Skip to content
Start free trial
A needle-felted vet reading at her office desk, a golden dog leaning against her

The PetGrid Vet blog

Plain, sourced articles for clinic owners, veterinarians and front desk teams: practice software compared honestly, AI in the clinic, records that pass an inspection, switching systems, and growing the practice.

Latest

Coaching for practice teamsSupporting grieving clients: words, follow-up and resources for your clinic teamPractical ways for a vet clinic team to support clients through a pet's death: words that help, the small logistics that hurt when missed, and free pet loss resources in Ontario.6 min read

Practice software

Practice management systems compared honestly, PetGrid included, with a source for every claim.

Practice softwareVeterinary software demo questions to ask before you signThe questions to take into a practice software demo, grouped by area, with what a strong answer looks like and the red flags to listen for.6 min read
Practice softwareHow to choose veterinary software: a buyer's checklistA practical checklist for choosing a practice management system: must-have features, records compliance, privacy and security questions, the trial, and the exit plan.6 min read
Practice softwareCloud vs server veterinary software: an honest comparisonA fair comparison of cloud and in-house server practice software for vet clinics: cost factors, security duties, backups, uptime and remote access.7 min read
Practice softwareThe best veterinary practice management software in Canada: eight options, compared honestlyEight veterinary practice management systems used by Canadian clinics, compared on price, hosting, owner app and real strengths, with PetGrid's limits stated plainly.11 min read
Practice softwareAn honest IDEXX Neo alternative for independent vet clinicsNeo is strong on IDEXX lab integration. PetGrid is the IDEXX Neo alternative with a published price, no setup fee, free imports and the owner app included.6 min read
Practice softwarePetGrid vs IDEXX Neo: every feature side by sidePetGrid vs IDEXX Neo in 36 rows and eight tables: everyday work, records, money, the owner app, AI, security, data export and price, each with a one-line verdict.8 min read
Practice softwareA Digitail alternative for small independent vet clinicsDigitail leads on AI, texting, phones and support. PetGrid is the Digitail alternative for a small clinic that wants a published price, free imports and records that are never edited.6 min read
Practice softwarePetGrid vs Digitail: every feature side by sidePetGrid vs Digitail in 36 rows and eight tables: everyday work, records, money, the owner app, AI, security, data export and price, each with a one-line verdict.8 min read
Practice softwareA Covetrus Pulse alternative for independent vet clinicsPulse sits inside Covetrus's supply and pharmacy ecosystem. PetGrid is the independent Covetrus Pulse alternative, with a published price and the owner app included.6 min read
Practice softwarePetGrid vs Covetrus Pulse: every feature side by sidePetGrid vs Covetrus Pulse in 36 rows and eight tables: everyday work, records, money, the owner app, AI, security, data export and price, each with a one-line verdict.8 min read
Practice softwareA Provet Cloud alternative for independent clinics, compared honestlyProvet Cloud publishes its prices and has more features than PetGrid. PetGrid is monthly, includes an owner app in your clinic's name and imports your records free.6 min read
Practice softwarePetGrid vs Provet Cloud: every feature side by sidePetGrid vs Provet Cloud in 36 rows and eight tables: everyday work, records, money, the owner app, AI, security, data export and price, each with a one-line verdict.8 min read
Practice softwareA Shepherd alternative for independent vet clinicsShepherd is a well-rated independent favourite. PetGrid publishes its price, lets you start on your own this week and builds records to the Ontario standard.6 min read
Practice softwarePetGrid vs Shepherd: every feature side by sidePetGrid vs Shepherd in 36 rows and eight tables: everyday work, records, money, the owner app, AI, security, data export and price, each with a one-line verdict.8 min read
Practice softwareA Cornerstone alternative for clinics ready to leave the serverIDEXX Cornerstone is a mature, server-based practice system. Here is where PetGrid fits better as a Cornerstone alternative, where Cornerstone stays ahead, and how to move your records for free.6 min read
Practice softwarePetGrid vs Cornerstone: every feature side by sidePetGrid vs IDEXX Cornerstone in 36 rows and eight tables: everyday work, records, money, the owner app, AI, security, data export and price, each with a one-line verdict.8 min read
Practice softwareAn AVImark alternative for clinics done with the back-room serverAVImark runs a great many clinics from a server in the building. Here is where PetGrid fits better as an AVImark alternative, where AVImark is still ahead, and exactly how to move your clients, pets and visit history for free.7 min read
Practice softwarePetGrid vs AVImark: every feature side by sidePetGrid vs AVImark in 36 rows and eight tables: everyday work, records, money, the owner app, AI, security, data export and price, each with a one-line verdict.8 min read

