features: Appointment scheduling and resource management, customer communication, patient and client records, image ordering and archiving system, laboratory integration, inventory management, bookkeeping and accounting, statistics, and management reports.
● Best for: Small, large, or multi-location practices
● Starting price: Not listed
● Rating: Not listed
● Website: www.vetera.net
Merlin
Easy to use, Merlin is a cloud-based PMS that offers tons of integration features and secure solutions to power your business for profitability, efficiency, and patient care.
● Features: Appointment reminders, appointment scheduling, billing and invoicing, boarding management, image storage, inventory management, patient records, prescription management, treatment plans, diagnostic tool, and other integrations
● Best for: Practices in the UK
● Starting price: Not listed
● Capterra Rating: 5.0
● Website: www.mwiah.co.uk
VisionVPM
VisionVPM enables you to streamline clinic workflows and effectively manage clientele with advanced features and embedded communication.
● Features: Inventory management, general ledger, boarding schedules, comprehensive reporting, farm and equine functionality, reminders, marketing, telemedicine, payroll (New Zealand only)
● Best for: Small, large, or mixed animal practices
● Starting price: Not listed
● Capterra rating: 4.4
● Website: www.visionvpm.com
Provet Cloud
A Finnish-based company, Provet Cloud is a PMS for progressive veterinary practices, from small clinics to large hospitals, and is easily customized to support your workflows and specialties.
● Features: Appointment scheduling, billing, invoicing, confirmation, reminders, imaging, inventory management, patient records management, prescription processing, treatment planning
● Best for: Practice of any size
● Starting price: $25/user/month
● Capterra rating: 4.1
● Website: www.provet.cloud.com
Learn how to turn your PMS into a time-saving machine
Teleos
With the ability to be run off a server or through the cloud, Teleos provides practice management software to the UK, Ireland, Norway, and South Africa.
● Features: Laboratory and imaging integration, insurance claims, microchip registration, KPI dashboard, iPhone app, POS terminal, appointment scheduling, appointment confirmation, and reminders, billing and invoicing, treatment planning, prescription processing
● Best for: Independent practices
● Starting price: Not listed
● Caoterra rating: 5.0
● Website: www.teleosvet.co.uk
CHSVet
With leading providers in Australia and around the world, CHSVet can be hosted in the cloud, in-house, or mobile, and offers a lower Total Cost of Ownership than most other PMS.
● Features: Two-way messaging, appointment calendar, hospital charts, reminders, online booking, laboratory integration, wellness and loyalty programs, file storage, insurance claims
● Best for: All practices and ancillary pet services
● Starting price: $95/month
● Capterra rating: 4.1
● Website: www.chsvet.com
OpenVPMS
OpenVPMS is a full-featured, web browser-based PMS developed in Australia that operates as a not-for-profit organization.
● Features: Appointment scheduling, billing, invoicing, confirmation, reminders, imaging, inventory management, boarding management, patient records management, prescription processing, treatment planning
● Best for: Practices of all sizes
● Starting price: $450/year
● Capterra rating: 4.7
● Website: www.openvpms.org
ASSISI
Working with veterinary clinics across the UK, Assisi is a full-featured PMS system that automates tasks, improves workflows, and integrates finances to help save time and grow your business.
● Features: E-billing, offsite app, online booking, cloud data backup, advanced stock control, KPI reports, lab integration, insurance claims management, microchip registration, reporting, document control, client self-check-in, reminders
● Best for: Large or small animal practices
● Starting price: Not listed
● Rating: Not listed
● Website: www.assisi-vet-system.com
VetIT
A UK-based company, VetIT has features that are specifically designed for small animal, mixed animal, farm, and equine practices, with their cloud-based software making it easy to access patient records anywhere.
● Features: Appointment scheduling, billing, invoicing, confirmation, reminders, patient records management, pet owner portal, stock management, IDEXX lab integration, multi-lingual capacity
● Best for: All practice types
● Starting price: $450/year
● Capterra rating: 4.7
● Website: www.vetit.co.uk
Vetocom
Based in Pau, Vetocom is the leader in veterinary accounting and management software and is an excellent tool for veterinarians seeking the most reliable, complete solution. They also provide different modes for canine, rural, and equine activity.
● Features: Activity and medical management, accounting, product management, mobile apps, online appointments, multi-sites, laboratory and imaging integration, agenda, inventory management, billing
● Best for: All practice types
● Starting price: $60.37/month
● Vetocom customer survey (2017) rating: 4.5
● Website: www.vetocom.fr
Vet-One
Vet-One is the UK’s market leader in web-based or cloud veterinary PMS and has proven to reduce overhead and increase profits through time-saving and enhanced client service.
● Features: Online appointments, E-claims, flexible security, reminders, laboratory integration, invoicing, billing
● Best for: All practice types
● Starting price: Not listed
● Rating: Not listed
● Website: www.vet-one.com
VetNet A/S
VetNet has been the leading veterinary practice management software in Nordic countries for years, and it’s gaining more international recognition. Its main strength is perfect customer relationship management.
● Features: Online booking, reminders, anesthesia journals, dental charts, prescription processing, EMR, invoicing, finance and accounting, debt collection management, treatment archive
● Best for: Practices in the Nordic region
● Starting price: $117.06/month
● Rating: Not listed
● Website: www.vetnet.se
ezvetpro
An easy-to-use, mobile-friendly, comprehensive solution for veterinarians, ezvetpro offers powerful automated marketing, extensive analysis, and accounting to grow your veterinary practice.
● Features: Appointment scheduling, billing, invoicing, confirmation, reminders, imaging, inventory management, patient records management, prescription processing, treatment planning
● Best for: All practice types
● Starting price: Not listed
● Capterra Rating: 5.0
● Website: www.ezofficesystems.com
VetSCOPE
VetSCOPE is the market’s leading accounting and veterinary practice management solution in Ireland that incorporates small animal/equine case management, customer relationship management (CRM), prescription printing, and a full accounting suite in an easy-to-use and flexible system.
● Features: Appointment scheduling, billing, invoicing, confirmation, reminders, imaging, inventory management, patient records management, prescription processing, treatment planning
● Best for: Practices in the UK, Ireland, and Europe
● Starting price: Not listed
● Capterra rating: 1.0
● Website: www.vetscope.ie
Vetspire
Vetspire is an intelligent, intuitive, and powerful cloud-based veterinary practice management platform driven by AI.
