Shepherd and PetDesk: Better Communication for Veterinary Clinics

Great communication is a necessity for veterinary practices, as evidenced by a reported 98% of pet parents wanting to hear from their vets by email, for instance, yet only 41% actually do.

With 31% of pet parents considering switching vets, this lack of digital convenience risks customer churn and the loss of a large client base.

But between scheduling appointments, updating patient records, answering questions, and maintaining consistent client outreach, veterinary teams have a lot on their plates as it is. And for front desk staff, keeping everything running smoothly can be especially overwhelming.

With the combined strength of PetDesk and Shepherd, daily clinic life becomes less stressful and easier to manage. While Shepherd remains your practice’s core information management system for medical records, billing, and workflows,

PetDesk specializes in automating client communication and providing the seamless digital experience pet parents demand.

Together, this flawless integration creates a powerful client-engagement ecosystem that simplifies communication, automates repetitive manual tasks, and enhances every interaction between clients and staff, making it a complete game-changer for veterinary practices like yours.

Fully-integrated data, perfectly simplified practice

The combination of Shepherd and PetDesk creates a more connected and productive veterinary environment by bridging the gap between client communication and record management.

Shepherd Veterinary Software is a cloud-based practice information management system (PIMS) with a modern interface and lower upfront cost, making it ideal for growing practices.

When you integrate PetDesk with Shepherd, all details of client interactions, whether it’s a phone call, text, reminder, form, payment, or appointment, are automatically reflected in Shepherd, without requiring any manual input.

Here’s how the client communication integration works:

• While you keep Shepherd as your operational hub, all client interactions from PetDesk Communications (like reminders, texts, forms, and payments) automatically pop directly into Shepherd. That means less manual entry, and your records stay accurate.
• To take your efficiency up an extra level, integrate PetDesk Phones with Shepherd to see all your call details flow directly into your PIMS as well. You’ll enjoy conveniently capturing each inbound and outbound client interaction within one user-friendly dashboard featuring a modern interface, which improves workflow efficiency by reducing the need to navigate different tabs.
• Get the most out of your Shepherd PIMS by adding on veterinary-specific, 24/7 direct booking software. PetDesk Direct Booking automates routine and repetitive scheduling tasks, like manually managing and confirming appointments.

By allowing pet parents to book appointments and benefit from online scheduling beyond standard business hours, make pre-appointment payments, and receive automatic reminders, PetDesk’s veterinary scheduling solution has proven to lower clinic no-show rates to 3% while saving staff time and drastically reducing call volume.

Shepherd Veterinary Software supports multi-location support and is suitable for multiple locations, making it ideal for growing practices. 

Integrating PetDesk with Shepherd removes double data entry and the need to toggle from place to place, so you’ll have one complete ecosystem where your client communication and appointment management is fully integrated into your daily operations.

As a bonus, Shepherd includes built-in AI-powered features, AI tools, and AI-powered documentation to streamline workflows and reduce administrative burden. It also integrates seamlessly with third-party tools, supporting flexibility and compatibility for your practice.

Having the best veterinary data management solution gives you peace of mind that your records are always up to date and complete. Shepherd is workflow-first veterinary software designed to meet the needs of modern, cloud-based practices.

Free your front desk and reclaim time

Your front desk staff is often stretched thin. Repeating the same tasks (confirming appointments, fielding basic client inquiries, or manually sending reminders) takes up hours each week.

But with PetDesk’s intelligent communication tools, those repetitive tasks are automatically handled for you through automated reminders and push notifications delivered via SMS and in-app, significantly improving client engagement and convenience.

PetDesk automates appointment reminders, confirmations, and routine follow-ups, allowing your team to focus on more meaningful client interactions and patient care.

In fact, practices that use PetDesk’s Two-Way Texting feature have saved 12 hours per week—a huge win for time-crunched teams. These tools also help reduce reliance on traditional phone lines by offering multiple communication channels.

When you add in PetDesk Phones, all your phone calls become more efficient, too. Calls are integrated into Shepherd, allowing teams to access caller details quickly, reducing call times and improving response quality.

Plus, with the additional power of PetDesk Direct Booking, you’ll be able to reduce scheduling errors and focus on other important tasks while pet parents book and confirm their own appointments. Together, PetDesk and Shepherd give your team back valuable time while keeping communication clear, productive, and client-focused.

Enjoy happier staff and pet parents

Clients today want modern solutions, with industry estimates showing that over 75% of pet parents expect to schedule appointments on any device, send quick questions via SMS, and easily access their pets’ health records. PetDesk’s #1-rated veterinary mobile app is a dedicated app that provides clients and pet owners with easy access to their pet’s health information, including medical records, patient history, and medical history.

