How Custom Veterinary Practice Management Software Helps Predict Revenue Losses and Scale Issues in 2025

Day after day, veterinary professionals treat animals, bringing comfort to pet owners. But what help do those who work in this complex industry need? A global Veterinary Focus survey revealed that over 40% of veterinarians struggle most with administrative burdens, while 20-40% face challenges like heavy workloads and stress.
With 66% of U.S. households owning at least one pet, the strain on veterinary clinics and animal hospitals will only intensify. Today’s veterinary practices juggle countless tasks – from appointment scheduling and inventory management to payment processing and medical records. Without proper digital solutions, these tasks become overwhelming bottlenecks that drain both time and revenue.
Discover how the right veterinary practice management software can help your facility to thrive in 2025. Learn about the 13 must-have and 8 nice-to-have software features, as well as 13 essential integrations that your practice may leverage to boost its bottom line. Explore how to avoid common pitfalls when building veterinary software with valuable insights based on real-world user reviews and expert-backed tips blending veterinary and software knowledge.
Veterinary Management Software for Various Veterinary Facilities: Use Cases and Features
Veterinary practice management software is a solution for streamlining operations in veterinary facilities. As your facility’s digital backbone, this veterinary software product helps you manage day-to-day operations while ensuring compliance with standards and regulations. Think of it as your vet practice’s central nervous system, connecting every aspect of your activities.
You can consider how different veterinary facilities can optimize operations with tailored veterinary practice management software.
Veterinary offices
Your small veterinary office needs streamlined solutions that don’t overwhelm your staff. Key features for your veterinary office management software include digital patient records management, appointment scheduling, simple inventory tracking, and essential billing functions.
Urgent care veterinary facilities
When handling emergency cases, every second counts. Your urgent care facility requires robust vet management software that supports rapid patient intake and real-time updates. The system should enable quick access to patient histories and seamless communication between staff members during critical situations.
Mobile veterinary practices
As a mobile practitioner, you need cloud-based solutions that work reliably on various devices, providing remote access to the necessary information. Your veterinary practice software must function offline when internet connectivity is limited and synchronize data automatically when connection resumes. Mobile-specific features should include GPS integration for route optimization and portable payment processing.
Veterinary clinics
Mid-sized clinics benefit from more sophisticated features like integrated lab test results and automated appointment reminders. Your clinic needs robust client communication tools and detailed financial reporting capabilities to track multiple revenue streams effectively.
Veterinary hospitals
Large-scale operations require enterprise-level veterinary hospital management software solutions. Your veterinary hospital management system needs advanced features for multiple department coordination, complex inventory management, and comprehensive staff scheduling.
Each facility type faces unique challenges in implementing veterinary software systems. For instance, mobile practices often struggle with connectivity issues, while hospitals need to manage complex workflows across departments. Defining specific features of software solutions for your facility depends on factors like patient volume, service complexity, and staff size.
Choosing the Right Veterinary Practice Management Software Solutions for Your Facility
Today’s veterinary software market offers a wide variety of solutions. You should be ready to make several key decisions when selecting a veterinary software option for your goals and requirements.
Cloud-based vs. on-premises solutions
Your choice between cloud and on-premises solutions impacts everything from accessibility to cost structure. Cloud-based systems offer automatic updates and flexibility, which are vital for multi-location operations, while on-premises solutions provide complete data control.
Consider factors essential for veterinary practice management software:
Feature | Cloud-based | On-premises |
Initial Cost | Lower | Higher |
Maintenance | Provider managed | Self-managed |
Accessibility | Anywhere | Local network |
Security | Provider dependent | Self-controlled |
All-in-one vs. specialized solutions
While all-in-one platforms offer comprehensive functionality, specialized solutions excel in specific areas of vet services. Your decision should align with your practice’s primary challenges, including whether you plan to expand the range of veterinary care types and the client audience.
Mobile vs. web-only vet practice software
In today’s veterinary industry, mobile accessibility isn’t just convenient—it’s essential. Your team needs secure access to patient records and scheduling tools, whether they’re in the exam room or providing home care services. Experience shows that comprehensive software products combining web solutions with mobile apps ensure a good user experience for customers and veterinary professionals.