● Features: Appointment scheduling, reminders, client texting, inventory, billing, reporting, EMR, searchable medical history, clinical decision support
● Best for: Practices that want cutting-edge technology
● Starting price: Not listed
● Rating: Not listed
● Website: www.vetspire.com
RoboVet
RoboVet offers powerful integrated modules to streamline workflow, simplify record management, and build customer relationships.
● Features: Appointment scheduling, reminders, automated marketing tools and workflows, KPI tracking, mobile app integration, virtual visits, integrated payments
● Best for: Practices of all sizes and specialties
● Starting price: Not listed
● Capterra rating: 3.9
● Website: www.robovet.com
ImproMed
ImproMed drives clinical and business success through enhanced reporting and real-time analytics, mobile applications, inventory optimization, and multiple ways to go paperless.
● Features: Integrated inventory and prescription management, wellness plans, client communication, marketing tools, online scheduling, forward booking, treatment plans, telemedicine, paperless workflows
● Best for: Practices of all sizes
● Starting price: Not listed
● Capterra rating: 4.0
● Website: www.impromed.com
ezyVet
ezyVet is the PMS of choice for veterinary professionals who want to save time, grow their business, and deliver excellence in all aspects of veterinary care.
● Features: Appointment scheduling, billing, invoicing, client database, confirmation, reminders, expense tracking, diagnostic and imaging integration, inventory management, EMR, prescription processing, treatment planning
● Best for: Practices of all sizes and specialties
● Starting price: $150/month
● Capterra rating: 4.7
● Website: www.ezyvet.com
VETport
VETport is the pioneer in cloud-based PMS for veterinary clinics and is currently being used in more than 20 countries.
● Features: Telemedicine, EMR, client communication, internal communication, reports, online scheduling, calendar, lab and payment integration, inventory management, self-check-in kiosk, boarding module, marketing, patient portal, wellness plans, reminders
● Best for: Practices of all types and sizes
● Starting price: Not listed
● Capterra rating: 4.6
● Website: www.vetport.com
Panacea
Panacea is a cloud-based practice management and clinical records system that’s intuitive and easy to use, claiming you’ll be up and running in minutes.
● Features: Appointment scheduling, billing, invoicing, confirmation, reminders, imaging, inventory management, patient records management, prescription processing, treatment planning
● Best for: Any size practice
● Starting price: $199/month
● Capterra rating: 4.8
● Website: www.panaceahq.com
VIA
Used in more than 20 countries, VIA is the first SQL Server-based PMS for the veterinary industry and prides itself on providing all the tools you need for creating a truly paperless practice.
● Features: Appointment scheduling, billing, invoicing, confirmation, reminders, imaging, inventory management, patient records management, prescription processing, treatment planning, breeding management, feed management, income and balance sheet, horse database, payment processing
● Best for: Any size practice
● Starting price: $2900 flat rate
● Capterra rating: 3.3
● Website: www.viainfosys.com
VetLinkSQL Software
VetLinkSQL, a cloud-hosted or on-premise PMS, is an innovative toolkit built on SQL technology and designed to streamline practice workflows.
● Features: Appointment scheduling, billing, invoicing, confirmation, reminders, imaging, inventory management, patient records management, prescription processing, treatment planning
● Best for: Any size practice
● Starting price: Not listed
● Capterra rating: 4.8
● Website: www.vetlinksql.com
Digitail
Digitail is a cloud-based, fully integrated veterinary PMS that provides a website and listing on their platform, allowing you to be discovered by new clients. Take advantage of their free 14-day trial.
● Features: Patient and client management, EMR, online scheduling and calendar, reminders, notifications, mobile app, two-way messaging, telemedicine, stock management, invoicing
● Best for: Independent practices, mobile vets, practices with multiple locations
● Starting price: $95/month
● Capterra rating: 4.9
● Website: www.digitail.io
Hippo Manager
Hippo Manager is the largest independently owned, cloud-based veterinary PMS in the United States. Through enhanced workflows, practices switching to Hippo Manager typically experience a 22% increase in gross revenue during their first year.
● Features: Appointment scheduling, billing, invoicing, DICOM viewer, confirmation, reminders, imaging, inventory management, patient records management, prescription processing, treatment planning, online patient portal, lab integration, point of sale
● Best for: Flexible and ideal for any size or type of practice
● Starting price: $119/month
● Capterra rating: 4.0
● Website: www.hippomanager.com
SpecVet
Designed with input from more than 30 veterinarians and administrators from ER and specialty clinics, SpecVet is an all-in-one veterinary PMS that handles the unique needs of non-GP practices.
● Features: Appointment scheduling, billing, invoicing, imaging, inventory management, patient records management, prescription processing
● Best for: Specialty, emergency, and referral hospitals
● Starting price: Not listed
● Capterra rating: 4.3
● Website: www.specvet.com
ClienTrax
ClienTrax is a leading PMS with powerful features that can dramatically improve the efficiency and productivity of your practice and is designed to be the most user-friendly program of its kind.
● Features: Online scheduling, preventive care plan, imaging, payment processing, telemedicine, inventory management, dictation, EMR, integrated lab, mobile app, reminders
● Best for: Any size and type of practice
● Starting price: Not listed
● Capterra rating: 4.1
● Website: www.clientrax.com
VETbuddy
VETbuddy is the next-generation clinic management software that is cloud-based, easy to use, affordable, and full of features required by veterinary practices all over the world.
⚬ Features: Loyalty program, telemedicine, EMR, online scheduling, reminders, billing, equipment integration, inventory management, performance dashboard, whiteboard, clinic website, client portal
⚬ Best for: Any size and type of practice
⚬ Starting price: $75/month
⚬ Capterra rating: 4.8
⚬ Website: www.thevetbuddy.com
TeleVet
TeleVet allows you to manage your entire appointment workflow in one place, with a robust offering of efficiency-boosting features.
● Features: Two-way messaging, scheduling, patient check-in, payments, digital forms, in-clinic and curbside workflows, video chat, reminders, telemedicine, PMS integration
● Best for: Any size and type of practice
● Starting price: Not listed
● Google rating: 3.2
● Website: www.televet.com
VetBlue
VetBlue is a cloud-based veterinary PMS that lets clinics streamline activities via customizable tools for invoicing, notifications, booking, and more.
● Features: Billing, client communication, medical records, reminders, reports, scheduling, imaging, inventory management, prescription processing, confirmations, treatment planning
● Best for: Any size and type of practice
● Starting price: Not listed
● Capterra rating: 5.0
● Website: www.eveterinarysoftware.com
2. Veterinary online appointment scheduling and reminders software
Vetstoria
Vetstoria is the world’s largest veterinary online appointment scheduling software that helps practices provide better care with less work, save administrative time, minimize staff burnout and shortages, improve client service, and boost revenue by allowing pet owners to book appointments and pay online 24/7.