The app empowers pet owners to request appointments, view upcoming appointments, manage prescription refills and prescription refill requests, and receive real-time updates on lab results.

It also supports comprehensive pet care management, making it a seamless, all-in-one solution already loved by over 7 million pet parents!

You’ll simplify staff workflows by allowing your team to view client communications, respond to texts, and manage interactions in one place. At the same time, you’ll give pet parents the convenient, self-serve options they expect, including easy appointment management, two-way texting, access to health records, and more.

With the increased power and productivity of PetDesk Phones and Shepherd, you’ll make daily interactions even easier for your team from the first phone call to sending that follow-up message. Not to mention all the stress PetDesk Direct Booking will save your front desk staff by automating repetitive tasks, eliminating scheduling errors, and reducing daily call volume by over 50%!

Grow your practice without growing your workload

More than supporting daily operations, great communication fuels the success of your practice. Integrating PetDesk Communications with Shepherd allows you to automatically send timely appointment reminders and confirmations, which alone have proven to save DVMs more than 45 minutes per day.

In addition to securing revenue, you can use PetDesk Phones directly with Shepherd to effortlessly identify overdue compliance and enable proactive outreach, helping strengthen long-term client loyalty.

Integrated loyalty programs within your practice management platform can improve client engagement and retention by rewarding clients and encouraging repeat visits. Make your practice even more resilient to revenue loss by requesting pre-appointment deposits or full payments from new or high-risk clients through PetDesk Direct Booking, like how one clinic reduced no-shows and increased revenue by over $225k!

When everything (phone calls, messages, reminders, payments, forms, appointment management) is working together directly in Shepherd, your comprehensive practice management solution will run as smoothly as possible. That means you can grow, take on more patients, and provide better care—without adding to your workload.

The ultimate ‘better together’: Complete PIMS and client engagement ecosystem

This integration is more than just convenient. It’s a pivotal shift for veterinary teams. By combining the familiar functionality of Shepherd’s PIMS with the automation, engagement, and convenience of PetDesk, veterinary practices can finally operate at the level today’s clients expect without burning out their teams.

Whether you start with PetDesk Communications or go all-in by adding PetDesk Phones and PetDesk Direct Booking for a full-circle client experience, you’re investing in the ultimate veterinary ecosystem with Shepherd.

Every call, text, reminder, payment, and appointment works in sync with your PIMS, eliminating data silos, manual updates, and communication breakdowns.

Most importantly, when your tools are integrated and your processes simplified, clinic stress goes down, team morale goes up, and client satisfaction skyrockets. That’s what you get with the combined strength of PetDesk and Shepherd.

Frequently asked questions (FAQs)

How does the Shepherd and PetDesk integration improve client engagement?

The integration connects PetDesk Communications, PetDesk Phones, and PetDesk Direct Booking directly with your Shepherd PIMS. All calls, messages, reminders, forms, payments, and appointments sent through PetDesk are automatically reflected in Shepherd’s patient records, eliminating the need for manual entry, so engaging clients is seamless and intuitive.

What types of data sync between PetDesk and Shepherd?

Client interactions, including appointment reminders and confirmations, two-way text messages, digital forms, payments, and appointments, are synced into Shepherd. If your practice uses PetDesk Phones, call details are also captured and logged directly into Shepherd.

Does the integration help reduce no-shows?

Yes! PetDesk features like digital payments have helped reduce appointment no-shows by 90%, which saves time, improves scheduling efficiency, and protects your clinic’s revenue. Reminders and confirmations alone have also proven to save DVMs more than 45 minutes per day.

How much time can my team save with this integration?

Practices that use PetDesk’s automated communication tools have hundreds of hours, including one practice who saved 12 hours per week with just the mobile app and two-way texting—valuable time that frees clinic staff to focus more on excellent patient care and high-value client interactions.

Is PetDesk’s mobile app included?

Yes. PetDesk’s top-rated mobile app, used by over 7 million pet parents, is part of the client engagement experience of PetDesk Communications. It allows pet parents to manage appointments, view health records, and communicate with your clinic on their own time.

Do I need to use PetDesk Communications, Phones, and Direct Booking to benefit from the integration?

Not at all! The integration is powerful whether you use PetDesk Communications, PetDesk Phones, and PetDesk Direct Booking individually, as a pair, or as a bundle. However, using all three solutions offers a complete client engagement ecosystem for maximum efficiency and impact.

Is the integration difficult to set up?

Nope! The setup process is easy with support from both the PetDesk and Shepherd teams, making implementation quick and hassle-free.

Ready to take your client experience to the next level?

Support your team in becoming less stressed and more productive than ever. With PetDesk and Shepherd, it’s time to work smarter, together.