Ready-made vs. custom vs. whitelabel software products
Ready-made solutions offer quick implementation but may lack customization options. Custom software provides tailored functionality but requires higher investment. Whitelabel solutions balance customization and cost-effectiveness.
After all, the best choice depends on your practice’s size, budget, and growth plans. Whenever possible, it is advisable to favor scalable solutions that can grow with your practice rather than limiting your future options.
Must-Have Features of Veterinary Practice Software
Consider starting with core features and gradually expanding functionality as your practice grows. This approach, combined with the right choice of software architecture model, will help you get software that aligns with your specific operational needs while remaining scalable for future growth.
First and foremost, your practice can benefit from these core functionalities:
1. User registration and profile management: Enables secure account creation and management for staff and clients.
2. Veterinarian profiles and reviews: Showcases vet credentials, specialties, and client feedback for informed decision-making.
3. Search and filter functionality: Simplifies finding vets, services, and appointment slots based on specific criteria.
4. Scheduling and appointment management: Streamlines booking, rescheduling, and managing appointments for better workflow.
5. Appointment notifications and automated reminders: Sends alerts to reduce no-shows and keep clients informed.
6. Multi-channel veterinarian-client communication: Supports messaging, emails, and calls for better client interaction.
7. Telehealth functionality: Enables remote consultations and follow-ups with secure video and voice tools
8. Electronic patient records: Centralizes patient histories, treatment plans, and medical notes for easy access and better care continuity.
9. Billing and invoicing: Automates invoice generation, tracks payments, and supports accurate financial management.
10. Checkouts with multiple payment options: Supports credit cards, digital wallets, and installment payments for convenience.
11. Inventory management: Monitors stock levels for medications, supplies, and equipment to prevent shortages.
12. Reporting and analytics: Provides insights into clinic performance, revenue trends, and patient care efficiency.
13. User support: Offers in-app help tools, tutorials, and direct access to customer service for issue resolution.
The right combination of features should reduce your administrative workload while streamlining resource allocation and improving accuracy in patient care documentation.
Nice-to-Have Features of Veterinary Clinic Management Software
Certain features make the difference between a good and great practice management system. Beyond the non-negotiable features, modern veterinary practice management software can offer advanced capabilities that can significantly enhance your practice’s efficiency:
1. Animal Health Tracking and Monitoring: Records pet health metrics and monitors chronic conditions for proactive care.
2. Appointment History and Analytics: Tracks past visits and analyzes trends for improved care planning.
3. Multi-Language Support: Expands accessibility with support for multiple languages in the interface.
4. Pharmacy and E-Prescribing Management: Simplifies prescription writing, sending, and medication inventory tracking.
5. AI Chatbot and AI Assistant: Automates tasks like scheduling, answering common questions, and providing basic care tips.
6. Offline Access: Ensures core functionality, such as records and scheduling, even without an internet connection.
7. Waiting List Management: Manages cancellations and waitlists to fill appointment gaps efficiently.
8. Loyalty Program: Encourages repeat visits with customizable rewards and discount incentives.
Although these optional veterinary software features may seem like extras, they can set your practice apart from competitors, impress clients, and deliver significant long-term value.
Integrations That Advance Vet Practice Management Software
You might not need to build certain features from scratch if you can integrate your software with specialized third-party solutions that users already know and trust. Your practice software becomes more valuable through integrations that create a seamless information flow. Consider the following proven options:
1. Electronic patient records integration: Provides vets with real-time access to patient histories during exams, improving care coordination and decision-making.
2. Laboratory information systems integration: Simplifies lab test ordering and result retrieval, speeding up diagnostics and reducing manual data entry.
3. Medical imaging solutions integration: Enables seamless viewing and sharing of X-rays and other imaging results directly in the patient record.
4. Pharmacy integration: Allows vets to send prescriptions electronically, manage controlled substances, and link directly with veterinary pharmacies for faster treatment initiation.
5. Remote animal health monitoring integration: Connects wearables and monitoring devices for real-time tracking of pets’ vitals and health trends.
6. Calendar and scheduling integration: Syncs with platforms like Google Calendar and Apple Calendar to simplify appointment booking, minimize no-shows, and send automated reminders.