● Features: Real-time online appointment scheduling, real-time integration with your PMS, secure payments for online appointments, clear reporting, and analytics, digital marketing, supports 11 languages
● Best for: All practice types, from independent and corporate to universities
● Starting price: $228/month
● Capterra rating: 4.8
● Website: www.vetstoria.com
Next In Line
Next In Line lets you create a customized online booking platform that integrates with your PMS and handles all your appointment scheduling, confirmation, and reminder needs.
● Features: Real-time online booking, integration with PMS, virtual waitlist, confirmations, reminders, check-in process
● Best for: Any practice type
● Starting price: Not listed
● Capterra rating: 3.7
● Website: www.nextinline.io
Yocale
Yocale is a free appointment scheduling software that caters to a wide range of service-based businesses within various industries.
● Features: Online scheduling, patient management, payments, reminders, form builder, real-time reporting, automated marketing, inventory management
● Best for: Appointment-based practices
● Starting price: There is a free version, but it only offers bookings
● Capterra rating: 4.7
● Website: www.business.yocale.com
bookitLive
bookitLive lets you change and track your schedule, create a menu of services, and access your patient database, while they advertise your practice on Google and Yahoo!
● Features: Online scheduling, reminders, advertising, client management, smart forms, phone bookings
● Best for: Any size practice
● Starting price: $40/month
● Capterra rating: 4.6
● Website: www.bookitlive.net
GoReminders
Setup for GoReminders takes just 30 seconds, and you’re ready to start sending templated or customized email and text appointment reminders to eliminate no-shows. Try out their 14-day free trial.
● Features: Online scheduling, reminders, calendar integration, reports, email and text blasts
● Best for: Any size practice
● Starting price: $25/month
● Capterra rating: 4.8
● Website: www.goreminders.com
Planfy
Planfy is appointment scheduling software designed for pet surgeries and claims to allow booking in seconds through individual interactive online calendars.
● Features: Online surgery appointment scheduling, reminders, record management, marketing, veterinary surgery website
● Best for: Any size practice
● Starting price: $17/month
● Rating: Not listed
● Website: www.planfy.com
Vetovia
Vetovia, an InTouch product, is an easy-to-use, cloud-based appointment reminder system that generates an average of 10 new appointments from MIA clients per full-time veterinarian each month.
● Features: Online scheduling, review requests, reminders, confirmations, alert notifications, PMS integration, marketing, record management
● Best for: Any size practice, but more economical for large ones
● Starting price: $299/month
● Rating: Not listed
● Website: www.vetovia.com
PetYeti
Based in Australia, PetYeti’s digital engagement solutions drive traffic from multiple sources and allow clients to effortlessly book online.
● Features: Online scheduling, reminders, cloud-based platform, & seamless integrations
● Best for: Practices interested only in online booking services
● Starting price: Not listed
● Rating: Not listed
● Website: www.petyeti.com.au
3. Inventory management software
ArbiMed
ArbiMed Inventory is an all-in-one inventory management software that helps practices track, monitor, and analyze the usage of medical items while minimizing spending.
● Features: Integration with PMS, alerts, backorder management, barcoding/RFID, cataloging, check-in/check-out, cost tracking, EMR/EHR, expiration date management, forecasting, inventory management, inventory optimization, inventory tracking
● Best for: Any size and type of practice
● Starting price: $250/month
● Capterra rating: 4.3
● Website: www.arbimed.com
eShelf
eShelf integrates with your PMS to reduce time and errors associated with inventory management, and places orders directly through Patterson Veterinary, so this option is not for everyone.
● Features: Create, place, and receive inventory orders; order confirmation, status tracking, updates inventory, update product cost, offers promotions and special pricing
● Best for: Practices who purchase through Patterson Veterinary
● Starting price: Not listed
● Rating: Not listed
● Website: www.pattersonvet.com
4. Client communications software
PetDesk
PetDesk’s client app has more than 2 million users and a 5-star rating, making it one of the top client communication software available that boasts about saving practices 32 hours of phone time each month.
● Features: Online appointment requests, confirmation, reminders, patient records management, prescription processing, treatment planning, virtual care, mobile app, loyalty program, two-way messaging
● Best for: Any size and type of practice
● Starting price: Not listed
● Capterra rating: 4.8
● Website: www.petdesk.com
Rapport
Integrating with multiple Covetrus products, Rapport is the ideal client communication solution for use with eVetPractice, AVImark, and ImproMed.
● Features: Online scheduling, reminders, two-way messaging, reputation management, video conferencing
● Best for: Any practice type, especially ones who use Covetrus software
● Starting price: Not listed
● Rating: Not listed
● Website: www.rapport.com
VetTools
A VINx product, VetTools provides easy client engagement through targeted outreach and a variety of tools that nurture veterinarian-client relationships.
● Features: Online scheduling, marketing campaigns, two-way messaging, reviews, surveys, record sharing, reminders, reporting, telemedicine
● Best for: Veterinary practices who are VIN members and non-members alike
● Starting price: Not listed
● Rating: Not listed
● Website: www.vin.com
PetsApp Software
The highest-rated veterinary app in the UK and Ireland, PetsApp builds better ways for veterinarians to engage with their customers, advocate for their patients, and ensure that veterinary care remains accessible through their all-in-one communications platform.
● Features: Text chat, video calls, appointment booking, reminders, digital payments, mobile app, push notifications
● Best for: Forward-thinking veterinary clinics
● Starting price: Not listed
● App store rating: 4.9
● Website: www.petsapp.com
Weave
Weave is an all-in-one customer communication and engagement platform that has provided a 30% increase in office efficiency for an award-winning veterinary hospital using Weave.
● Features: Notifications, unified phone system, audio calls, call recording, call routing, two-way messaging, confirmation, reminders, contact management, customizable forms, forums, engagement tracking, voice recognition, mobile access, negative feedback management, reporting, payments
● Best for: Practices looking for a way to call and text pet owners from a single number that connects all the clinic’s phone lines
● Starting price: Not listed
● Capterra rating: 4.3 on Capterra
● Website: www.getweave.com
Daylite
Daylite offers a broad range of tools and capabilities to help build stronger relationships, manage those relationships over time, and reduce attrition, while still being flexible enough to grow with you.
