PRACTICE SOFTWARE
Shepherd veterinary software
Pricing, features, and how Shepherd connects to your clinic's website for online booking, texting, reminders and payments.
Practice software compared / Shepherd
Shepherd is cloud-based practice management software from Shepherd Veterinary Solutions. It is built around a SOAP medical record that adds charges to the invoice as the team works, and it runs in a web browser on a desktop, tablet or phone. Shepherd pitches it to general practice, urgent care, mobile and multi-location clinics.
Most of what pet owners touch is built in. Your clinic links Shepherd’s Pet Portal from its website, and clients use it to request appointments or, with Direct Booking turned on, book open times themselves. Two-way texting, text and email reminders, online forms and Shepherd Pay are part of the subscription, and booking partners such as PetDesk Direct Booking connect too.
Shepherd also acquired Hippo Manager, and says practices that used Hippo have moved to Shepherd.
What to ask Shepherd
- The subscription is priced per doctor and quoted in a demo, so ask for the monthly total for your number of doctors and locations.
- Texting runs on prepaid credits. Ask how many texts a practice your size typically sends.
- Data migration is a published $2,750 per location. Ask which systems they convert from and what moves over: medical records, reminders, inventory.
- If you want clients booking from your website, ask whether Direct Booking can follow your rules for appointment types, doctors and new clients.
Shepherd pricing
Shepherd doesn't post a subscription price on its website. It is priced per doctor. source
Included in the subscription
- Unlimited users
- Unlimited work stations
- Expert training
- Vet-experienced support
- Shepherd Pay
- Messaging Center and pet portal
- Digital forms
- No implementation fees
Published add-on prices
- Text message credits: $99 per 5,000 credits (credits do not expire; 1,000 free starter credits)
- Shepherd OpenAPI: $35 per month
- Data migration: $2,750 per location
- ShepherdAI features (TranscribeAI, DiagnoseAI, SummarizeAI): optional; price not published
Sources: sourcesourcesourcesourcesourcesourcesourcesourcesourcesource
When you ask for a quote, ask for the monthly cost per location or per user, setup and data conversion fees, and the price of the client communication add-ons below.
Shepherd features
Cloud PIMS built around a SOAP workflow that writes charges to the invoice automatically, with scheduling, dashboard and whiteboard, inventory, estimates, reporting, lab and imaging integrations, built-in client communication (portal, texting, reminders, forms), Shepherd Pay, optional AI tools, browser access from any device, and group tools for multi-location practices.
- SOAP medical records
- Appointment scheduling
- Dashboard
- Digital whiteboard
- Inventory tracking
- Invoicing with automatic charge capture
- Estimates
- Reporting
- Lab and imaging integrations
- Pet Portal
- Two-way texting and mass messaging
- Reminders
- Customizable forms
- Shepherd Pay
- AI tools (TranscribeAI, DiagnoseAI, SummarizeAI)
- Browser access on desktop, tablet and phone
- Multi-location group administration
- Staff tagging and tasks
- Activity logs
- SOC 2 compliance
From Shepherd's own pages: source sourcesourcesourcesourcesourcesourcesourcesourcesourcesourcesourcesourcesourcesourcesourcesourcesourcesourcesource
Labs and diagnostics
Orders and results for IDEXX (reference and in-house), Antech, Zoetis (reference labs and VETSCAN point-of-care instruments via VETSCAN FUSE), Heska, Moichor, Midwest Veterinary Laboratory, Vetek Labs and MicroVet, mostly ordered and invoiced from the SOAP. Imaging through IDEXX Web PACS, Sound SmartPACS and Radimal.source
Moving your data
Shepherd's migration team moves client and patient records, medical data and vaccine records from the old system, $2,750 per location. Onboarding runs 8-12 weeks with migration and 4-6 weeks without (the General Practice page says 8 to 10 weeks with migration). Hippo Manager practices got a custom conversion at no cost during the 2025 transition.source
Support and training
Support from clinically trained staff through in-app chat (Shepherd says average response is under 2 minutes), phone and email. Training and a dedicated onboarding team are included in the subscription. Current users get free one-on-one time with support. Shepherd Pay merchant support has its own published hours.source
Shepherd online booking and website integration
What pet owners can do from your website or phone, and whether Shepherd does it itself or through a partner.
- Online booking
- Built in source
Native: the Shepherd Pet Portal has its own customizable URL the clinic links from its website. New and existing clients can send appointment requests, or with Direct Booking turned on, book open slots themselves (with or without staff approval). With Shepherd Pay, a deposit can be required at booking. Partners: PetDesk Direct Booking (24/7 booking from the clinic website or PetDesk app, synced to Shepherd), Ava Scheduler from Vetpawer (powers a website 'Book Now' button), Chckvet, EzMedTech, Kumba (route-based booking for mobile vets) and WaitWell. Vetstoria does not list Shepherd on its integrations page. sourcesourcesourcesourcesourcesource
- Two-way texting
- Built in source
Native two-way SMS and MMS in the Messaging Center, included in the subscription; outbound texts draw on prepaid credits. Conversations can be uploaded to the medical record. A newer Shepherd Connect communication center (SMS, email, voice) is in closed beta. Partners Weave, PetDesk and Otto also offer two-way texting synced to Shepherd. sourcesourcesourcesource
- Reminders
- Built in source
Native service reminders tied to products and treatments, plus automatic appointment reminders by text and email. Partners: PetDesk, Otto, Weave (vaccine-record reminders only), AllyDVM, AutoRemind, Oliver; PCM Integrations and VerticalVet for postcards. sourcesourcesourcesource
- Online payments
- Built in source
Shepherd Pay is built in: USB card terminal, stored cards, online payments and deposits in the Pet Portal, and payment links (used by mobile vets). No added subscription fee; card processing fees apply. Financing through CareCredit and Sunbit integrations. Shepherd does not name the processor behind Shepherd Pay. sourcesourcesourcesource
- Online forms
- Built in source
Native customizable forms sent by email or link (or opened in the hospital), auto-sent with appointments, with responses saved to patient history. Otto, PetDesk and Chckvet also collect digital forms that sync to Shepherd. sourcesourcesourcesource
- Pet owner app or portal
- Built in source
Native Pet Portal, included at no extra charge: clients log in with a verification code to request or book appointments, request Rx refills, pay balances, print vaccine certificates and view visit history. For a downloadable pet-owner app, partners PetDesk and Chckvet offer one. sourcesourcesource
About 60 listed integrations and data connections. Client-communication, booking and payment partners named on shepherd.vet/integrations include PetDesk (Communications, Phones, Direct Booking), Weave, Otto (via Vetsource SyncVet), AllyDVM, AutoRemind, Chckvet, Oliver, Ava, EzMedTech, Kumba, WaitWell, Fetchit, ReviewTree, VetTalk, CareCredit and Sunbit. Otto, PetDesk and Weave each publish their own Shepherd integration pages. source
Client communication companies that name Shepherd on their own pages: AllyDVMsource , Ottosource , PetDesksource , Vet2Petsource , Weavesource .
API: Shepherd OpenAPI: any practice can switch it on under Admin > Integrations, accept the terms and create API key sets; $35 per month add-on. Inquiries go to OpenAPI@shepherd.vet. No public developer documentation site was found. Partners such as Otto and Pawlicy Advisor connect through Vetsource SyncVet. source
See how Shepherd compares with 13 other systems in the website and booking integration matrix.
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