The $88,000 Problem: How After-Hours Calls Slip Away
A typical 4-DVM practice loses about $88,000 a year in appointment revenue when after-hours calls aren't handled clinically. Here's the math, and what a triage line changes.
Licensed Veterinary Professionals
Licensed
RVTs & Veterinarians.
Answering Your Phones. 24/7.
While other platforms give you software, VetWise gives you trained RVTs and Veterinarians working for your practice 24/7.
When you're not available, we answer. With empathy, clinical expertise, and the reassurance that keeps them coming back to YOUR practice.
Care. Anywhere.
Your Practice. Your Clients. Your Revenue.
Built by Veterinarians Who Know Your Practice
VetWise was created by veterinarians who know the realities of after-hours care firsthand. Our solutions are built from real clinical experience, designed to support practices, teams and the animals they serve.
We started VetWise (formerly Smart.Vet) in 2018 because we knew that telemedicine was coming to veterinary care, and we believed it needed to be built by people who really understand this profession. As shortages grew and burnout spread, we realized we could do far more than build software, and our service offerings evolved along with the needs of the practices we served. For example, for our on-call practices we have been consistently able to divert over 70% of emergency after-hours calls to telemedicine so that the hospital team can get some well-deserved uninterrupted rest.
Recently, as general practices have become concerned about reduced client visits, we have launched our Relay service. This enables teletriage as an extension of your practice 24/7/365, and as part of that service, our RVT can provide guidance to your client and schedule stable patients with your hospital for the following day whereas previously they would have rushed off to the emergency hospital.
You keep the client. You keep the revenue. And you reinforce the relationship you've worked so hard to build.
Dr. Sharon Quinn, Founder
Licensed Veterinarian and Practice Owner
10+ Years
Average RVT experience
24/7
Experienced Veterinarians available
100%
Veterinary professionals
Trusted by Leading Veterinary Hospitals
★★★★★
“Our veterinarians and team would like to express our thanks to all involved in setting up and developing VetWise. Life has been so much more relaxed; we have weekends, evenings, nights to sleep without interruption. We are able to set up a get-together and actually be present ourselves. And all the while, our patients are in good hands. From our experience this past year, we can attest that support is second to none. VetWise is motivated to find solutions and adjust, quick in responding, and patient history reports sent to our hospital are detailed and show great care for the patient. Switching to VetWise has been a no-brainer for our hospital and we highly recommend VetWise”
Dr. Frits
Verzijlenberg Veterinary Hospital
1,600+
Practices served
and growing
750,000+
Live calls handled on behalf of our clients
Online Booking
Into your existing practice management system
🐕 Toronto: 3-year-old Golden Retriever — mild vomiting after eating something unusual•🐈 Vancouver: 7-year-old Tabby Cat — diarrhea for two days•🐕 Calgary: 2-year-old French Bulldog — snorting and gagging sounds•🐕 St. John's: 5-year-old Labrador — itchy skin and red patches on belly•🐕 Ottawa: 8-year-old Beagle — excessive scratching and ear shaking•🐕 Edmonton: 4-year-old German Shepherd — anxious behavior during a thunderstorm•🐈 Winnipeg: 1-year-old Siamese Cat — coughing up hair•🐕 Halifax: 6-year-old Boxer — loose stool for two days•🐕 Victoria: 9-year-old Poodle — drinking more water than usual•🐈 Hamilton: 3-year-old Maine Coon — hiding and acting lethargic•🐕 Mississauga: 5-year-old Border Collie — small cut on paw pad•🐕 Brampton: 2-year-old Shih Tzu — eye discharge and squinting•🐈 Surrey: 7-year-old Persian Cat — difficulty with a new food transition•🐕 Kitchener: 4-year-old Australian Shepherd — itchy skin for two weeks with new belly rash•🐕 London: 10-year-old Dachshund — stiffness after a long walk•🐈 Markham: 1-year-old Ragdoll Cat — questions about spay recovery•🐕 Richmond: 6-year-old Husky — red irritated patch on back leg•🐕 Burlington: 3-year-old Yorkshire Terrier — bad breath and not wanting to eat hard food•🐈 Oakville: 8-year-old Domestic Shorthair — change in litter box habits•🐕 Vaughan: 5-year-old Cocker Spaniel — upset stomach after getting into garbage•
🐕 Toronto: 3-year-old Golden Retriever — mild vomiting after eating something unusual•🐈 Vancouver: 7-year-old Tabby Cat — diarrhea for two days•🐕 Calgary: 2-year-old French Bulldog — snorting and gagging sounds•🐕 St. John's: 5-year-old Labrador — itchy skin and red patches on belly•🐕 Ottawa: 8-year-old Beagle — excessive scratching and ear shaking•🐕 Edmonton: 4-year-old German Shepherd — anxious behavior during a thunderstorm•🐈 Winnipeg: 1-year-old Siamese Cat — coughing up hair•🐕 Halifax: 6-year-old Boxer — loose stool for two days•🐕 Victoria: 9-year-old Poodle — drinking more water than usual•🐈 Hamilton: 3-year-old Maine Coon — hiding and acting lethargic•🐕 Mississauga: 5-year-old Border Collie — small cut on paw pad•🐕 Brampton: 2-year-old Shih Tzu — eye discharge and squinting•🐈 Surrey: 7-year-old Persian Cat — difficulty with a new food transition•🐕 Kitchener: 4-year-old Australian Shepherd — itchy skin for two weeks with new belly rash•🐕 London: 10-year-old Dachshund — stiffness after a long walk•🐈 Markham: 1-year-old Ragdoll Cat — questions about spay recovery•🐕 Richmond: 6-year-old Husky — red irritated patch on back leg•🐕 Burlington: 3-year-old Yorkshire Terrier — bad breath and not wanting to eat hard food•🐈 Oakville: 8-year-old Domestic Shorthair — change in litter box habits•🐕 Vaughan: 5-year-old Cocker Spaniel — upset stomach after getting into garbage•
The $88,000 Revenue Leak Hiding in Your After-Hours Calls
When a concerned pet owner calls at 2am about their dog's sudden vomiting, voicemail can leave them feeling unsupported.