● Features: Integration with many software platforms, full contact management capabilities, lead and pipeline management solutions, document management, and centralization, calendaring and reminders, interaction tracking
● Best for: Small practices that are Mac-based businesses (Not available for PC or Android)
● Starting price: $24/month
● Capterra rating: 4.6
● Website: www.marketcircle.com
VitusVet
VitusVet is the first-of-its-kind veterinary PMS that offers complete communication and payment solutions with real-time performance metrics.
● Features: Reminders, two-way messaging, mobile app, surveys, reviews, digital medical records, online scheduling, text to pay
● Best for: Any size and type of practice
● Starting price: Not listed
● Capterra rating: 4.8
● Website: www.vitusvet.com
ALLYDVM
AllyDVM offers cloud-based software for veterinarians that integrates with most PMS, adding functionality and efficiency for better communication and improved profitability.
● Features: Loyalty program, retention calendar, mobile app, surveys, digital medical records, direct messaging, reminders, online scheduling, refill requests
● Best for: Any size practice
● Starting price: Not listed
● Rating: Not listed
● Website: www.allydvm.com
Vet2Pet
The only all-in-one client connection platform that builds a practice app with your logo, Vet2Pet is packed full of customizable features designed to attract, retain, and engage with your clients.
● Features: Visit tracker, custom branding, loyalty program, two-way messaging, reminders, confirmations, virtual payment, notifications, pharmacy requests, pet selfies, appointments, mobile app, reviews
● Best for: Any size and type of practice
● Starting price: $149/month
● Google rating: 5.0
● Website: www.vet2pet.com
VetCheck
VetCheck is a comprehensive digital resource of practice-branded handouts and forms that enables a higher level of client communication and increased client compliance.
● Features: Handouts, forms, videos, hospital charts, treatment plans, anesthesia monitoring forms, dental charts, electronic prescriptions, marketing tools, whiteboard, integrates with PMS
● Best for: Practices looking for client education resources
● Starting price: $35/month
● Rating: Not listed
● Website: www.vetcheck.it
Vetstreet
Vetstreet is a web-based communication platform that provides three tools designed to encourage clients to visit your practice more often.
● Features: Pet portal, patient recapture program, reputation management, practice websites, postcard reminders, pet owner magazine, electronic communications,
● Best for: Practices looking to manage their reputation and engage with clients
● Starting price: Not listed
● Capterra rating: 3.6
● Website: www.vetstreet.com
VoIP Phone Services
Through a robust communication platform like VoIP, veterinarians can improve the way they communicate with their clients, staff members, partners, and suppliers, saving time and streamlining workflows.
● Features: Unlimited calling, telephone lines and numbers available in numerous countries, web control panel, daily call reports, video meetings, desktop, and mobile apps
● Best for: Any size and type of practice
● Starting price: $14.99/month
● Rating: Depends on the particular company
● Website: www.voipreview.org
5. Veterinary Telemedicine software for vets and veterinary practices
GuardianVets
GuardianVets operates as a virtual employee to help shoulder your workload and take many tasks off your plate to streamline workflows and boost client and staff happiness.
● Features: Telemedicine, curbside care, mobile app, remote staffing, overflow calls, and daytime coverage, callback services, emergency services
● Best for: Practices wanting full-service curbside care or a virtual employee
● Starting price: Not listed
● Facebook rating: 5.0
● Website: www.guardianvets.com
Chewy
Instead of being a telemedicine platform, veterinary practices offer, Chewy’s Connect with a Vet software is available for pet owners to use at their convenience. If you do not offer telemedicine services at your practice, you may recommend this service to your clients.
● Features: This service enables pet owners to connect with licensed veterinarians and get answers to their pet’s health and behavior questions or concerns.
● Best for: Practices who are not interested in offering their own telemedicine services/pet owners who do not have telemedicine access through their own veterinarian
● Starting price: Free for Chewy’s Autoship customers
● Rating: 4.9 via Chewy’s website
● Website: www.chewy.com
Pawp
Pawp is a digital clinic that provides health, behavior, and nutrition advice to pet owners any time, day or night, making this an ideal solution for practices that do not offer virtual services.
● Features: Unlimited video calls and texts, no appointments or wait times, available 24/7, licensed veterinarians and pet professionals
● Best for: Practices that are not interested in offering their own telemedicine services/pet owners who do not have telemedicine access through their own veterinarian
● Starting price: $19/month
● Google rating: 3.9
● Website: www.pawp.com
Virtuwoof
Virtuwoof provides a platform for simple, easily accessible virtual visits. They also give a portion of every virtual visit fee to organizations that support veterinary suicide prevention and groups helping animals get the care they need.
● Features: Virtual consults, two-way messaging, video chats, visit transcript upload to PMS, payments
● Best for: Practices looking for an easy-to-use telemedicine platform
● Starting price: Not listed
● App store rating: 4.2
● Website: www.virtuwoof.com
Airvet
Airvet provides pet owners access to 3,000+ veterinarians to gain instant medical, behavioral, and nutritional advice, with no wait times or time limits.
● Features: Unlimited video visits and follow-ups, personalized diet and nutrition programs, access to experts for behavior and training, premium support for insurance claims.
● Best for: Practices who are not interested in offering their own telemedicine services/pet owners who do not have telemedicine access through their own veterinarian
● Starting price: $19.99/month
● App store rating: 4.9
● Website: www.airvet.com
Veterinary Telemedicine with Vetstoria - Learn more
6. Dictation software
Talkatoo
Talkatoo is a speech-to-text software that has been built specifically for veterinarians and has a built-in vet vocabulary, allowing you to complete your medical records in half the time.
● Features: Automatic transcription, voice recognition, accent recognition, integration with all PMS
● Best for: Veterinarians looking to save time transcribing medical records
● Starting price: $95/month
● Capterra rating: 4.7
● Website: www.talkatoo.com
Dragon Veterinary
Dragon Veterinary’s software quickly adapts to your speech patterns to make medical note recording fast and efficient with the aid of a robust toolkit.
● Features: Templates, verbal shorthand, unique vocal profile, advanced scripting, adaptive speech algorithm, SOAP notes, custom commands, acronyms, PMS integration
● Best for: Veterinarians looking to save time transcribing medical records
● Starting price: $99/month
● Rating: Not listed
● Website: www.dragonveterinary.com
Talkingvet
Talkingvet is veterinary speech recognition software that will help you create better health record documentation in a fraction of the time it takes to type.
● Features: Supplementary veterinary vocabulary, AVImark, and VIA voice-activated commands
● Best for: Veterinarians looking to save time transcribing medical records
● Starting price: Not listed
● Rating: Not listed
● Website: www.talkingvet.com
nVoq
With no software or servers to install, you can begin using nVoq’s dictation capabilities. They focus on speech recognition of medical terms and provide outstanding customer service.
