✨New Integrations & Data Connections
PetDesk - Now Live!
Shepherd User Exclusive: Purchase PetDesk Communications and/or Direct Booking by October 31 and receive your first six months free.
Simplify your clinic with PetDesk’s user-friendly client engagement tools and enhance client experiences with North America's #1 pet app and multi-channel messaging. Eliminate double data entry and reduce front-desk workload by automating tedious tasks (like sending reminders) - boost admin efficiency, reclaim your time and delight your clients with the combined strength of Shepherd and PetDesk.
PetDesk Direct Booking features are still in closed beta - but a public launch is coming soon!
🚀 New Features & Capabilities!
Clinic Login IP Address Restrictions
Shepherd now supports IP address restrictions for clinic logins, letting managers control access by limiting it to approved IPs. This feature enhances security by blocking unauthorized attempts, sending optional email alerts, and logging unauthorized login attempts for review. Clinics must use a static IP to enable this feature. Users granted remote access permissions will still be able to access Shepherd remotely. IP restriction management is available under Admin settings for users with the appropriate permissions. Group account support is coming soon.
⚙️How to Enable IP Restrictions
Head to Admin → User → User Security to configure your approved IP addresses and strengthen your login protection.
🛠️ Existing Feature Updates!
Appointment Notification Emails | Customizable Subject Line
You can now customize subject lines in appointment reminder emails:
Add a custom subject line to any reminder template
Use the variables listed under the Info section for personalization
If left blank, the system will use the default date/time subject
Appointment Status Colors Applied to Today’s Appts
Color badges in the Dashboard → Today’s Appointments tab now match the system-wide appointment status color scheme, including the new Late status.
Forms | “Patient ID” Renamed to “Patient API ID”
To reduce confusion when creating forms, the Patient ID variable is now labeled Patient API ID.
This change makes it clear that the field refers to the patient’s API identifier used in certain integrations. The functionality remains the same.
Pet Portal | Login Enhancements
The Pet Portal login process is now more intuitive and flexible - making it easier for clients to access their accounts without errors.
What’s improved:
Partial name recognition - Clients can enter just a first or last name (e.g., "Bella" or "Thompson") and still be recognized
Prefix and suffix support - Handles titles like “Dr. Jane Smith” or “John Smith Jr.”
Flexible name combinations - Recognizes shared owners listed in various ways, such as:
John and Jane Smith
John & Jane Smith
John, Jane Smith
We’ve also added validation for co-owner information to better support shared accounts - reducing login friction and helping clients get in on the first try.
Read Only | Increased Visibility to Client Information
Need additional client details while in Read-Only Mode? You can now view client address info directly under the client’s name in the Clients & Patients section.
Partially visible by default
Full name, email, phone, and address shown on hover
This makes it easier to contact clients even when the full system isn’t available.
Reporting | Estimate Declined Items Tracking
You can now track declined items from estimates in a dedicated tab - helping you:
Spot trends
Identify frequently declined services
Adjust offerings to improve acceptance rates
Find the Estimate Report under the Reporting tab.
Reporting | Summary Report Revenue by Category Returns!
Revenue by Product Category is back in addition to client-level viewing. Thanks for your patience as we improved this report for better insights.
TranscribeAI | Exit Warning for Active Recordings
To help protect your work, you'll now see a warning if you try to leave the SOAP page while a TranscribeAI recording is in progress.
If you navigate away within Shepherd, a confirmation modal will alert you that leaving will stop the recording
You can choose to stay on the page or leave anyway
If you choose to leave, the action is recorded in the SOAP Activity History
If you refresh or close the browser tab, your browser will show a standard confirmation prompt
If no recording is active, you'll move between pages as usual
This update helps prevent accidental recording loss during live exams and ensures any exits are clearly documented.