7. Payment gateway integration: Supports secure transactions with popular providers like Stripe and PayPal, ensuring flexible payment options and financial efficiency.
8. Customer relationship management (CRM) integration: Enhances client retention with personalized communication, interaction tracking, and loyalty program management.
9. Veterinary telehealth services and communication platforms integration: Facilitates remote consultations, expanding access to care while reducing in-clinic visit costs.
10. AI chatbot and assistant integration: Automates routine tasks like appointment scheduling, basic health inquiries, and follow-up communication, reducing staff workload.
11. Analytics and reporting tools integration: Provides insights into clinic performance, client behavior, and operational trends for better decision-making.
12. Push notification services integration: Sends timely reminders for appointments, medication schedules, and pet care tips, improving adherence and engagement.
13. Mapping and navigation services integration: Helps clients locate clinics easily, reducing late arrivals and streamlining appointment flow.
When selecting integrations, prioritize those offering automatic syncing of clinical data with patient records. For example, connecting your practice software with laboratory equipment ensures lab results automatically populate in the right patient file while updating the client’s invoice simultaneously.
The seamless interaction between integrated components truly elevates your practice’s efficiency. Solutions that facilitate what might be called the “trinity of integration” – lab connectivity, client communications, and financial tools – strengthen the foundation for practice growth.
Vet Software for Future-Ready Facilities: Don’t Delay Implementing AI
Recent industry data, prepared with the participation of the American Animal Hospital Association, reveals a significant shift in veterinary practices: 39.2% of veterinary professionals now use AI tools in their daily operations. If you haven’t implemented AI in your practice yet, you’re missing out on crucial efficiency gains.
Of course, many have concerns about implementation challenges. According to surveys, 70.3% of veterinary professionals express concerns about AI system reliability. To address these concerns and prepare for AI implementation properly, you may seek AI strategy consulting services and AI product workshops.
Your facility can benefit from AI software solutions for veterinary practice management in multiple ways, including:
Advanced appointment management: Optimizes appointments automatically based on staff availability and client preferences
Predictive analytics: Forecasts patient outcomes and identifies health risks early
AI-powered diagnostics: Assists in image analysis and real-time data processing for faster, more accurate diagnoses
Remote patient monitoring: Tracks health indicators and collects patient information, minimizing pet owners` visits to the veterinary clinic
Treatment plan optimization: Suggests care plans based on similar cases and outcomes.
Voice-to-text: Converts voice notes into structured patient records, reducing documentation time
Intelligent inventory management: Predicts stock needs and prevents shortages or overordering
Client communication automation: Personalizes veterinarian-client communication, taking it to a new level
For example, for veterinarian-client communication, there is a range of AI-based product-building services, including AI chatbot development and generative AI development for solutions such as virtual assistants.
Introducing AI tools can significantly enhance the customer experience of your veterinary clinic or animal hospital. Voice.AI, a whitelabel AI-powered voice agent from Riseapps, is an example of how it works.
Voice.AI can become a game-changing solution for various businesses, including veterinary facilities. With a deployment time of just 30 days and monthly infrastructure costs of $3,000, it offers impressive features:
- 99% accurate voice cloning for consistent client communication
- Support for 12+ languages to serve diverse client bases
- Real-time call transcriptions for improved record-keeping
- Customizable identity and conversation flows
What sets Voice.AI apart is its versatility. The system integrates seamlessly with patient records systems and includes role-based access controls. This means your entire team can leverage AI capabilities while maintaining appropriate security protocols.
You can explore the features of the AI-based voice agent by watching the video below.
Perhaps the most compelling statistic about AI in today`s veterinary industry is that 69.5% of veterinarians using AI tools report utilizing them daily or weekly. This high adoption rate speaks to AI’s practical benefits in real-world settings and that it is time for your vet practice or animal hospital to experience them, too.
Regulatory Compliance in Veterinary Practice Manager Software
Navigating regulatory compliance in veterinary practice can feel overwhelming. Therefore, it is beneficial to have practice management software to assist you and your team of veterinary professionals with this critical task.
For example, regarding FDA (Food and Drug Administration) requirements, your veterinary software can help ensure proper labeling of animal devices, compliance with radiation-emitting equipment standards, accurate reporting of adverse experiences, and more.