● Features: Extremely accurate speech recognition, HIPAA compliant, quick ROI
● Best for: Veterinarians looking to save time transcribing medical records
● Starting price: Not listed
● App store rating: 4.5
● Website: www.sayit.nvoq.com
7. Veterinary reporting software
VetSuccess
VetSuccess makes sense of the data in your veterinary PMS so you don’t have to, and provides you with easy-to-understand, clear reports.
● Features: Performance reports, dashboards, automated marketing
● Best for: Practices wanting to compare their KPIs to national benchmarks
● Starting price: $89/month
● Rating: Not listed
● Website: www.vetsuccess.com
Vet Report
Vet Report is an innovative web-based reporting system that provides personalized content and reports for each user, in any language needed.
● Features: Metadata upload, templates creation, step reporting, image upload, and manipulation
● Best for: Practices wanting to refer cases
● Starting price: $65/month
● Capterra rating: 5.0
● Website: www.vet-report.com
Gain clear insights to keep your practice running smoothly
8. Veterinary payment software
Electronic Merchant Services
Electronic Merchant Services offers veterinary clinics payment processing options, competitive rates, and ways to build long-lasting relationships with clients.
● Features: Payment processing, gift cards, loyalty programs, POS systems, credit card machines, web design, payment gateways, web commerce
● Best for: Practices looking to offer unique payment options and gift cards
● Starting price: Not listed
● Rating: Not listed
● Website: www.emscorporate.com
Gravity Payments
By working directly with veterinarians, Gravity Payments has been able to lower costs and provide industry-leading support.
● Features: PMS integration, text to pay, online payments, mobile payments, POS systems, invoices, gift and loyalty programs
● Best for: Practices looking for easy-to-use payment options with low rates
● Starting price: Not listed
● Rating: 4.5 on Consumer Affairs
● Website: www.gravitypayments.com
How to implement a stress free payment process
PayJunction
Having processed over $5 billion in payments, PayJunction provides multiple, cloud-powered payment options that can be scaled to meet your growing practice’s needs.
● Features: Contactless and remote payments, financial reports, invoices, cards on file, remote signature
● Best for: Growing or mobile practices
● Starting price: $0.07/transaction
● Capterra rating: 4.8
● Website: www.payjunction.com
TMGvets
TMGvets offers minimal costs and superior customer service to ensure every veterinarian has access to the best rates for payment processing. They also support the veterinary industry through business alliances and allied memberships with multiple state VMAs.
● Features: Text and email invoices, curbside checkout, contactless payments, PMS integration, integration with Midwest Vet Supplies
● Best for: Practices wanting to offer contactless payments
● Starting price: Not listed
● Rating: Not listed
● Website: www.tmgvets.com
VetTech Payments
VetTech Payment’s goals are to provide cost-effective pricing, access to cutting-edge payment processing technology, and exemplary customer service.
● Features: PMS integration, pre-negotiated rates, mobile processing, website payment page, digital wallets, email invoicing
● Best for: Any practice
● Starting price: Not listed
● Rating: Not listed
● Website: www.vettechpayments.com
VetBilling
VetBilling grants you the tools you need to create customized, in-house payment plans that accept all your clients and take none of your treatment fees.
● Features: Managed payment plans, pay-in-advance plans, pet savings accounts, wellness/subscription plans
● Best for: Practices wanting to offer payment plans to clients
● Starting price: Not listed
● Rating: Not listed
● Website: www.vetbilling.com
9. Mobile check-in software
ER Express
ER Express provides cloud-based, white-labeled mobile check-in, digital queuing, and intake solutions designed to support animal hospitals.
● Features: Mobile intake forms, digital check-in, virtual queue, two-way messaging, surveys
● Best for: Practices wanting to boost their check-in and intake process efficiency
● Starting price: Not listed
● Rating: Not listed
● Website: www.erexpress.com
10. Electronic medical records (EMR) software
Pet Tracks
PetTracks Veterinary EMR is an electronic medical record system that allows you to save money on the cost of more expensive, paper-based software. With their speech recognition tools, you’ll experience faster charting, so you can spend more time helping patients.
● Features: Voice recognition, paper-free records, e-prescribing of controlled substances, telemedicine, appointment reminders
● Best for: Any size and type of practice
● Starting price: Not listed
● Capterra rating: 4.9
● Website: www.pettracksemr.com
Onward Vet
Onward Vet provides seamless integration, pre-filled and easy to create templates, and a host of other highly intuitive features to help track patient data.
● Features: Two-way messaging, dental charting, treatment flowsheets, client portal, reminders, referral management, customizable templates, integration with other software types, appointment scheduling, imaging, inventory management, patient records management, prescription processing
● Best for: Any size and type of practice
● Starting price: $300/month
● Capterra rating: 5.0
● Website: www.onwardvet.com
Peeva
The first and only unified database of pet medical records, Peeva pairs millions of pet microchip IDs with their medical records in a single, centralized database that is accessible by any veterinary professional.
● Features: Animal control, animal database, intake management, license management, EMR
● Best for: Veterinary professionals, animal shelter groups, animal welfare organizations
● Starting price: Not listed
● Rating: Not listed
● Website: www.peeva.co
11. Patient workflow software
SmartFlow
SmartFlow is software that streamlines every step of the treatment process by sharing patient information and treatment status instantly to minimize bottlenecks.
● Features: Forms, whiteboard, treatment sheets, dental charts, anesthesia monitoring sheets, analytics
● Best for: Any size and type of practice
● Starting price: $154.95/month
● Capterra rating: 4.6
● Website: www.idexx.com
Covetrus Prescription Management Software
Covetrus Prescription Management is an online pharmacy platform designed for veterinary practices to easily create and manage prescriptions by granting access to more than 20,000 products.
● Features: Prescription processing, inventory management, integration with patient records, reporting, refill and reminder emails, online scheduling, practice-branded online pharmacy
● Best for: Companion, equine, and mixed animal practices in North America
● Starting price: Not listed
● Capterra rating: 4.5
● Website: www.covetrus.com
Vet Radar
Vet Radar is clean, simple, and intuitive workflow management software that improves patient care, business performance, and practice efficiency.
● Features: Treatment plans, paperless workflows, billing, templates, mobile- and cloud-based, seamless integration with ezyVet
● Best for: Practices that use ezyVet PMS
● Starting price: Not listed
● Rating: Not listed
● Website: www.vetradar.com
12. Customised veterinary software builder
Chetu
Chetu is a software development company that consists of 2,200+ software development experts who provide businesses around the world with custom technology solutions, including a wide range of veterinary software.
