2026 guide
AI is already in the exam room, the lab and on the phones. This guide covers what each kind of tool actually does, how to judge one, the risks worth managing, and a four-week plan to try it without disrupting your clinic.
Updated 10 min readBy the VetStack team
The short answer
For most clinics, yes, starting with medical records. AI scribes take the most repetitive writing off the veterinarian’s plate, and the time is easy to measure. Imaging, lab, phone and communication tools can help too. Whatever you choose, the rules are the same: a person reviews everything, client data stays protected, and the veterinarian stays responsible.
The landscape
AI scribes record the consult or your dictation and draft the medical record, usually as a SOAP note.
Software that reviews radiographs and flags possible findings, sometimes alongside a teleradiology service.
In-clinic analyzers that use image analysis on blood smears, urine sediment or fecal samples.
Drafting emails, aftercare instructions, reminders and replies to reviews, often with general tools like ChatGPT.
AI receptionists that answer calls, book appointments and handle routine questions out of hours.
Study tools that quiz you, explain concepts and summarize papers, for students, technicians and practicing vets.
Try your own numbers
Your estimate
6.8hrs / week
About 311 hours a year across your record-keeping, if an AI draft replaces writing from scratch.
Built from the numbers you enter, not from a study. Assumes 46 working weeks a year. Time your own records for a few days for the most honest input.
Before you buy
Get a clear yes or no in writing for recordings, notes and client details. “Anonymized” needs explaining.
Encryption in transit and at rest, access limited to your practice, and named sub-processors.
Nothing should reach a record or a client until a person has read it and can edit it.
Small animal, equine, exotics and production animals need different terminology and normals.
Copy and paste works with any system. A direct integration is better only if it’s reliable.
Published prices, a free tier or trial, and no long contract before you’ve tested it with real patients.
Export and deletion on request, including after you cancel.
The veterinarian signs the record. The tool should make that review easy, not encourage skipping it.
Eyes open
None of these are reasons to avoid AI. They are reasons to set it up properly, the same way you would with a new anesthetic protocol.
Generative AI can produce fluent text that is wrong. Build the review step into the workflow rather than relying on people to remember it.
The better a tool usually is, the easier it is to stop checking. Spot-check AI output regularly, especially for new team members.
Several US states require everyone in a conversation to agree before it is recorded. Tell clients you use an AI scribe and note their consent; a sign in the exam room and a line on your intake form help.
Every new tool is somewhere client data can leak. Prefer fewer, well-chosen tools to a dozen free ones.
Using AI doesn’t change who is responsible for the record, the diagnosis or the advice. Your state board will hold the veterinarian to the same standard.
Where to start
Week 1
Choose the job that costs the most time. For most clinics that is medical records. Write down how long it takes today.
Week 2
Use a free tier or trial on real appointments. Note what the tool gets right, what you correct, and how long review takes.
Week 3
Add a second vet or a technician, agree a consent script for clients, and write a one-page policy on what can go into AI tools.
Week 4
Compare your before and after times. Keep it only if it saves time without adding risk, then roll it out and review again in three months.
Starting with records? VetStack’s free plan covers 5 notes a day with no card, which is enough for a proper week-two trial.
FAQ
The most common uses today are clinical documentation (AI scribes that write SOAP notes), imaging support for radiographs, image analysis in in-clinic lab analyzers, drafting client communication, AI phone answering and booking, and study tools for CE and exams.
No. Current AI tools take on tasks such as writing records, drafting messages and flagging possible findings. Examining animals, making diagnoses, treatment decisions and client relationships stay with the veterinary team, and the veterinarian remains responsible for the record and the care.
It depends on the job. For medical records, a veterinary AI scribe saves the most time for most clinics; our comparison covers the main options and prices. For writing client emails and handouts, a general assistant such as ChatGPT works well if you keep client identifiers out of it.
Recording laws vary by state and country. Several US states require everyone in the conversation to consent. The safe approach everywhere is to tell clients you use an AI scribe, ask for their consent and record that they agreed. Check your own state’s rules if you are unsure.
It varies by tool. Some veterinary AI scribes publish prices and offer free tiers: VetStack has a free plan with 5 notes a day and unlimited notes from $49 a month for one vet. Imaging, lab and phone products are usually priced per clinic or per study, so ask for a written quote.
A good scribe captures the details of a consult well, but no AI is accurate enough to skip review. Choose a tool that leaves out what wasn’t said instead of guessing, makes editing quick, and lets you check every section before it goes into your PIMS.
VetStack records the consult and drafts a species-aware SOAP note in under 60 seconds. You review it, then paste it into your PIMS.
5 free notes a day · No credit card · iPhone, Android and desktop