By Dr. Amelia Brooks, Founder & Lead Veterinarian at Huggy Veterinary Care
If you ask my family what I was like as a child, they'll probably tell you I was the kid who always stopped to pet every dog on the street. I brought home injured birds, rescued stray kittens, and somehow believed every animal deserved another chance. Long before I chose veterinary medicine as a career, compassion had already chosen me.
Looking back, becoming a veterinarian feels less like a career decision and more like the natural continuation of who I had always been. Today, I run my own veterinary clinic, and although medicine has become far more advanced than when I graduated, one thing has never changed: animals can't tell us how they feel. They can't describe their pain or explain whether today's treatment helped more than yesterday's. Instead, we rely on our knowledge, our observations, and something equally important—the trust of their owners.For years, I assumed that trust would naturally turn into Google reviews and don't know how to get more Google reviews for veterinarians. If pet owners appreciated our care, surely they would tell other people about it online. Unfortunately, that wasn't happening.
Great Care Doesn't Automatically Generate Great Google Reviews
We had happy clients every single day. Owners hugged our team after successful surgeries. Families cried with relief when their dogs recovered from serious illnesses. Cat owners thanked us for treating nervous pets with patience and kindness. Many of them looked me in the eye before leaving and said exactly the same thing. "We'll definitely leave you a Google review." Most of them genuinely meant it. Very few actually did. At first, I blamed busy schedules. Then I blamed social media, assuming people simply didn't enjoy writing reviews anymore. Eventually, I realized I was making the same mistake many veterinarians make. I was treating review management as something that would happen naturally. Irnically, I would never approach medicine that way.
Every diagnosis follows a process. Every surgery follows a protocol. Every treatment plan is carefully designed and monitored. Why was I expecting my clinic's online reputation to grow without the same level of planning? That realization completely changed how I approached Google reviews.
I Created a Simple Review Strategy
Instead of hoping clients would remember us later, I built a review process into our daily workflow. It is not complicated, agressive but consistent. The first thing I did was order professionally designed Google Review QR codes for our clinic. We placed them in locations where clients naturally paused after appointments instead of randomly sticking them on every available surface. One stand went beside reception, another near checkout, and another in our consultation room where owners often waited while discussing treatment plans. Immediately, we noticed more people scanning the codes. But I still felt something was missing.
Create your review QR codes
Your business name
Set up in 3 minutes — Try 14 days for free 🎉
The Best QR Code Wasn't Printed
A few weeks later, we started using Reviewance, and one feature completely changed how we collected reviews. The Mobile QR Code. Instead of relying only on printed QR stands, every member of our team downloaded their personalized QR code onto their phone. At first, it sounded like a small feature. It wasn't. Veterinary clinics are busy places. We aren't always standing behind a reception desk. Sometimes I'm walking a recovering dog back to its owner. Sometimes I'm explaining blood test results in an examination room. Sometimes I'm outside helping someone carry a nervous Labrador into the clinic.
The Mobile QR Code allowed us to ask for reviews wherever those meaningful moments happened. There was no need to direct owners back to reception. No need to remember where the acrylic stand was. No need to say, "You'll find a QR code on your way out." We simply opened the QR code on our phone. Clients scanned it. The review page opened immediately. It became part of a natural conversation instead of feeling like a marketing request.
Timing Changed Everything
The biggest lesson wasn't about QR codes. It was about timing. For years, we asked people whenever we remembered. Now we ask when clients are happiest. Sometimes it's immediately after removing stitches from a dog that has recovered beautifully. Sometimes it's after delivering good blood test results. Sometimes it's when a frightened rescue animal finally relaxes enough to wag its tail. Those emotional moments matter. Pet owners aren't just grateful for the medical treatment. They're grateful because someone helped a member of their family. When you ask for a review during that moment, it doesn't feel forced. It feels natural.
We Also Learned Something About Feedback
One concern I initially had was simple. What if someone wasn't completely satisfied? No veterinary clinic is perfect. Emergencies happen. Waiting times can occasionally be longer than expected. Some treatments don't produce the outcome everyone hopes for. That's another reason we continued using Reviewance. Instead of sending every visitor directly to Google, Reviewance allows clinics to collect private feedback from clients who want to discuss their experience first. That gives us an opportunity to listen, respond, and improve before frustration becomes a public review. For healthcare professionals, that balance feels much more responsible than pushing every client toward a public review regardless of how they feel.
The Results Were Better Than I Expected
Within a few months, our Google reviews became noticeably more consistent. More importantly, they became more representative of the care we were providing every day. Nothing about our medicine changed. Our surgeries didn't suddenly become better. Our veterinarians didn't become more compassionate overnight. The quality had always been there. What changed was our ability to capture those positive experiences while they were still fresh in our clients' minds.
My Advice to Other Veterinarians
If you're wondering how to get more Google reviews for your veterinary clinic, my advice is surprisingly simple. Don't wait for grateful pet owners to remember you tomorrow. Ask them today. Place your QR codes where they naturally fit into the patient journey. Use a Mobile QR Code so your team can request reviews anywhere in the clinic. Most importantly, ask immediately after those moments when owners are smiling because their pet is healthy, comfortable, or finally heading home. As veterinarians, we spend years learning how to care for animals. I've learned that building a strong online reputation deserves that same level of care, discipline, and attention. And once we started treating review management as professionally as we treated veterinary medicine, the results spoke for themselves.