The Ultimate Guide to Scribing for Veterinary Clinics [2025 Edition]

Veterinary scribing aims to let vets focus on patient care by offloading note-taking, whether via human scribes or advanced AI tools.

Medical scribing refers to documenting patient encounters in real-time, allowing veterinarians to concentrate on examining and treating the patient rather than writing notes. In human medicine, dedicated scribes accompany doctors to record histories, exam findings, diagnoses, and treatment plans. In veterinary practice, the concept is similar: a scribe (in-person or remote) captures details of the visit so the vet can engage fully with the client and pet. While human scribes are still uncommon in vet clinics due to cost constraints, the need for efficient documentation has led many clinics to explore alternatives like outsourcing transcription or using technology. By 2025, AI-driven veterinary scribes have moved from novelty to mainstream, providing a cost-effective way to produce accurate medical records from exam room conversations. Nearly half of veterinary professionals (47%) recently surveyed expressed interest in adding AI tools to their practicelifelearn.com, with many specifically eyeing AI scribing solutions to streamline SOAP note creation and reduce after-hours paperwork lifelearn.com.

Related: Veterinary 2025: What to Know About AI Scribing Tools, What Is a Scribe Tool?, and The Ultimate Guide to Scribing for Veterinary Clinics [2024].

Medical Scribing vs. Dictation

Scribing is related to but distinct from medical dictation. In dictation, a veterinarian verbally recounts the exam findings and plans, either to a live transcriptionist or into speech-to-text software, which then produces the written notes. Both scribing and dictation aim to expedite documentation, but scribing tends to capture more detail and context, since a scribe (human or AI) listens to the entire clinician-client conversation and notes key details in real time. Dictation, on the other hand, is often done after the exam or in pauses, relying on the vet’s memory or prompting to include all information.

Dictation software has improved, especially with veterinary-specific vocabularies (e.g. Talkatoo or Dragon Veterinary can recognize veterinary medical terms and allow custom macros). However, dictation isn’t foolproof – speech recognition errors or misheard medical terminology can introduce mistakes and require time-consuming corrections. Dictation also lacks the interactive element; a human scribe could ask clarifying questions or note non-verbal cues, whereas dictation software will not. Consequently, scribing provides a more precise record of the encounter, while dictation is faster but can be less reliable. Each method has its place, and some vets use a combination: for example, dictating an outline and having a scribe (or AI) flesh out the details.

How Much Do Scribing and Dictation Cost?

The costs of traditional scribing vs. dictation vary based on service models and clinic needs. Hiring an in-clinic human scribe means paying a salary or hourly wage, plus training and possibly benefits. Remote scribing services (where notes are drafted off-site, often by vet techs or professional scribes) charge per report or per hour of audio reviewed. These services can be pricey, as they often involve human transcriptionists or reviewers to ensure quality. Many vet clinics operate on tight margins and find full-time scribes hard to budget for.

Dictation services, in contrast, are commonly sold as subscription software. Clinics might pay a monthly fee or per-minute charge for a dictation platform. For example, a popular veterinary dictation tool might charge a flat rate for a certain number of transcribed minutes per month, with overage fees beyond that. The more accuracy and integration you require, the higher the potential cost. In 2025, some AI-based scribe tools are emerging with tiered pricing; e.g., one newly launched veterinary AI scribe costs about $49 per month for two users, or $169/month for a full clinic, and offers a free trial. This model reflects a trend: AI scribing services typically use subscription pricing based on number of users or cases, rather than per line or per minute, making it easier to predict costs. Overall, AI-driven documentation solutions are alleviating some cost burdens by being more affordable than paying additional staff, but practices must evaluate their pricing against time saved.

Key Considerations Before Adopting Scribing Tools

Before implementing a scribing or dictation solution (human or AI), clinics should evaluate their specific needs and constraints. Important questions to consider include:

• Specialty Jargon – Do you practice in a niche field with unique terminology? A general scribe or off-the-shelf AI might struggle with exotic pet medicine or oncology terms, for example.
• Time Spent on Notes – How much doctor time currently goes into documentation? If vets are spending hours daily writing up records, a scribe tool could significantly improve efficiency.
• Template Complexity – Are your medical record templates highly customized or standard? If you use structured SOAP forms vs. free-text narratives, ensure the scribe solution can accommodate that format.
• Privacy and Compliance – How important are client data privacy and record security for you? This is critical for any solution that handles medical data. Ensure any AI scribe is compliant with relevant data protection standards and keeps information confidential.
• Accuracy vs. Speed – Is it more important to have perfectly detailed notes, or to have notes done quickly? Different solutions balance these differently (human scribes might be very accurate but slower; AI is fast but may need vet oversight for accuracy).
• EHR Integration – Do you need the scribing tool to integrate with your Practice Management Software or electronic health record? Integration can save time (for example, an AI scribe that auto-uploads notes into Cornerstone or Avimark). If a solution doesn’t integrate, you’ll spend extra time copying notes into the record.
• Budget – Finally, what can you afford on an ongoing basis? Figure out what unmanaged documentation is “costing” you in vet overtime or backlogs, and what you’re willing to spend to reclaim that time.

