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Hardware, Software, & Network Requirements

Here are our hardware, software, and network requirements to make Shepherd run smoothly for your clinic.

Updated over a month ago

To run Shepherd effectively, certain technical requirements should be met by your clinic, including:

  • Hardware: computers, tablets, and printers

  • Software: Internet browser and 3rd party antivirus software

  • Network: internet speed

Hardware Requirements

Computers and Tablets

At least one computer is required for connection to a DYMO label printer and at least one tablet is recommended for ease of use when making notes in exam rooms, collecting client signatures, taking pictures of patients, etc.

Computers should have 8GB+ RAM, 128+ GB storage, and the latest version of Google Chrome.

Software Requirements

Google Chrome

Shepherd is optimized to run on Google Chrome. To ensure the best performance, please make sure that you’ve updated your browser within the last few weeks. At this time, no other browsers should be used to access Shepherd.

Third-Party Antivirus

If your clinic uses non-native antivirus software (McAfee, Bitdefender, etc.), here is a list of domains to whitelist:

  • api.shepherd.vet

  • app.shepherd.vet

  • login.shepherd.vet

  • signal.shepherd.vet

  • bam.nr-data.net

Network Requirements

Internet Connection

We recommend internet speeds of > 10mbps per device.

Whitelisting Shepherd Veterinary Software

To ensure Shepherd Veterinary Software works smoothly, it’s helpful to whitelist our domains in your security software, email provider, and network settings. Below are common areas where whitelisting may be needed.

Web & Network Whitelisting (For Firewalls, Norton, Antivirus, etc.)

If your firewall, antivirus, or security software (like Norton, McAfee, Bitdefender) blocks Shepherd, you can allow the following domains:

Whitelist these URLs:

If your clinic uses corporate firewalls or an IT-managed network, ask your IT team to allow traffic to these domains.

Email Whitelisting (To Prevent Emails Going to Spam)

Shepherd sends emails for appointment confirmations, invoices, patient reminders, and client communications. To ensure these don’t go to spam:

Add Shepherd’s email to your allowlist:

  • Sender Email Address: notifications@shepherd.vet

  • If using Gmail, Outlook, or Yahoo: Add this address to your contacts and mark messages as “Not Spam” if needed.

  • If your clinic has an IT-managed email system: Ask them to whitelist shepherd.vet as a trusted domain.

SMS Whitelisting (For Clinics Having Trouble Receiving Texts)

If your clinic or clients aren’t receiving SMS messages (e.g., reminders, confirmations), it may be due to mobile carrier filtering.

Steps to resolve SMS issues:

  • Check if clients have opted into SMS notifications in their Shepherd client profile settings.

  • Ask their mobile carrier (AT&T, Verizon, T-Mobile, etc.) to whitelist Shepherd’s SMS numbers (if applicable).

Shepherd Pay Whitelisting (For Payment Processing Issues)

If transactions through Shepherd Pay aren’t going through, or reports aren’t updating, ensure these URLs are allowed:

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