Best PACS Features for Small Animal Practices

Small animal clinics run on speed and trust. Your imaging system should keep up. If your team is juggling wellness exams, urgent rechecks, and the occasional “ate something weird” case, you don’t have time to fight clunky viewers, missing studies, or double data entry. This guide breaks down the veterinary PACS features that matter most for small animal workflows and how to evaluate them without getting lost in alphabet soup.

On this page

1. Easy Image Access — from any device, anywhere
2. Vet-specific workflow that saves clicks
3. Seamless PIMS & teleradiology integrations
4. Fast transfer and sharing (without the progress bar drama)
5. Built-in reporting and dictation
6. Security, redundancy, and disaster recovery
7. Pricing that scales with your clinic
8. Implementation tips for a smooth go-live
9. Common mistakes to avoid
10. Quick checklist: features to confirm
11. FAQ

1) Easy Image Access- from any device, anywhere

Modern cloud PACS systems remove the friction between “image acquired” and “image reviewed.” That means you can open studies on the treatment room computer, the front desk, a laptop in your office, or even from home after hours. A cloud solution like Keystone PACS eliminates USB sticks and burned CDs, and it keeps your team from waiting on a slow local server to sync.

Look for: zero-install web viewing, role-based access control, and reliable performance on normal clinic internet. If your team routinely sends cases to a radiologist, confirm that external access is straightforward and secure.

Further reading: AAHA on cloud benefits in veterinary practices.

2) Vet-specific workflow that saves clicks

Human-medicine systems often shoehorn veterinary data into fields that don’t fit. That’s how you end up with patients called “John Doe” and species details buried in a notes field. A vet-built PACS should natively support species/breed tagging, patient-owner linking, multiple studies per visit, and modality routing that matches small animal medicine.

In practice, this looks like: fewer required fields, sensible defaults (e.g., canine thorax, feline abdomen), batch actions for busy days, and one-click movement from the worklist to the viewer to reporting. It’s one reason clinics choose Asteris, our tools are built by veterinarians, for veterinarians, so the system behaves the way your team already works.

3) Seamless PIMS & teleradiology integrations

Double data entry is where efficiency goes to die. Your PACS should connect to your practice management system (PIMS) and any teleradiology providers so patient data, study notes, and reports stay in sync. Explore Keystone PACS integrations, including partners like VetLinkPro and Vet’s Choice Teleradiology.

What to confirm: does the integration create patients/studies automatically? Are reports returned to the medical record with the right patient/owner attached? Can your team route studies to a radiologist with preset rules (e.g., “all orthopedic studies to Provider A”)?

Further reading: DVM360 on the value of teleradiology.

4) Fast transfer and sharing (without the progress bar drama)

Speed is not a nice-to-have, it’s a patient-care issue. Efficient DICOM transfer, smart compression, and resilient uploads keep studies moving even when the network is busy. When your PACS handles the heavy lifting, your team doesn’t babysit uploads or manually retry failed sends.

Ask vendors to show: real-world upload/download times for common modalities; what happens on a slow connection; and how failed transfers recover. If a consult can’t wait, you need an answer in minutes, not a spinning icon.

5) Built-in reporting and dictation

Every minute spent typing is a minute not spent on patient care. Voice-enabled reporting inside your PACS closes the loop between image review and the record. Keystone Omni allows veterinarians and radiologists to dictate findings, use templates, and generate structured, consistent reports without jumping between systems.

Look for: customizable templates, easy impression/summary sections, image annotation tools, and clean PDF output that drops straight into the medical record or client-ready handouts. Bonus: analytics on report turnaround so you can spot bottlenecks early.

6) Security, redundancy, and disaster recovery

Data loss is more than an inconvenience- it’s expensive and stressful. A cloud PACS should provide encryption in transit and at rest, multi-site redundancy, and a clear disaster-recovery plan. If your server room floods or a drive fails, your imaging shouldn’t be offline for days.

Ask: where is data stored, how many copies exist, and what the restore time looks like. Confirm that user permissions can be set by role so only the right people see the right studies. Your team deserves peace of mind along with speed.

