Sofia Spatola
Posted by Computer Solutions on December 29, 2025
As the year winds down, most veterinary clinics are focused on holiday schedules, year-end reporting, and planning for the months ahead. But while you’re mapping out 2026, it’s also a good time to take stock of the everyday IT habits that might be slowing your team down.
At Computer Solutions, we work with veterinary practices across the tri-state area, and we consistently see small but impactful habits that quietly chip away at efficiency, security, and staff satisfaction. The good news? Most of these are easy to fix once you know what to look for.
Here are five IT habits we recommend breaking in the new year and practical alternatives to put in place. Think of this as your unofficial veterinary IT checklist to kick off 2026 on the right foot.
1. Rebooting as a First (and Only) Fix
Veterinary teams are famously resourceful, but rebooting a slow computer, printer, or scanner every day isn’t a fix, it’s a delay tactic.
Better habit: Get to the root cause.
Frequent reboots are often a sign of underlying hardware failure, outdated drivers, or incompatible software updates. Logging the issue and alerting your IT provider can help resolve it permanently, saving your staff time and frustration.
2. Shared User Logins
Shared usernames like “vetroom1” or “frontdesk” may seem like a shortcut during busy shifts, but they make it impossible to track changes or manage accountability. They also pose serious security risks if staff leave the practice or if credentials are compromised.
Better habit: Assign unique logins to every staff member.
Individual credentials help protect patient data, streamline offboarding, and make audit trails possible. When used with secure password management tools, personalized access becomes safer not slower.
3. Ignoring or Delaying Software Updates
It’s easy to hit “remind me later” on that system update prompt, but skipping updates, especially security patches, puts your clinic at risk.
Better habit: Schedule and automate updates.
Work with your IT provider to apply updates after hours or during scheduled maintenance windows. Many updates can be automated, meaning fewer interruptions for your team and a more secure network overall.
4. Keeping Tech Knowledge in One Person’s Head
If only one person in the clinic knows how to reconnect the label printer, reboot the router, or run a backup restore, you have a single point of failure.
Better habit: Document common tech procedures.
Even a simple one-pager with login locations, device troubleshooting steps, and IT support contact info can make a big difference. We help clinics build custom guides that staff can reference during busy shifts or staff absences.
5. Waiting Until Something Breaks
Reactive IT is expensive. Waiting until your front desk computer crashes or your network goes down leads to downtime, missed appointments, and long hours fixing problems that could have been avoided.
Better habit: Create a proactive maintenance plan.
Your veterinary IT checklist should include hardware age tracking, backup testing, reviews as needed, and scheduled upgrades. Preventive work keeps your systems reliable and reduces emergency service calls.
How to Make These Changes Stick
Change can feel overwhelming, especially in a busy clinic. But improving your IT habits doesn’t have to disrupt your team’s workflow.
Here’s how to roll out changes in a way your team will actually embrace:
- Focus on one habit per month for the first quarter
- Start with quick staff huddles, not hour-long trainings
- Celebrate wins like “fewer help desk calls” or “faster checkouts”
- Use outside support to assist with documentation, setup, or reminders
Incremental progress is still progress and small improvements compound quickly when it comes to clinic technology.
The Broader Impact
Better tech habits don’t just help your network, they help your staff, your clients, and your bottom line. A well-maintained system saves time, reduces stress, and improves the client experience from check-in to checkout.
When your infrastructure runs smoothly, your team can focus more on patients and less on paper jams, login errors, or IT workarounds. A simple veterinary IT checklist gives you a roadmap to create those conditions consistently.
Need a Fresh Set of Eyes?
At Computer Solutions, we work with veterinary clinics across the United States to improve daily operations, eliminate avoidable tech headaches, and support long-term growth. Whether you’re ready for a full tech audit or just want help documenting your processes, we’ll meet you where you are.
Call 609.514.0100 or visit welinku.com to schedule a New Year tech audit.
Let’s make 2026 the year your IT finally supports the way your team works, not the other way around.
Want to learn more about veterinary IT and cybersecurity? Check outlast week’s blog post here and subscribe to our newsletter on the blog page, or on LinkedIn here!
Discover more from Computer Solutions
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
