Educating Pet Owners in the Digital Age

Modern veterinary clients want to be active partners in their pets’ care and seek an increased understanding of how to provide the best for their companions. As the demand for information and preventive care grows, so does the opportunity for enhanced client education.

Take your veterinary practice’s client education beyond the exam room by utilizing digital communications to deliver informational and engaging content to pet owners.

On-demand learning: Recorded content benefits

If the idea of stepping in front of the camera or screen makes you nervous, consider the potential benefits of creating online educational content, such as:

• Optimizing exam room efficiency — Referring your client to a pre-recorded presentation allows you to maximize face-to-face interactions and focus on the big picture, instead of trying to ensure you’ve addressed every last detail.
• Providing convenient learning opportunities — Busy clients may not have time to sit through a lengthy explanation in the clinic, but can find time to watch an online recording after hours.
• Decreasing follow-up communications — Clients may be more focused and attentive when they can watch and review information about their pet’s condition at home, which can improve patient outcomes and decrease post-visit questions and confusion.
• Encouraging proactive pet ownership — Accessible information helps clients make informed decisions about their pet’s care, including when to schedule an appointment.
• Bonding clients to your practice — Involving clients in their pet’s care through expanded resources and opportunities can help build trust.
• Enhancing patient outcomes — Knowledgeable pet owners are more likely to provide appropriate at-home care and note changes in their pet’s condition.

3, 2, 1 Action: Creating online educational content

Whether you’re interested in preserving your most popular pet health talks or providing quick pet care hacks, it’s easy to create tailored content for your desired message and audience. Here’s a look at the most convenient and practical formats for veterinary client education and some practical applications.

Webinars

Webinars are a great way to present larger or more complex topics such as:

• Nutrition
• Behavior
• Preventive care
• Heartworm disease
• Senior pet health
• Post-operative care for routine procedures
• Chronic condition management (e.g., arthritis, diabetes, cancer, or renal failure)

Use a script or talking points to structure your presentation and engaging visuals to emphasize key points (e.g., slide deck, hands-on demonstrations). Although 30 to 60 minutes is considered optimal webinar length, shorter sessions will attract more viewers. Live webinar events should include opportunities for audience interaction such as polls, attendance prizes, and a designated time for questions. Recorded webinars can be edited and polished before being published on your website.

Virtual workshops

Virtual workshops generally offer a more in-depth look at specific topics and can be a great way to coach small groups of pet owners in real time on important pet care tasks and practical advice. Workshop topics may include:

• Pet first aid and CPR
• Diabetic pet monitoring
• At-home dental care
• Basic puppy or kitten training
• Grooming and husbandry tasks
• Environmental enrichment
• Pet fitness and low-impact exercises
• Home modifications for senior pets

When practical, virtual workshops can include a participatory component as clients apply the skills they’ve learned with their own pets during designated breakout sessions. This can be a great way to coach new pet parents on basic skills such as training, grooming, and handling. Virtual workshops can also be recorded and edited—with participant permission—for future use. Virtual workshops can also be a great format for forum or town hall-style discussions with various veterinarians or team members. Consider hosting monthly or quarterly “Ask me anything” sessions or roundtable discussions on specific topics such as the importance of wellness screenings or parasitic disease testing.

Quick tip tutorials

Short-form videos (i.e., less than 90 seconds long) are an effective way to share simple tips and insights to enhance pet care and the pet-owner bond. And because these videos tend to attract more social media likes and shares, they’re also an effective marketing tool for gaining new clients. Short-form videos are easy to create and don’t require much preparation or editing. As such, these are a great way to involve and showcase the entire team. Quick tip topic ideas include:

• Low-stress handling
• Collar or harness fitting
• Safe pet transportation
• Dog or cat body language
• Pain signs in pets
• Body condition scoring
• Nail trimming, ear cleaning, and tooth brushing
• Practice app or pet portal use (e.g., requesting refills or appointments)

Day-in-the-life vlogs

Give your clients an insider’s perspective on clinic life and peace of mind about their pet’s care with vlogs (i.e., video blogs). Day-in-the-life vlogs are short-form video content that helps clients better understand their pet’s care during an appointment, procedure, or other significant event. These videos typically follow an imaginary patient—often a team member’s pet—through simulated or real circumstances from admission to discharge, helping to build trust, set client expectations, and increase the perceived value of veterinary care. Example uses include:

• Elective surgeries
• Dental prophylaxis
• Diagnostic imaging
• Hospitalization
• Boarding or grooming

The next time you find yourself repeating the same speech or advice, consider stepping out from behind the exam table and into the digital spotlight. Virtual and online communication tools such as webinars, workshops, and short-form videos are an effective, convenient, and affordable way to raise the bar on client education, while simultaneously increasing veterinary practice efficiency, engaging a wider audience, and elevating pet health.