It’s summer, otherwise known as the “busy season” in the veterinary industry. With the warmer weather, pets are simply outdoors more—more long walks, more running in the yard, more summer playtime overall. But all this beloved (and healthy) outdoor activity exposes them to the ticks and parasites that thrive during this time.

Additionally, families tend to take more vacations in these summer months when school is out. As they excitedly pack their bags, they also need to ensure that their pets are up to date on vaccinations—whether they are going along for the ride or being boarded. Preventatives are more important than ever around this time. It also means that pet owners are often scrambling to get what they need as soon as possible.

For busy veterinary practices, it’s helpful to prepare for this increased summer demand all year long, rather than waiting for the spring crunch time when families begin to think of vacations, outdoors, and pets. Fortunately, your veterinary software can help manage this busy season, with reminders, proper documentation, and key integrations. It can even help with your social media activity to stay top-of-mind with clients.

Reminders and Documentation

Reminders are essential during the busy summer season to ensure clients and patients don’t miss important vaccinations and preventative prescriptions. It’s always important to set regular reminder “health checks” so that all patients receive the correct reminders.

A few other ideas for using your software to help in this effort include:

• Print reminders on invoices and statements all year long (for warmer climates) or as you get closer to spring (for cooler climates).
• Leverage your general wellness exams throughout the year by –
  • Adding preventative reminders and notes in the SOAP, enabling them to appear on the patient report card. (This is also a great way to alert clients of new products that may benefit their pets).
  • Automatically printing educational flyers or documents when you print invoices. This could be an effective method of providing clients with heartworm education.

In NaVetor, you can even add multiple documents to print with each invoice, but be careful not to overwhelm the pet owner with too much information. Also remember to update these if you are located in a seasonal area.

Integrations

Client communications platforms that integrate seamlessly with veterinary practice management software help educate and market to clients. It’s one of the most critical integrations for veterinary practices to have in place—proving especially helpful for preventative season.

For example, NaVetor integrates with both ePet and Vet Hero client communications platforms. Each platform enables timely newsletters and provides reminders via text, email, and direct mail. With Vet Hero, pet owners can book an appointment online, which will automatically appear in the appointment calendar. Further, it will automatically schedule reminders via email, text, mail, or automated phone call, helping decrease missed and cancelled appointments. Both integrations are designed to give veterinarians a leg up on the customized communications that their clients appreciate.

Social Media

There’s no doubt that social media is a key part of most businesses today. In our industry, it especially helps to keep a veterinary practice’s name in front of clients (and potential clients). Most veterinary practices have Facebook pages these days, and some also have Instagram and Twitter feeds. Social media is extremely cost-effective (generally free) and helps to set veterinary practices apart from their competitors with better brand recognition.

Social media should be used for more than practice marketing though. It is also a valuable tool for client education and service reminders. For example, you could post—If your pet has trouble eating or drinking, give us a call. Other ideas for content during heartworm and preventative season include:

• Use videos and informational material about the risks during summer and the benefits of the preventative. And don’t let the term “video” scare you or your staff. Your videos can be done right on your smartphone—no need for a big investment of time or money.
• Highlight pet owner testimonials about preventatives. Use your software to search through encounters to find patients who have had success with a preventative and reach out to their owner for a review. Taking advantage of your raving fans is a great way to increase consumer confidence in your services.
• Show a little love. The veterinary profession is notoriously known for compassion and a deep love for animals. Let that shine through on those feeds. Remember, with social media, you are limited only by your creativity!

Keeping you organized and your patients and clients happy are NaVetor’s top priorities, especially during preventative season! If you’d like to learn more, request a demo or sign up for a free 15-day trial.