● Features: Veterinary PMS, pet GPS tracking software, mobile applications, accounting software, pharmacy and inventory management software, laboratory management software, PACS and DICOM viewer software, telehealth and telemedicine software, EHR software
● Best for: Practices that want custom-built software
● Starting price: Not listed
● Rating: 4.3 on sitejabber
● Website: www.pettracksemr.com
How to Get Started
Veterinary software will continue to evolve and grow, and can easily adapt to fit your practice’s unique needs. To determine which software will work best for your practice, we suggest creating a list of needed features, then scheduling demos with the companies that can fulfill those needs. A one-on-one demo will allow you to take the software for a test drive, and see if it’s the right fit for your practice. The perfect software will increase your efficiency, streamline your workflows, and make for happier clients, patients, and staff.
Employee Spotlight - Samanala Athaudahetti
Welcome to the newest episode of our employee spotlight blog, where we introduce a member of the Vetstoria family to you. This month we interviewed Samanala Athaudahetti, one of our fantastic Associate Technical Leads.
Free Download: Employee Happiness Survey Template
Q: Could you give us an introduction to yourself?
I am Samanala Athaudahetti, part of Vetstoria's fantastic team in Asia. My colleagues call me "Sam." I describe myself as a calm and quiet person that enjoys seeing others grow with me.
I am happily married and a father of 2 boys. Music is part of where my happiness lies, and I actively upload my music videos on Youtube. (Make sure you subscribe to my channel 😜: FusionMusic)
Q: How long have you worked with Vetstoria, and what is your role in the company?
I started working for Vetstoria in 2015 as a junior member. It's been six years now, and I've had a fun journey full of challenges, new learnings, new people, and so much exposure to the world of veterinarians. My experiences at Vetstoria are what have made me who I am today. I've come so far from what I was when I joined, and now I am one of the Associate Technical Leads.
Q: What is one thing you are proud of achieving at Vetstoria?
I am very proud to be part of a team that strives together to help make the lives of veterinary professionals as easy as they can. Moreover, the highlight for me is that I was a vital part of building Vetstoria's critical features like the Billing and Payment system, Interactive Voice Response (an AI-based bot), and core modules in the Booking Platform.
Q: What do you consider to be the best part of your daily role at Vetstoria?
The best part of my role is getting to work with new joiners and train them. Every day, every action is a new experience. It is more challenging to work with people than writing a code, but the happiness I get after seeing them achieve something is priceless.
Q: What does working within the veterinary industry mean to you?
I love dogs. Even though I have not interacted with veterinary professionals directly, the satisfaction that my effort towards every code contributes to helping a pet somewhere is what keeps me going.
Q: What do you like to do when you aren’t working?
When I am out of work, I have two little boys who eagerly wait for me to play with them - the happy life of a father. So, family time is what I prefer when I am not working. My wife and I end up playing new and funny games created by them. Additionally, spending time making music keeps me happy and occupied.
Q: How have you been coping with the recent COVID situation, and do you have any words of advice for your fellow veterinary industry professionals who are struggling with it?
I am primarily relieved and thankful that we are all safe from the deadly virus. This has been a tough time for everyone. However, I have realized that what we own today isn't permanent, and we might not own it tomorrow. Love, positivity, and intentions to help others are what will stay with us forever.
From that, the advice I would give is, be ready for change, and when change comes your way, accept it and adapt to it. Today and tomorrow can be so much different from one another.
Q: In your view, what’s the most important thing someone should master when working remotely?
Working remotely is a whole different experience for all of us. A significant change to a life we've spent so much time commuting to our workplaces, isn't it?
Now that we've saved some extra time from not traveling, I think the most important thing is managing it efficiently to have a better work-life balance.
Q: If you could take only one animal with you to a desert island, what would it be?
A dog!
Q: Words of advice for your fellow Vetstorians?
Vetstoria is built on the concept of "help" to the pets in need of care and the superstar veterinarians who work tirelessly to provide that care. So, my advice would be to help others, be it your veterinary colleagues, a pet owner with doubts, a pet in need of care, another veterinary practice that's struggling, or your family even in the simplest way possible.
Q: What future developments are you excited about at Vetstoria?
I am excited about the upcoming innovations and ideas that are aimed at helping our veterinary clients. We've grown so fast as a company, so I am looking forward to walking ahead with the family!
Employee Spotlight - Ida Geiger
Welcome to the newest episode of our employee spotlight blog, where we introduce a member of the Vetstoria family to you all. This month we interviewed one of our fantastic Customer Success Managers, Ida Geiger.
Q: Could you give us an introduction to yourself?
I was born in Tajikistan and lived there for the first three years until my parents moved back to Germany. A little village in the Black Forest is what I call home, and I am taken with every aspect of it – the nature, the food, and the closeness to France and Switzerland. When I asked my friends to describe me, most of them said that I was a globetrotter. My love belongs to traveling and experiencing different cultures around the world. Whenever life offers me the opportunity to travel, I will take the invite with great pleasure.
Q: How long have you worked with Vetstoria, and what is your role in the company?
I started to work with Vetstoria at the end of 2020 as a Customer Success Manager. It has been eight months by now – time flies. My role includes building and maintaining relationships with veterinary professionals as the "go-to" advisor for requests and comments related to our product. The goal of our team is to drive revenue opportunities and provide customer value and service while working in cross-functional teams.
Q: What is one thing you are proud of achieving at Vetstoria?
Stepping out of my comfort zone and moving into uncharted territory – the veterinary world. I once read that getting out of one's comfort zone creates positive stress, which increases focus, creativity, and drive. I would confirm that! Even though I have felt entirely lost in some internal meetings initially (and sometimes still do, lol), I am glad I took the journey with Vetstoria.
Q: What do you consider to be the best part of your daily role at Vetstoria?
The best part of my job is the various facets of the role – you can be a guide when leading customers to success, a student when the product team introduces the latest features, an auditor when receiving feedback, a communicator when sharing feedback with the relevant department, and an advisor when delivering information backed by data and experience. This position brings such a great variety into my daily role that no day equals the previous one.
Q: What does working within the veterinary industry mean to you?
In the beginning, a lot of googling. I was focused on technology solutions for consumer brands in my previous role – the veterinary world was completely unknown territory for me. I have to say, people in the veterinary industry are very caring and compassionate individuals who work extremely hard. Remarkably, companies like Vetstoria can help them free up their busy schedule from routine work to focus on more critical tasks.
