Summer will be upon us before you know it, and structured schedules will go out the window, along with homework and sports calendars. Some on-the-ball clients take advantage of extra time during the summer to schedule their pet’s annual wellness visit. But, between fun outings, vacations, and summer guests, others may unintentionally let their pet’s care slide. 

Help your clients remember their pet’s essential health care this summer with these tips from our Rumpus team.

#1: Send automated reminders

Sending automated reminders is one of the easiest ways to help your clients remember their pet’s health care. Most practice management software and client communication platforms include automated reminders, and the simple set-it-and-forget-it setup makes helping your clients a breeze. Important health care tasks your clients will appreciate receiving a reminder for include:

  • Annual wellness and preventive care visits
  • Vaccine boosters
  • Parasite prevention
  • Routine diagnostics
  • Follow-up appointments

Some platforms allow you to preschedule reminder notifications or automatically link them to action items (e.g., vaccine charges automatically trigger a booster reminder at the appropriate time next year), which can save your team precious time during the busy summer months.

#2: Prompt clients about summer pet hazards

With ample opportunities for trouble, summer is peak pet accident season. Between the fun and festivities, however, pet owners sometimes forget to take important measures to keep their pets safe. This presents an opportunity for you to present reminders that can mean the difference between disaster and diversion. Send friendly email and text messages reminding pet owners to avoid hazards such as:

  • Heatstroke
  • Fireworks-related trauma
  • Toxic cookout foods
  • Saltwater toxicity
  • Tick-borne diseases
  • Wildlife encounters
  • Blue-green algae toxicity

#3: Post regular educational content

Your clients are sure to be scrolling through Facebook while lounging by the pool, so catch their attention with social media posts that link to educational blogs on your website. While a quick text message or social media post can relay a short reminder, longer-form blogs give you a chance to provide more in-depth education about a variety of topics. Fortunately, summer presents a wealth of possible blog content. The following topics are sure to stop your clients from scrolling past:

  • June: “Beware the Boom” — Remind clients that neighborhood fireworks may begin long before July Fourth celebrations, and early preparation can save noise-averse pets from significant stress and trauma.
  • July: “It’s Getting Hot in Here” — Heat-related injuries can seem to develop suddenly if pet owners don’t know the signs to watch for and the situations to avoid.
  • August: “Don’t Let Back to School + Pets = Back to the Vet” — With backpack hazards (e.g., sugar-free gum, chocolate), busy schedules, and new routines, back-to-school chaos can set pets up for disaster.

#4: Encourage autoship

As your clients stock up on vacation necessities, they may forget about their pet’s medications, parasite prevention, and prescription food. Avoid last-minute pleas for urgent prescription refills by encouraging clients to sign up for the autoship feature through your online pharmacy. Your patients’ necessities will be delivered directly to their door on a regular basis, eliminating the need for clients to add one more thing to their to-do list.

#5: Send boarding reminders

While booking flights and hotels, your clients may forget to reserve their pet’s lodging arrangements. If your practice offers boarding services, use email, text, and social media to remind your clients to book their pet’s stay as early as possible. Post photos of your deluxe boarding accommodations, pet playtime, and other perks to show clients how much their pet will enjoy their own “staycation” while they are away.

While client communication is always important, summer amps up the need for consistent messaging. If keeping your clients informed feels like a full-time job, let us lighten your load. Contact our team of professional writers—who are also veterinary professionals—for accurate, engaging content that will help your clients stay on top of their pets’ care.