The FDA is the federal agency that regulates animal drugs. To ensure that your vet clinic or animal hospital is on par with the required standards, custom development of veterinary practice management software can provide for the automation of such operations as:
- Automated recordkeeping: Tracks animal drug use, prescriptions, and inventory for FDA compliance
- Drug label management: Oversees proper labeling with dosage, species, and withdrawal periods
- Customizable reporting: Generates FDA-ready audit reports on drug handling and usage
- Real-time inventory sync: Prevents off-label use by linking inventory to treatment plans
The DEA (Drug Enforcement Administration) mandates specific requirements for controlled substances. Your practice management software can maintain detailed records for these substances and support proper DEA registration verification.
Given the need to comply with the Federal Controlled Substances Act (Federal CSA), the inventory management module of practice management software should support the DEA’s “closed system” approach, tracking controlled substances from ordering through dispensing.
Preventing Common Flaws of Veterinary Practice Management Software
Any gaps in functionality or other shortcomings in veterinary software can lead to a decrease in popularity and loss of revenue for veterinary practices. For example, poor appointment management can cause customer frustration, and ineffective inventory management can bring confusion and even compliance problems.
The path to building truly valuable practice management software lies through a deep understanding of the specifics of the veterinary industry and the needs of the professionals who work in it. Even brief comments from specialists about veterinary software eloquently paint a picture typical for veterinary practices.
Learning real-world feedback from veterinary professionals helps catch and analyze common veterinary practice management software issues, providing insights. Below, you can find the most critical challenges specific to practice management software, systematized based on user reviews and relevant solutions offered by experts.
Challenges and solutions are grouped by three focus areas of the veterinary business:
- Client experience & retention
- Workflow & resource management
- Scaling & growth
Client Experience & Retention
Poor UX and communication capabilities of veterinary software may cause gaps and interruptions in interactions with pet owners, which can be a hindrance to the growth of a veterinary facility. For instance, a low client return rate and low customer lifetime value (CLV) can indicate that achieving business goals requires upgrading veterinary software systems.
Confusing navigation and cluttered interface
Solutions:
- Create a clean, user-friendly design with easy-to-follow menus
- Use clear labels, logical layouts, and minimal visual noise
- Design a mobile-friendly software interface
- Test with practicing veterinarians early and often to catch usability issues
- Continuously refine the interface based on direct user feedback
Ineffective сommunication tools
Solutions:
- Add reliable real-time messaging with instant notifications
- Support text, voice, and file-sharing features
- Enable file transfers with records and images
Poorly-designed reminders features
Solutions:
- Support automated multi-channel reminders, allowing veterinary practice to send reminders via email, SMS, text messengers, app notifications, etc., for better reach
- Enable real-time synchronization, ensuring reminders update instantly when appointments change
- Provide batch reminder options like sending bulk reminders for seasonal services (e.g., heartworm prevention)
- Implement the ability of the veterinary practice to use convenient customizable reminder templates personalizing content and timing and combining a few messages of the same type into one
- Let pet owners manage reminders and appointments online.
- Monitor reminder effectiveness and patient compliance rates for analyzing reminder performance to fine-tune engagement strategies
Workflow & resource management
Scheduling issues can cost even small vet clinics tens of thousands of dollars per month, and manually managing appointments takes time away from patient care. Remember also that according to some estimates, about 40% of consultations can be conducted remotely by developing or integrating telemedicine functionality. Automating billing, payment processing, reporting, and inventory management will also increase the manageability of your facility.
Appointment scheduling bugs
Solutions:
- Integrate external calendars for clients to avoid missed appointments
- Implement real-time calendar syncing for staff to align appointment slots with vets’ availability to prevent double bookings
- Allow pet owners to choose veterinary professionals based on profiles, specializations, and reviews.
- Offer customizable time blocks for adjusting appointment lengths based on service type and complexity level
- Enable waitlist management tools to fill last-minute cancellations with waitlisted clients automatically
- Support automated notifications to confirm appointments and alert clients of changes instantly
Lack of necessary integrations
Solutions:
- Ensure software compliance with interoperability standards like HL7 and FHIR for data sharing
- Develop APIs for software seamless integration with lab systems, imaging tools, payment gateways, etc.