AI in practice

What AI does in a clinic today: front desks, note drafts, reply drafts, and where a person stays in charge.

AI in practiceAI triage risks on the phone: what an AI should never decideWhere an AI phone receptionist helps a vet clinic, the decisions it must never make, how urgent calls should reach a person, and what Ontario's standards imply for the setup.6 min read
AI in practiceAfter-hours phone answering for vet clinics: options, rules and emergency routingThe ways a clinic can answer the phone after closing, what Ontario's after-hours rule requires, how each option handles an emergency, and where an AI receptionist fits.6 min read
AI in practiceAI SOAP notes: accuracy, review and sign-offAI can draft a SOAP note from shorthand in seconds, but the record is still the vet's. A practical review routine so every AI draft is checked before it is signed.6 min read
AI in practiceAI scribe for veterinarians: how note drafting worksHow AI note drafting works in a vet clinic, where the veterinarian stays in charge, and what Ontario's records standard and Canada's privacy regulator expect.6 min read
AI in practiceAI receptionist for veterinary clinics: what it does, what it must not doWhat an AI receptionist for a vet clinic should handle, what it should never do, and an honest look at PetGrid's AI Front Desk, which is rolling out as clinics' phone lines are connected.8 min read

Practice growth

Bringing in new clients and keeping the ones you have, for independent practices.

Practice growthOnline reviews for veterinary clinics: earning them and replying wellA practical system for earning honest reviews, the rules on incentives and staff reviews in Canada, and reply templates that keep client information private.6 min read
Practice growthGoogle Business Profile for vet clinics: set it up and keep it rightA practical guide to a clinic's Google Business Profile: what Google's rules allow, how local ranking works, the details to keep current, and how to handle reviews without breaching confidentiality or advertising standards.6 min read
Practice growthSEO for veterinary clinics: a plain guideHow pet owners find clinics in search, what Google says decides local rankings, the website basics that matter, and how to keep it all within Ontario's advertising standard.5 min read
Practice growthVeterinary marketing ideas for independent clinicsTwelve practical marketing ideas for an independent clinic with a small team, ordered by effort, with the Ontario advertising rules each one has to respect.6 min read

Coaching for practice teams

Front desk, technician and practice manager skills: handovers, difficult calls, and a calmer day.

Coaching for practice teamsSupporting grieving clients: words, follow-up and resources for your clinic teamPractical ways for a vet clinic team to support clients through a pet's death: words that help, the small logistics that hurt when missed, and free pet loss resources in Ontario.6 min read
Coaching for practice teamsEuthanasia appointments: a front desk guideHow the front desk can book, prepare for and close euthanasia appointments with compassion, and where the vet's role begins, following Ontario's euthanasia guidance.6 min read
Coaching for practice teamsTalking about cost with clients before treatmentA respectful, repeatable way for vets and teams to discuss estimates and options before treatment, built on what Ontario's informed consent standard already requires.6 min read
Coaching for practice teamsHandling angry clients at a vet clinic: de-escalation that keeps everyone safePractical de-escalation for the front desk and the exam room: the words, the body language, when to end the conversation, and what Ontario's workplace violence law asks clinics to have in place.6 min read
Coaching for practice teamsVeterinary receptionist phone script: greeting to bookingWord-for-word scripts for the calls a vet front desk takes every day, from the greeting to the booking, plus the urgent and poison calls that must reach a vet fast.7 min read

New in veterinary medicine

New guidance, products and research that change day-to-day practice, from official sources.