Q: What do you like to do when you aren’t working?
If my day at work has been quite hectic, you will most likely find me outdoors enjoying a long walk, on my yoga mat, or somewhere secluded with a book. If my day has been relatively calm, you will find me amongst people – socializing and just having a good time. I am a libra – life is all about finding the balance (and enjoying long dinners with delicious food and interesting people).
Q: How have you been coping with the recent COVID situation, and do you have any words of advice for your fellow veterinary industry professionals who are struggling with it?
Covid-19 has decelerated the world and brought back appreciation for the simple things in life. It has made me realize how much we need social interaction, something as simple as a hug or a cup of coffee with a friend at your favorite café. You start to feel gratitude for something that was taken for granted. It also created another sense of togetherness – during the strictest period of the lockdown, our neighbors met on the balconies. A lady played old classics on her saxophone while everybody had a Spritz in their hands (Italians just can't let go of their Aperitivo). I guess my advice would be not solely to focus on the sacrifices made during this challenging period but also to shift the attention to the little positive change it might have brought.
Q: In your view, what’s the most important thing someone should master when working remotely?
I am still trying to figure it out myself, but I would say, because work was put into this one device and became your constant companion, it is essential to schedule active breaks and set a frame for working hours. I try to go for a walk for my lunch break or meet remotely working friends for a quick lunch like in the good old days – I guess the trick is to be able to disconnect from work after it has been brought into your home space, which is easier said than done.
Q: If you could take only one animal with you to a desert island, what would it be?
If I could wish for one, it would be my cat – she thinks she is a tiger, and she would appear and fight with that confidence, lol. I guess she would be my unsurpassed guard and my closest cuddling buddy for the calmer moments.
Q: Words of advice for your fellow Vetstorians?
When life gives you lemons, make lemonade – lol! I honestly would not have any wisdom to share but a message: Thank you for being such great colleagues – kind, happy, and so incredibly supportive!
Q: What future developments are you excited about at Vetstoria?
Vetstoria is such a dynamic company that responds with advanced features to the feedback received from clients. Our latest innovations benefit the teams working in practices and improve the overall performance, boosting ROI. Working as a customer success manager for a company strongly driven by customer feedback is fantastic. We've paid colossal attention to actual veterinary practice pain points over the past months, and I am very excited about the solutions that are to come. We recently launched our Floating Button feature, which focuses on improving the pet-owner experience.
8 Ways to Retain Your Veterinary Receptionist and Save Time
Without doubts, one of the most challenging jobs in a busy practice is the role of a veterinary receptionist. Your reception team bears up mixed emotions from clients, deals with payments, acts as the first point of contact and face of your practice, works over hours to make sure clients are given the required support, schedules call-backs, and refills prescriptions. These are just a few of the duties juggled by them on a daily basis.
So how should you retain these essential employees? Employee retention is vital to all veterinary practices as it costs time and money to lose and then replace employees. The remaining employees feel the toll, as they must work longer hours and take on additional duties until filling the role. High employee turnover is also a significant contributor to poor employee morale. With all of this in mind, retaining your trained veterinary receptionist should be a top priority. Here are eight ways your practice can retain your veterinary reception team.
Free Download: Veterinary Employee Happiness Survey Template
1. Pay your veterinary receptionist well (with benefits)
The most cited reasons for a veterinary receptionist to leave a position are poor pay and lack of benefits, such as health care, holidays, and travel allowance. Across the board, the veterinary field is notoriously underpaid, and team members often struggle to make ends meet. Ensuring your employees are well-compensated promotes long-term commitment to your practice.
Additionally, offering full benefits, such as health care, vision, dental, and a retirement plan, is necessary to be competitive. Other perks, such as reduced-cost pet care, access to mental health care, gym memberships, etc., are incentives to bond your employees to your practice. Bonuses earned for the length of time employed are also an excellent way to recognize loyalty and longevity. Remember, a well-compensated employee is a happy employee.
2. Listen to their views
It may sound silly at first, but giving importance to your veterinary receptionist's opinions is important to attain their satisfaction and happiness. In many hospital environments, receptionists feel they cannot speak up and offer constructive criticism or suggestions. This leads to frustration and resentment. To foster a happy work culture, establish an open-door policy that encourages free expression of concerns, and take each one seriously.
Your receptionists work in the heart of your hospital and see when things are working well and where there is room for improvement. Allowing them to voice their thoughts and feelings and making them feel heard when they do so strengthens the workplace culture and reduces the chances of them quitting.
3. Give them the praises they deserve
Beyond pay, veterinary receptionists want to feel appreciated. They want to know that what they are doing matters and that someone notices their hard work. This is known as extrinsic motivation. The type of appreciation that works best may vary from team to team, but a simple “thank you for your hard work today” or “great job!” can go a long way towards your goal of retaining your veterinary receptionist.
Some forms of appreciation you can try easily are small hand-written notes, pizza parties, cash bonuses, or even giving them a shoutout for their hard work at a practice meeting. Traditionally, there is an entire week in October every year to celebrate veterinary technicians, and this often leaves your receptionists feeling left out and unappreciated. Make sure to make time for them too!
4. Actively Ask for Feedback
You likely conduct employee reviews for your team including your veterinary receptionist at least yearly, but have you ever let them review you? Clinic leadership should have an active system for eliciting feedback from the team, whether in the form of a suggestion box, an online survey, or as an additional part of the employee's annual review. You can use online tools such as TinyPulse or OfficeVibe to engage with the team and solicit actionable feedback.
5. Avoid micromanaging your veterinary receptionist
No one likes to be micromanaged, and your veterinary receptionist is no different. Not only does micromanaging employees hamper their productivity in the workplace as well as yours, but it also makes good employees look for employment elsewhere. Micromanagement brings down employee morale and makes for an unhappy working environment.
Employees need to have clear goals and expectations set and then be allowed to do their jobs. Team leadership should focus on overall results as well as setting a good example. When you trust your veterinary reception team and provide them with opportunities for growth, they will flourish.
6. Identify their additional talents
As a leader, you should set goals for your veterinary receptionist and track their progress. Moreover, your organization should recognize, invest in, and promote exceptional performances. By identifying their capabilities and assigning bigger responsibilities to suit their skills, you will give them the impression that they are gaining valuable experiences from your practice. Job stagnancy can make employees unhappy and lead them to look for other employment. Hence, it is important to continually evaluate your team and identify those that deserve new roles and assignments.
