Vaccination configuration and compliance

Petsoft does not force a one-size-fits-all list of vaccines on you. You decide exactly which shots are required for your business and how strictly the system should enforce them. A daycare in Texas might require bordetella. A groomer in Vermont might not. You set the rules.

Setting up required vaccines

Go to Organization > Settings > Vaccines. You will see a list of common vaccines like rabies, distemper, and bordetella. Toggle Required on for the ones your facility demands.

You can also add custom vaccines. Maybe your vet recommends leptospirosis for dogs that hike, or maybe you require canine influenza because of a local outbreak. Click Add Vaccine, name it, and mark it as required.

Each vaccine has a single Required flag that applies across your facility. There is no per-service breakdown — you cannot require bordetella for daycare and boarding while exempting grooming; the requirement is either on or off for the vaccine as a whole.

One vaccine's settings: the alert days that drive reminder emails, the grace period, and the Active and Required flags.

The warning window

The warning window controls when Petsoft starts nagging about an upcoming expiration. If you set it to thirty days, the system flags a vaccine that expires in three weeks. If you set it to seven days, it waits until the last minute.

We recommend thirty days for most facilities. That gives customers time to schedule a vet appointment without feeling rushed. If you set it too short, customers will call you in a panic the day before their stay.

The warning window affects:

• Automated reminder emails to customers
• Red and yellow flags on your dashboard
• Portal notifications the customer sees when they log in

Grace periods

A grace period gives customers a few extra days after expiration to get their pet updated. If you set a three-day grace, a vaccine that expired yesterday will still allow booking today. It will show as expired, but the system will not block the reservation.

Use grace periods carefully. They are useful for good customers who are responsible but slightly disorganized. They are not useful for customers who ignore reminders for months. If you find yourself extending grace periods repeatedly for the same person, consider removing their grace period in their profile.

Handling document uploads

When a customer uploads a vaccine document, staff can open the pet's document list and view the photo or PDF they uploaded and update the vaccination expiration dates.

Expired records

When a vaccine expireshe portal shows a red banner. Automated emails go out. The dashboard shows a flag.

If the pet has an existing reservation that starts after the expiration date, your staff see a warning. The reservation is not automatically canceled. You decide whether to honor it, ask for updated records, or cancel with a refund.

Custom vaccines for special cases

Some facilities track vaccines that are not on the standard list. Lyme disease, rattlesnake vaccine, or regional diseases specific to your area. Add these as custom vaccines and require them if needed.

Custom vaccines work exactly like built-in ones. They show up in the portal, trigger reminders, and block bookings if expired. The only difference is that you named them.

Annual reviews

Vaccine requirements change. Laws get updated. Your insurance policy might add new requirements. Your vet might recommend new shots based on local disease patterns.

Review your vaccine settings once a year. Make sure the required list still matches your current policies. Remove vaccines you no longer care about. Add new ones if your vet recommends them. Update your warning window if customers consistently complain about timing.

A five-minute annual review prevents a lot of headaches during busy season.