Your veterinary practice needs the correct equipment to provide quality patient care. Vet tools can improve efficiency and accuracy while enhancing the patient experience.

So, what equipment do you need to be a vet? What tools do vets use to deliver top-notch care?

Below, we list 20 key pieces of equipment for vets and their facilities.

Veterinary Diagnostic Tools

Proper diagnostic equipment eliminates questions from the treatment process. By leveraging equipment designed for diagnosing animals, your vet practice can detect dangerous conditions early on for better outcomes. Here are five basic items needed to diagnose many cases:

1. Stethoscope

An animal stethoscope is typically the same as the human variety, but you should find a high-quality choice for better durability and acoustics. This piece of equipment allows vets to listen to heart and lung sounds. A stethoscope could help your team locate concerns like heart murmurs, airway blockages, and more.

2. Otoscope

Otoscopes, like human otoscopes, allow vets to examine animals’ ear canals and eardrums. A great otoscope will have high-beam lighting and superior magnification for an easy view of the patient’s ear canal.

3. Ophthalmoscope

An ophthalmoscope can examine the interior of the eye for human and animal patients alike. Before you purchase an ophthalmoscope for your clinic, ensure it has adjustable lenses and a bright light source for proper functioning.

4. Thermometer

Digital and infrared thermometers allow your team to monitor animals’ body temperatures for comprehensive diagnostics. With the infrared option, your clinic can measure the temperature of animals in cages or other difficult positions while still seeing accurate, fast results.

5. X-Ray and Ultrasound Equipment

Some pets require more intensive diagnostic testing. You can view the intestines, heart, lungs, and other internal structures with X-ray machinery or ultrasound equipment to diagnose various conditions. We recommend considering factors like image clarity and ease of use to ensure that your X-ray and ultrasound systems work well in the longer term.

Veterinarian Tools for Surgery

Beyond a few tables, X-ray machines, and diagnostic gadgets, what other veterinarian tools does your clinic need? If your clinic plans to offer surgical services, consider the following list of vet tools:

6. Surgical Scalpels and Blades

Surgical scalpels and blades help ensure precision-level cutting during surgical procedures. You should buy and maintain sharp, sterile blades to help your surgeons work effectively.

7. Hemostats and Forceps

Hemostats can help control bleeding during surgical procedures, while forceps help with tissue handling. You can choose from a long list of hemostats for various types of tissue or blood vessel clamping, helping surgeons deal with various scenarios during surgery.

8. Surgical Scissors

A surgical scissor cuts tissue, tape, bandages, and stitches, serving many applications during human or animal surgeries. You can choose from numerous types of cutting equipment, including straight or curved, to equip surgeons properly.

9. Needle Holders

Needle holders help surgeons perform wound closures and other precise procedures on human or pet patients by improving their grip on small devices.

10. Surgical Lights

High-quality surgical lights above the tables ensure that surgeons have clear illumination during the procedure. Once installed, proper lighting can help with efficient, successful patient outcomes by casting the operating field in clear relief.

Veterinarian Equipment for Testing

You may not have the right testing equipment if you don’t know how to help the patients in your clinic’s cages. Veterinarian equipment for testing can help vets fully understand what’s going on with every patient.

11. Microscope

Microscopes aid in examining blood samples, skin scrapings, and tissue samples. This can help vets rule out various concerning diseases.

12. Centrifuge

Centrifuges separate blood components and other fluids to help properly analyze samples.

13. Refractometer

Refractometers measure the gravity in urine samples to help veterinarians assess kidney functioning.

14. Blood Pressure Monitor

Measuring blood pressure on a pet is just as vital as it is for a human patient. With the small cuff technique, vets can detect concerns like heart or renal disease.

15. Laboratory Diagnostic Kits

Laboratory diagnostic kits allow your team to test for everything from heartworm to Lyme disease, ruling out any question a pet owner might have.

Veterinary Practice Management Systems

Beyond your facility’s physical X-ray equipment and surgical scalpels, you need behind-the-scenes vet tools to keep everything running seamlessly. So, what programs do veterinarians use?

16. Veterinary Software

Veterinary practice management software can streamline appointment scheduling, record keeping, billing, and more. We recommend finding a system that can integrate with your diagnostic equipment for ease of use.

17. Electronic Health Records (EHR) System

EHR systems help your team efficiently manage patient records, track medical histories, and collaborate while reducing the potential for human errors.

18. Inventory Management Software

Inventory management software can help you track and manage the supplies listed above in a streamlined way.

19. Client Communication Software

You need a simple solution to help you handle client questions and calls. Communication software can automate appointment reminders, send texts to clients, and empower clients to complete actions on their own.

20. Practice Management Mobile Apps

By leveraging mobile apps, your team can manage practice operations and patient information from anywhere needed.

Streamline Your Vet Practice Today With Weave’s Advanced Software

Now that you know the top vet tools, you can upgrade your practice to improve patient outcomes. When you’re ready to streamline your internal operations, choose Weave’s comprehensive practice management software.  

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