They don't call back. They rush to the ER.
Unnecessary ER visits risk breaking the bond between you and your clients, and put strain on emergency systems already stretched thin. Keeping care within your practice means keeping the relationship you've built, and the revenue that comes with it.
With VetWise, your client has access to experienced RVTs who act as an extension of your hospital to provide immediate reassurance, clinical triage, and, when appropriate, an appointment with your hospital for the following day. It's about preserving the bond between you and your clients by being there when they need you most.
A typical practice with 4 FTE Veterinarians handling 60 after-hours calls monthly generates over $88,000 in annual appointment revenue by converting after-hours calls into next-day visits at your practice.
60
After-hours calls/month
Average for a practice with 4 FTE Veterinarians
High
Conversion to appointments
When triaged by experienced RVTs
$88K
Annual appointment revenue
From converting after-hours calls
Complete Coverage, Every Call
Licensed veterinary professionals with 10+ years experience
Most after-hours calls aren't emergencies. They're anxious pet owners needing professional reassurance. Our tiered approach ensures every caller gets the right level of care.
1
Efficient Intake
Instantly answers and gathers essential information (pet name, symptoms, urgency level) so our RVT can focus on what matters: empathy and clinical assessment.
All clinical triage is performed by licensed RVTs.
2
RVT Assessment
Licensed technicians with 10+ years experience provide clinical triage, follow your protocols, and coordinate the appropriate level of care.
3
Complete Resolution
Non-urgent issues are booked with your practice for the morning. And when they need a vet tonight? You decide how to handle it: your DVMs via our platform, or our locum team on your behalf.
Technology makes us efficient. People make us different.
Your clients get expert care and stay connected to YOUR practice. Most wait for YOUR morning appointment instead of going to the ER, preserving the relationship you've built.
Meet our team of veterinary professionalsAnd When They Need a Vet Tonight...
Sometimes triage determines a pet needs a vet now, but not the ER. You decide how to handle it:
👨⚕️
Your Team, Our Platform
Your DVMs take the virtual consult through VetWise Care Platform. You keep 100% of the revenue.
Your clients. Your pricing. Your revenue.
🩺
Our Team, Your Brand
VetWise locum DVMs handle the consult on your behalf. You set the client price, VetWise charges a locum fee for the appointment, you keep the difference.
Practice-branded. Familiar experience.
🔄
Hybrid: Your Schedule, Your Rules
Mix both. Decline any 2 AM consult and our locum steps in automatically. Maximum flexibility, no forced commitments.
Real-time flexibility.
Your Team Deserves Sleep
The veterinary staffing crisis is real. Your on-call rotation isn't sustainable.
41,000ⓘ
Projected veterinarian shortage by 2030
2-4xⓘ
Higher burnout rate than human healthcare workers
24/7
VetWise coverage. Only take the calls you want to take.
VetWise eliminates the after-hours burden without sacrificing care quality. Your RVTs go home. Your Veterinarians rest. Your clients still feel supported at 2 AM.
We know what it feels like to miss your kid's soccer game because you're on call. We built VetWise so you don't have to choose between being a great veterinarian and being present for your life.
This isn't about replacing your team. It's about protecting them.
Built by veterinarians who understand the burden
Because we've lived it ourselves
See It In Action
Watch Our RVTs & Veterinarians in Action
Experience how our licensed veterinary professionals handle after-hours calls with empathy, expertise, and your practice's best interests at heart.
- ✓Real call scenarios showing AI triage, RVT assessment, and Veterinarian consultation
- ✓See how we follow your protocols and produce complete medical records available in VetWise
- ✓Understand how worried pet owners become loyal clients
Demo Video
Schedule a call to see our system in action
Questions We Hear Often
Honest answers to the questions practice owners ask us
Still have questions?
Let's Talk About Your PracticeRecent Posts
These 4 blog posts are populated from your Sanity Studio.
RVT Triage, Explained: What Happens on Your After-Hours Line
From the first ring to chart-ready records: how a licensed RVT answers as your practice, triages on your protocols, and hands you the chart by morning.
RVT Scope of Practice: What a Vet Tech Can and Can't Do
Diagnosis and prescribing belong to the veterinarian. Here's what licensed vet techs can do on an after-hours line, how delegation works, and how the rules vary by state.
Veterinary Telemedicine Regulations 2026: State-by-State VCPR Guide
Legal in all 50 states and every Canadian province, but the rules vary. A 2026 guide to VCPR requirements, online prescriptions, and teletriage.
Every Practice is Different. Let's Talk About Yours.
Most 2 AM calls can wait until morning. Make sure they wait for YOUR practice.