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Where U.S. Veterinary Practices Stand with Digitalization in 2026

February 19, 2026

From PIMS and online booking to telemedicine, AI receptionists, and reputation management, U.S. veterinary practices have a rich ecosystem of digital tools to reduce friction, protect staff well-being, and improve access to care.

Where U.S. Veterinary Practices Stand with Digitalization in 2026

Across the United States, veterinary teams are juggling packed appointment books, staffing shortages, rising client expectations, and an ever-growing list of administrative tasks. Many practices now recognize that digital tools are not "nice to have" add-ons but core infrastructure that can reduce friction, protect staff well-being, and improve access to care.

From practice management systems and online booking to telemedicine, AI receptionists, and reputation management, the U.S. market offers a rich—but sometimes overwhelming—ecosystem of solutions.

The foundation: practice management systems (PIMS)

In the U.S., most small-animal practices run on a dedicated practice information management system (PIMS) that centralizes medical records, billing, inventory, lab integrations, and reporting. Popular platforms include IDEXX Cornerstone, ezyVet, IDEXX Neo, Covetrus Pulse, Avimark, Provet Cloud, and Shepherd.

These systems increasingly go beyond record-keeping: Cornerstone, for example, offers automatic reminders, client communication tools, and marketing features, while integrating tightly with IDEXX diagnostics and including backup and recovery services. Cloud-native options like ezyVet, Covetrus Pulse, and Provet Cloud emphasize automation of workflows, deep diagnostic and lab integrations, and business intelligence dashboards to capture missed charges and guide growth decisions.

When evaluating or replacing a PIMS, U.S. practices typically focus on:

  • Deployment model (on-premise vs. cloud)
  • Integration with diagnostics and online pharmacy
  • Embedded client communication features
  • Reporting capabilities
  • Vendor support and implementation services

The digital client journey: before, during, and after the visit

Before the visit: real-time online scheduling

Phone-only scheduling no longer matches pet owner expectations in many U.S. markets, where clients want to request or book appointments 24/7 from their phones. Solutions like VitusVet, Vetstoria, PetDesk, and integrated tools such as Vetdesk or PIMS-native modules allow clinics to accept appointment requests or real-time bookings via website, app, or social channels.

VitusVet, for example, lets clients request appointments via text, email, the practice website, Facebook, or a branded mobile app, while automating reminders and post-visit surveys to reduce no-shows and drive more online reviews. Vetstoria and PetDesk offer fully real-time scheduling integrated with the clinic's calendar, with rules that control which appointment types, providers, and time windows are available online, significantly reducing call volume and scheduling errors.

Some platforms like Vetdesk embed booking directly into the website and sync with the PIMS so clients see live availability, receive automatic confirmations and reminders, and staff stay in full control of schedule rules without juggling multiple systems.

During the visit: connected medical records

Once the client is in the building, digitalization shows up through seamless access to complete medical records, integrated lab results, digital whiteboards, and real-time charge capture. Cloud systems like Provet Cloud and ezyVet emphasize automation of charge capture from diagnostics and hospital workflows, aiming to prevent leakage and improve financial accuracy while freeing clinicians from manual data entry.

IDEXX-linked platforms such as Cornerstone, Neo, and eVetPractice offer tight integrations with VetConnect PLUS labs, imaging, and reference diagnostics, so clinicians can view and interpret results directly inside the PIMS and include them in standardized discharge documents.

After the visit: reminders, follow-up, and feedback

Modern U.S. PIMS and communication platforms typically support automated reminders for vaccinations, preventives, rechecks, wellness plans, and overdue appointments by SMS, email, and app notifications. Tools like VitusVet can trigger automated post-appointment surveys that nudge satisfied clients to leave online reviews, while platforms like PetDesk and Vetstoria weave follow-ups into their scheduling flows to cut down on no-shows and gaps in care.

This "always-on" communication loop not only fills the schedule more consistently but also underpins better preventive care and stronger client relationships.

Telehealth and telemedicine: opportunity within a patchwork of rules

Unlike human medicine, U.S. veterinary telemedicine operates under a complex patchwork of state laws, all anchored in the concept of the veterinarian-client-patient relationship (VCPR). The AVMA's model policy—and FDA guidance—states that a VCPR cannot be established solely through telemedicine; instead, it requires sufficient knowledge of the patient via a physical exam or medically appropriate visits to the location where the animal is kept.

Many states mirror this restrictive stance and require an in-person exam before a veterinarian can diagnose, prescribe, or treat via telemedicine, with some explicitly classifying the creation of a VCPR purely online as unprofessional conduct. A minority of states, such as Oklahoma, have started to permit remote establishment of the VCPR in carefully defined situations at the veterinarian's professional discretion.

Resources like Otto's state-by-state VCPR guide and the Veterinary Virtual Care Association's telemedicine regulatory map help practitioners understand what is allowed where they practice, but the bottom line remains: in most U.S. jurisdictions, full-fledged telemedicine is only legal within an existing, in-person VCPR, with more flexibility around teletriage, general advice, and follow-up on previously diagnosed conditions.