7. Offer internal career growth
No one wants to do the exact same thing every day for the rest of their lives. When an veterinary receptionist isn’t allowed to grow, they feel stuck. This can quickly lead to burnout and the loss of a valued team member. One crucial thing a practice can do to aid in the retention of veterinary receptionists is to offer a varied workload. This may look different in various hospitals, but the important thing to remember is that your employees need variety. Rotating tasks, offering continuing education, and adding on different responsibilities are all great ways to keep the job fresh and new for your reception team.
8. Offer flexibility
Flexibility may soon become the most sought-after job perk and the best way to retain employees in today's world. Veterinary receptionists, like all employees, are seeking jobs that offer flexible work schedules. While not many veterinary hospitals can provide work-from-home positions, the more flexibility a hospital can offer its employees, the better. This flexibility may come in the form of split shifts, part-time work, hybrid positions with some work done remotely, or simply the ability to switch shifts with co-workers as needed. Being as responsive to an receptionist’s needs as possible and taking a “family-friendly” approach to scheduling will go a long way towards your goal of retaining your veterinary receptionist.
Final thoughts
If you are concerned that one of your valued veterinary receptionists may be unhappy and looking to find another position, there are a few things to look for. Studies have shown that unhappy employees typically exhibit the following behaviors:
🟣 Productivity is decreased
🟣 Not acting as a “team player”
🟣 Doing the absolute minimum required
🟣 Unwilling to commit to long-term projects
🟣 Negative change in attitude
🟣 Expressing dissatisfaction with their job
🟣 Leaving early
🟣 Avoiding clients
Assess your veterinary employee happiness level with this free survey template
To explore tailored solutions and discover how our expertise can enhance staff satisfaction and streamline operations at your veterinary practice, book a demo with us today. Let's work together to ensure a harmonious and thriving workplace for your team.
5 Veterinary Hospital Design Tips from Award-Winning Hospital Owners
Building or renovating a veterinary hospital is no small endeavor, but making minor improvements can mean big rewards for a veterinary practice. We looked at some of the most successful and well-designed veterinary hospitals and learned some veterinary hospital design tips to improve any facility. Whether you are looking to build an all-new building, renovate a current facility, or even paint the walls, the following veterinary hospital design pointers are sure to make your project successful.
Free eBook: Vetstoria’s Veterinary Start-Up eGuide
1. Build a welcoming lobby area
They say you never get a second chance to make a first impression, and they are right. We spoke to owners of award-winning hospitals about veterinary hospital design unanimously felt that it was essential to focus significant time and energy on developing a great lobby area. In the past, many veterinary clinics were designed to have a very sterile and medical feeling to them, but experts say this is a mistake. Pets, their owners, and even your very own employees want to enter into a welcoming atmosphere. Lobbies should be designed to look more like homes, with soft lighting, flooring that resembles wood or stone, and cheerful decorations. Furniture should be comfortable and well-spaced to allow pets to keep their distance from other animals and clients while waiting.
Additionally, it is important to consider acoustics. Dogs can be noisy, and the best-designed hospitals have soft walls and other noise abatement measures to decrease the ambient sound level. Furthermore, when asked, the most frequent complaint from pet owners who visited veterinary hospitals was related to unpleasant smells. To address odor, floor selection is important to consider, and many hospital owners recommend specialized HVAC systems that can help clean and deodorize the air.
2. Give your practice a modern twist
Not all of the award-winning veterinary hospital designs that we researched were newly built. They did; however, all appear modern and up-to-date. A run-down, old, or out-of-style hospital sends the wrong message to clients. A contemporary look will not only be more attractive and draw in more business, but it will also improve workflow and clinic efficiency. Modern elements in demand now include upgraded materials such as vinyl or tile plank flooring, granite counters, stylish lighting with LED bulbs, and large windows that allow as much natural light in as possible. Barn doors and large paintings are also trendy features. Reception areas should be open concept and free from clutter, shelving, or privacy paneling. Many hospitals are using eco-friendly and "green" materials in their builds to promote the health of the employees and patients. These materials can also be utilized as a marketing tool to show the practice's commitment to its patients and the environment.
3. Create an efficient flow
Clients, pets, and staff all desire the veterinary hospital design to be aesthetically pleasing and welcoming. However, it is also essential that the layout of the floorplan flows well. A difficult-to-navigate hospital will lead to congestion, patient, and employee traffic jams, wasted time, and headaches for everyone. When designing the floorplan, the traffic of the clients, pets, and busy employees should be considered, will travel throughout the hospital. There should be an easy path for clients and their pets from the lobby to an exam room to check out and back outside. The pharmacy should be close to where clients check out. Deeper inside the facility, sterile rooms like surgery need to be in areas with restricted access. There should also be a dedicated area of isolation of contagious animals. Exam rooms should be large enough to comfortably accommodate multiple pets, clients, technicians, and veterinarians. If space allows, two doors with two hallways on opposing sides of each exam room are ideal for workflow.
4. Adopt veterinary technology
Today's pet owners feel that their pets are part of the family. As a veterinary hospital, you are expected to provide high-level and advanced care. The award-winning hospitals with the best veterinary hospital design that we took tips from offered many advanced diagnostics, including digital radiography, computed tomography, magnetic resonance imaging, endoscopy, ultrasound, nuclear medicine, and more. The chance to build a new facility or renovate an existing one is a perfect time to incorporate these diagnostic capabilities into your practice. Not only will these technologies benefit your practice and your patients, many of the hospitals we spoke with offered those services for doctors from surrounding areas, which was an easy revenue generator for their practices.
5. Offer additional revenue sources
When planning a new facility or renovating an existing one, it is wise to look for additional ways to bring revenue into the practice. Many owners report that adding some of these additional revenue streams paid for the renovations they were making. Some examples of new services to offer when designing or renovating a veterinary hospital are boarding, grooming, retail (such as pet food, treats, toys, etc.), dentistry, daycare, behavior training, and hydrotherapy. Each service's space and design needs vary considerably, but today's busy pet parents appreciate one-stop shopping. Adding additional services and products to your hospital's offerings can be a massive bonus to your bottom line.
Final thoughts
Veterinary hospital design is a crucial piece of a practice's strategy to improve client satisfaction and employee retention. Clients are pleased when they feel comfortable and welcome in a veterinary hospital and believe they get many needed services and state-of-the-art medical care. Additionally, both doctors and support staff have improved morale and job satisfaction when they work in pleasant surroundings with adequate workspace, good flow, and high-quality equipment—this aids in employee retention for all positions within the practice. Thoughtful veterinary hospital design provides numerous benefits for a veterinary practice that will continue to pay off for years to come.