Further reading: VIN News on software security & privacy.

7) Pricing that scales with your clinic

Small animal clinics need predictable, sustainable costs- not an enterprise bill. Cloud PACS pricing typically follows a subscription model, reducing upfront hardware, maintenance, and unexpected IT calls. You should be able to start small and grow without a forklift upgrade.

Evaluate: user or study limits, add-on fees (e.g., external sharing, long-term archive), and what support is included. Transparent, scalable pricing means you won’t hesitate to add a workstation or a new ultrasound because you’re worried about fees.

Curious about options? See Keystone PACS pricing & plans.

8) Implementation tips for a smooth go-live

Even the best PACS can feel overwhelming during week one. Here’s a simple plan that keeps stress low and momentum high:

1. Map your current workflow. From “patient arrives” to “report delivered,” list each step and who does it. This reveals where the PACS should remove clicks or handoffs.
2. Import a clean patient list. Garbage in, garbage out. Start with accurate patient/owner data so studies attach correctly from day one.
3. Set role-based permissions. Doctors, techs, and CSRs need different levels of access. Configure it once to avoid headaches later.
4. Create 3–5 report templates. Thorax, abdomen, ortho, dental, ultrasound — whatever you do most. Tweak after a week of use.
5. Run a “mock clinic” practice session. Acquire, route, report, and send a consult as if it’s a busy Tuesday. Fix snags before go-live.
6. Measure the win. Track turnaround time and repeat radiographs in the first month. Celebrate a faster workflow with the team.

9) Common mistakes to avoid

• Assuming any medical PACS will work. Veterinary imaging has unique IDs, species/breed data, and owner-patient relationships. Use a PACS that speaks “veterinary,” not one that tolerates it.
• Ignoring integrations. Copy-pasting patient info seems minor until you multiply it by 40 studies a day. Integrations pay for themselves in time saved.
• Underestimating training. A 60-minute team session prevents months of “where is that button?” frustration.
• Skipping security questions. Backups, redundancy, and recovery plans are boring — until you need them.

10) Quick checklist: features to confirm

• Web viewer that works on standard clinic devices
• Species/breed tagging and owner-patient linking
• One-click routing to teleradiology providers
• Smart DICOM transfer with retry/resume
• Built-in reporting with dictation (Keystone Omni)
• Role-based access, encryption, and multi-site redundancy
• Clear, scalable pricing and responsive support

Real-world vignette

It’s 4:45 p.m. A dachshund with a suspected foreign body rolls in. Tech acquires radiographs, studies auto-route to the PACS, the doctor opens them from the treatment room, dictates a concise report, and sends the case to a radiologist with two clicks. By the time the owner signs the estimate, the consult note is already attached to the record. That’s the workflow you’re buying.

Final thoughts

The best PACS isn’t the one with the longest spec sheet, it’s the one that cuts friction for your team. For small animal practices, that means access from anywhere, vet-specific tools, seamless integrations, fast sharing, built-in reporting, and rock-solid backups. Keystone PACS brings these together so you diagnose faster, communicate clearer, and end the day with a little more energy.

See Keystone PACS in action — book a quick demo.

FAQ

Does Keystone PACS work with our existing PIMS?

Yes. Keystone PACS integrations connect with leading veterinary PIMS and teleradiology providers so your team isn’t re-typing data all day.

Can we use voice dictation for reports?

Absolutely. Keystone Omni lets you dictate findings, apply templates, and publish structured reports directly from the viewer.

Is cloud storage secure enough for veterinary imaging?

With encryption, role-based access, and redundant storage, cloud PACS provides strong protection against data loss and downtime. See the VIN News overview for more context.

How fast can we get up and running?

Most clinics can migrate data, set permissions, and train the team in short order with a clear plan. We recommend a brief “mock clinic” rehearsal to smooth out kinks before day one.

What’s the ROI for a small clinic?

Time back. Fewer repeated images. Faster consults. Less IT overhead. Those gains add up quickly — especially on busy days when minutes matter most.