These considerations will guide you toward the right choice. For some small clinics, a basic dictation app might suffice. For others drowning in paperwork, a full-featured AI scribe integrated with the workflow may be worth the investment.

2025 Trends: AI Scribes Changing the Game

Veterinary AI scribes have advanced quickly. In the past few years, over a dozen companies have launched AI scribing solutions for vet medicine, signaling strong demand. Early adopters in 2024 reported that AI-generated notes, when properly reviewed by the vet, can be both detailed and reliable. By 2025, using an AI scribe is becoming commonplace in progressive clinics. Clinics that implemented ambient AI scribe tools have found that veterinarians can leave on time with all records done, rather than staying late to finish charts. This is a huge boost for work-life balance and reduces burnout. In fact, AI-driven documentation can cut down the time spent writing notes by up to 80%. That means what used to be an hour of writing at the end of the day might now take only 10–15 minutes of reviewing an AI-drafted note.

Another trend is integration with practice software. Modern scribe systems not only transcribe speech to text, but also intelligently structure it into the SOAP format and can insert it right into the electronic record. For instance, some AI scribes can identify sections of the conversation as Subjective vs. Objective and populate those fields appropriately. They can even pull in data like vital signs from connected devices or prompt the vet for missing info. Many tools now allow custom templates – vets can upload their preferred SOAP note template or protocol, and the AI will format the output to match. This level of customization in 2025 addresses a major earlier pain point: one-size-fits-all transcripts. Now, an AI scribe can produce notes that look just like those the clinic would write manually, saving editing time.

Moreover, cost models have become more accessible (as mentioned earlier, subscription pricing allows unlimited use for a fixed fee in many cases). When evaluating ROI, clinics consider how many hours of staff time are saved. If an AI scribe saves each vet an hour a day of typing, that time can be refocused on seeing another appointment or simply going home earlier – both valuable outcomes. And unlike a human scribe, an AI doesn’t need breaks or sick days and can be used after hours for documentation catch-up if needed.

The Future of Scribing in Veterinary Medicine

Looking forward, scribing (especially AI-powered) is poised to become a standard part of clinic workflow. Just as many human hospitals now have scribes or voice-to-text systems routinely, veterinary clinics will continue to adopt these tools as they prove their worth. The technology is rapidly improving in understanding medical dialogue. For example, distinguishing the vet’s voice from the client’s, filtering out casual conversation, and pinpointing the clinically relevant details are all tasks modern veterinary AI scribes handle well. As natural language processing models get more sophisticated, accuracy will only increase. We can expect future systems to not only draft notes but perhaps also suggest diagnoses or flag omissions, serving as a true “assistant” during exams (with the vet remaining the final decision-maker).

Importantly, AI scribes are meant to assist, not replace veterinary professionals. The veterinarian remains in control – reviewing and approving the notes, making all medical judgments. The goal is to alleviate the tedious part of record-keeping while preserving accuracy. With proper use, clinics can maintain or even improve documentation quality (since an AI won’t forget to include something it heard), which has benefits for patient care continuity, legal protection, and client communication.

Even now, companies like PupPilot offer platforms that can turn an exam room audio recording into a formatted SOAP note within minutes. Veterinarians don’t have to type up conversations or sift out small talk – the AI scribe intelligently includes only medically relevant information. If your clinic hasn’t tried a scribe solution yet, 2025 is a great time to pilot one. Start perhaps with one doctor or on a trial basis, and measure the impact on efficiency and doctor satisfaction. Many find that once they start using an AI scribe, they never want to go back to purely manual notes, given the time saved.

In summary, veterinary scribing – whether via dedicated personnel, outsourcing, or AI – is transforming how medical records are produced. Clinics must weigh the costs and benefits, but the trend is clear: those that embrace these tools are finding smoother workflows, more complete records, and less burned-out vets. By leveraging scribing solutions appropriately, a practice can improve its documentation speed without sacrificing accuracy, ultimately benefiting the entire team and the quality of care delivered.

Want the basics first? Our 2024 scribing guide explains core concepts and setup considerations before the 2025 advances.