- Provide your software with calendar sync solutions for direct syncing to popular calendars like Google Calendar, Outlook, Apple Calendar, etc.
- Poorly thought-out inventory management
Poorly thought-out inventory management
Solutions:
- Provide product bundling options, linking medications and services for streamlined billing
- Ensure compliance in inventory management, facilitating controlled drugs tracking and reporting according to regulations
- Allow to customize product forms and reports to simplify accounting and analyzing
- Enable real-time inventory tracking, syncing stock levels instantly with sales and usage data.
- Assist with batch and expiry inventory management by tracking lot numbers and expiration dates for medications
Billing and payment hardship
Solutions:
- Integrate payment options, including credit and debit cards, ACH transfers, digital wallets, etc.
- Introduce real-time invoice updates, syncing charges instantly with completed services and products used
- Offer users the opportunity to add and use customized templates for invoices, estimations, messages
- Implement functionality for generating invoices with a detailed breakdown of all expenses and for keeping a history of all transactions linked to client records
Financial reporting inconsistency
Solutions:
- Support financial reporting customization, allowing vet clinics to create reports tailored to their key metrics and KPIs
- Enable users to save personalized report templates for recurring financial reviews and analysis
- Implement expense categorization tools for break down costs by services, products, and vendors
- Introduce drill-down capabilities to let users explore report data down to individual transactions
- Provide options to assist users to customize reporting for their local tax system
Scaling & growth
The objectives of scaling and expanding the network of veterinary clinics place peculiar requirements on veterinary software solutions. You will have to provide unimpeded access to data from many remote workplaces, maintain the performance and reliability of information systems under high loads, allow customization of some functions and document flows for greater efficiency, etc.
Frequent glitches and sluggish performance
Solutions:
- Build strong error-handling systems and secure data storage
- Add auto-save and offline modes to protect data during outages
- Set up a reliable bug-tracking system with user-friendly reporting tools
- Release regular updates to fix glitches and improve speed
Сomplexity in data entry, sharing, and searching
Solutions:
- Provide intuitive data entry forms with drop-down menus, auto-fill fields, and templates
- Implement smart search functionality, enabling keyword-based searches with filters for faster results
- Integrate speech-to-text technologies, speeding up record-keeping with voice input tools
- Allow the customization of record layouts, adjusting data fields based on the vet practice’s specific workflow
- Ensure automated data syncing to keep information consistent across all modules of veterinary practice management software
Insufficient customization capabilities
Solutions:
- Suggest a range of configurable templates for widespread documents
- Allow users to add and use their own custom forms (e.g., treatment plans and medical forms, etc.)
- Help veterinary practice branded communications with clients through personalized emails, reminders, and notifications
By implementing suggested solutions, you can avoid the common pitfalls that can cause vets to experience technical issues that impact patient care.
The above opinions from practicing veterinarians and advice from software developers will come in handy for creating veterinary software that grows with your practice while maintaining efficiency in daily operations.
Why Choose Riseapps for Veterinary Practice Management Software Development
When choosing a trusted partner for veterinary practice management software development, technical expertise must align with deep industry understanding. Veterinary facilities need developers who grasp the nuances of their industry.
Why Riseapps stands out in software development from scratch and may benefit your veterinary practice:
- Industry knowledge: Deep understanding of veterinary standards and workflows
- Technical expertise: Building robust and scalable software solutions based on state-of-the-art technologies, including AI
- Custom Development: Tailoring software products for your specific requirements
Your practice deserves more than generic approaches. Riseapps brings experience and creativity, ensuring your veterinary management system addresses particular challenges like:
- Seamless integration with third-party platforms, medical equipment, and wearables
- Compliance with regulations and standards
- Scalable solutions that grow with your practice
- Custom workflows matching your facility’s needs
With over 7 years of experience in software development for leaders across various sectors, Riseapps understands the critical balance between technical innovation and practical usability.
Apart from veterinary software, Riseapps has successfully delivered digital solutions in areas such as:
- Healthcare, including Telemedicine
- E-learning, including learning management system (LMS)
- iGaming
- Fitness & Wellness, and more
This diverse experience ensures your veterinary practice benefits from cross-industry insights while receiving specialized attention to veterinary-specific needs.
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