Digital communication and online reputation

Google, Yelp, and local search

For U.S. pet owners, online reviews are often the new word-of-mouth. Multiple marketing and reputation firms report that over 90% of pet owners read online reviews before choosing a veterinary provider and that more than 80% trust these reviews as much as personal recommendations. Google Reviews and Yelp dominate this landscape: Yelp attracts about 178 million visitors per month, and roughly 45% of users favor Yelp for reviews, while Google remains the most used platform overall.

Studies cited by veterinary reputation specialists show that practices with a higher volume of recent 5-star reviews tend to rank better in local search and convert more website visitors into new clients, while a weak or negative profile can dramatically reduce inquiries.

Managing reviews intentionally

As a result, U.S. practices increasingly treat review generation and response as a deliberate process. Tools integrated with PIMS or communication platforms—such as those from ezyVet, VitusVet, and third-party reputation services—can send clients streamlined review invitations after their visit and centralize monitoring and response workflows.

Marketing research in the veterinary sector shows that a growing majority of practices now plan to actively cultivate more Google and Yelp reviews, recognizing that online sentiment often carries further than traditional word-of-mouth in an age where most new clients first meet the clinic via search results.

AI receptionists and operational automation

The pain point: an overwhelmed front desk

In many U.S. hospitals, the front desk is under constant pressure: waves of calls about scheduling, refills, records, questions about prices or policies, and urgent "Is this an emergency?" triage—all while the same staff manage in-person check-ins and discharges. This has led to a surge of interest in AI-powered virtual reception and hybrid AI + human services specifically tailored to veterinary use cases.

Emerging AI receptionist solutions

Several vendors now focus directly on U.S. veterinary clinics:

  • Scritch offers "Emily," an AI receptionist that answers calls 24/7, integrates with the PIMS and phone system, recognizes clients by caller ID, books and modifies appointments, routes urgent cases, sends signed-off medical records, and manages prescription requests, all customized to state compliance requirements.
  • Dialzara provides an AI answering service that can handle common questions, schedule appointments through Google Calendar sync, perform AI call screening and routing, and integrate with CRMs or PIMS, with multilingual support to serve diverse client bases.
  • Vetty AI, Amileia, and Smith.ai offer AI-first or AI-enhanced virtual reception across calls, chats, and texts, combining appointment scheduling, intake, triage, and analytics, sometimes backed by live human agents for escalations or complex conversations.

These tools aim to ensure no call goes unanswered, offload repetitive work from CSRs, and surface structured data (symptoms, urgency level, call outcomes) into dashboards that support staffing and business decisions.

Beyond the phone

Once AI is part of the stack, practices start exploring additional use cases: AI-assisted documentation and discharge instructions, quick-answer "knowledge bases" for staff, chatbots on the website that handle FAQs and direct owners to online booking, and integration with teletriage and virtual care platforms. While AI medical diagnosis remains ethically and legally constrained by VCPR rules and standard-of-care expectations, AI as an operational co-pilot is rapidly gaining ground.

Barriers, data concerns, and best practices

Common barriers in U.S. practices

Despite the clear upside, several barriers slow digital adoption in U.S. veterinary clinics:

  • Lack of time and change-management capacity to implement new tools and train the team.
  • Concerns about depersonalizing client relationships or replacing human CSRs.
  • Fear of getting compliance wrong—whether with state telemedicine laws, VCPR rules, or privacy and data-security expectations.

While veterinary data is not governed by HIPAA, client personal and payment data fall under general privacy and security obligations, and many practices choose vendors that emphasize secure hosting, encryption, and robust access controls.

Good practices for going digital

Successful U.S. practices tend to:

  • Start small and iterate: for example, roll out online booking and automated reminders first, then add structured review invitations, and only later pilot AI reception for after-hours calls.
  • Involve the whole team in tool selection, workflow design, and message scripts, so digital tools support rather than undermine the practice culture.
  • Measure impact with simple KPIs such as missed-call rate, share of appointments booked online, no-show rate, average review rating and volume, and time spent handling routine phone calls before and after implementation.
  • Stay within regulatory guardrails by aligning telehealth use with AVMA guidelines and checking state-specific VCPR and telemedicine rules, especially for multi-state or virtual-first practices.

A pragmatic digital roadmap for U.S. clinics

  • Step 1 — Stabilize or upgrade the PIMS (records, billing, labs, reports) — 1 to 3 months, incl. data migration and training
  • Step 2 — Deploy real-time online scheduling and automated reminders — 2 to 6 weeks
  • Step 3 — Implement a basic review and reputation workflow (Google/Yelp) — 2 to 4 weeks
  • Step 4 — Pilot an AI receptionist or hybrid AI + human answering solution on limited hours or call types — 4 to 8 weeks
  • Step 5 — Expand telehealth within VCPR limits (follow-ups, triage, chronic care) and refine digital workflows based on metrics — Ongoing

The goal is not to "go fully digital" overnight but to stack small, well-chosen improvements that reduce friction for clients and staff while keeping the practice squarely within regulatory and ethical boundaries. Over time, this incremental approach can transform the day-to-day experience of running a U.S. veterinary hospital—without losing the personal touch that clients value most.

Looking to try an AI voice and chat receptionist for your veterinary clinic? Versatik is launching a free Beta, purpose-built for veterinary practices.

Sources and references

    Veterinary Practice Digitalization in the U.S.: A Complete 2026 Guide | Versatik