New in veterinary medicineCDC dog import rule for veterinarians: helping Canadian clients travel to the USWhat the CDC's dog entry rules, in force since August 1, 2024, mean for a Canadian clinic: microchips, the CDC Dog Import Form, dogs recently in high-risk countries, and the trip home.6 min read
New in veterinary medicineCFIA commercial dog import restrictions: what changed and what clinics should doThe CFIA's ban on commercial dogs from countries at high risk for dog rabies, who counts as commercial, why it was introduced, and what a clinic should check when an imported dog arrives.6 min read
New in veterinary medicineAvian influenza in cats Canada: what clinics should knowWhat a Canadian clinic team needs on H5N1 in cats: the clinical picture, the history to take, protecting staff, isolation, reporting to the CFIA and what to tell clients about raw diets.6 min read

Animal health

Species, conditions and prevention topics for the clinic team, sourced from colleges and associations.

Animal healthMRSP and MRSA in companion animals: plain facts for clinic teamsThe facts a clinic team needs on methicillin-resistant staph in pets: MRSP versus MRSA, carriage and risk factors, diagnosis and treatment principles, infection control and the client conversation.6 min read
Animal healthZoonotic disease risks for clinic staff, and how to reduce themWhich zoonoses veterinary teams actually catch, the injuries that open the door to them, the staff at higher risk, and the standard precautions and written plan that protect everyone.6 min read
Animal healthInfection prevention and control in vet clinics: the core practices from Canadian guidanceThe core infection prevention practices Canadian guidance asks of small animal clinics, from a named infection control practitioner to hand hygiene, cleaning, laundry and isolation.7 min read

Records and compliance

Medical records, inspections, record release and privacy rules for Canadian clinics.

Records and complianceControlled drugs register for vet clinics in Canada: what to recordWhat a veterinary controlled drugs register must record under Ontario's Regulation 1093 and the federal Narcotic Control Regulations, who may access the drugs, how often to audit, and what to do about losses and disposal.6 min read
Records and complianceCVO facility accreditation inspection: how to prepareA preparation checklist for an Ontario facility accreditation inspection: which standards apply, how to run a mock inspection, what happens on the day, and what to do if a standard is not met.5 min read
Records and complianceReleasing veterinary records to clients: rules and timelinesWhat the College of Veterinarians of Ontario expects when a client or another vet asks for records: what to send, how fast, what you may charge, and when consent is not needed.6 min read
Records and complianceVeterinary record retention Ontario: how long to keep recordsThe retention periods Ontario clinics must meet for medical records, dispensing records and controlled drug records, what an electronic system must do to qualify, and how to dispose of old records safely.6 min read
Records and complianceCVO medical records standard: what Ontario clinics must documentA plain summary of what the College of Veterinarians of Ontario expects in every patient record: the required contents, how changes are tracked, electronic system rules, transfers and retention.7 min read
Records and complianceVeterinary medical records inspection: what the college checks, and how PetGrid's records meet itWhat a veterinary medical records inspection checks in Ontario and elsewhere in Canada, and how PetGrid's never-edited entries, addenda, audit trail and record release meet it.9 min read

Switching

Moving from one practice system to another without losing a record or a day of bookings.

SwitchingMigrating patient histories without losing contextHow notes, vaccines, attachments, images and audit trails move between veterinary systems, which parts are better kept as documents, and how to check nothing lost its meaning.6 min read
SwitchingWhat data to export from your veterinary software before the contract endsA practice manager's checklist of exports to request from the old system before the contract ends, with why each one matters for records rules and day one on the new system.6 min read
SwitchingVeterinary data migration checklist: every record to move and verifyA step-by-step checklist for moving a clinic's data to new software: the data types to export, a test run, go-live checks, and what to keep from the old system.6 min read
SwitchingSwitching veterinary software without losing data: a practical guideA practical guide to switching veterinary software: what to ask your old vendor, which files to export, exactly what PetGrid imports and leaves behind, how to check nothing went missing, and how to take your data with you again.10 min read

Three ways to get started

Book a demoStart free trialCall Theo, our AI assistant (365) 217-9922