How to Manage Electronic Medical Records & Patient Intake

Before you start: Understanding how basic records are structured in Vetzilla is key to running an efficient daily operation. Here are the three essential steps to manage your patients and optimize your veterinary clinic management.

Step 1: Register the Owner (Client Intake Profile)

The first step to organizing a successful veterinary database is properly registering the pet owner or guardian.

How to get there

In the left sidebar, select Clients. The client list will appear. Click the blue + Create button in the top-right corner.

A modal will open where you can enter the owner's details. The required fields are Name and Phone. However, for a complete medical and billing profile, we highly recommend filling out the following key fields:

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Email Address & Reminders

Essential for sending automated appointment reminders, medical prescriptions, and client notifications.

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Tax & Legal Identification

Select the identification type according to your country's local tax regulations (e.g., Tax ID, Passport, RFC, etc.).

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Full Address

Country, city, state, zip code, and street details for client demographic tracking.

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Tax & Invoicing Information

Business name, tax regime, tax ID, and invoice usage options to generate invoices instantly from the POS.

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Once created, the system will automatically take you to the Client Profile, where you can manage their pets, view live sales history, track outstanding balances or credits, and update records at any time.

Step 2: Add the Pet & Open an Electronic Medical Record (EMR)

There are two quick pathways to add a patient and open their official clinical chart within the software:

From the Client Profile

Inside the owner's file, under the Client Pets section, click the + Add pet button. Using this method, the client field will automatically link to the owner.

From the General Pets Section

In the left sidebar, go to Pets and click the create button. You can search for an existing client or select the + Create new client option directly from this form.

Key Fields for the Pet's Medical Chart

Field	Required	Notes & Medical Relevance
Name	Yes	The patient's name.
Breed & Species	No	Search existing breeds or create a new one; vital for tracking genetic health predispositions.
Date of Birth	No	Used by the system to calculate the exact age in real-time inside the medical charts.
Color / Weight / Gender	No	Additional patient details crucial for calculating accurate medication and drug dosages.
Spayed/Neutered	No	Check this box if the patient has already undergone sterilization surgery.
For Adoption	No	Useful for veterinary practices, shelters, or rescues running adoption programs.

Step 3: The Digital Veterinary Medical Record (EMR)

Once the pet is registered, you can access their centralized digital medical chart in two ways: by clicking their name in the Pet List, or by opening their card from the Client Profile.

Inside the EMR, you get a comprehensive 360-degree view of the patient's medical history and clinic invoicing details:

Consultations, Treatment History & Sales

Track all healthcare services and veterinary products sold to that pet, including prescriptions and the attending vet.

Clinical Visit & Soap Notes Management

Start a new check-up or medical appointment with the + Start visit button to log medical notes instantly.

Editing & Administrative Control

The system allows modifying clinical notes for administrative accuracy while protecting transactional integrity once payment is complete.

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Finalized Sales & POS Records: Once a medical consultation or checkout process is completed and closed, the product and service fields are locked. This protects the integrity of your clinical inventory, stock tracking, and accounting desk.