What is Add a New Client and/or Patient?
When a new client calls or walks in, you can register them and their pet directly in Digitail - creating the client record, patient record, and appointment all in one flow. If the client already exists, you can add a new pet to their profile without re-entering any of their details. If your clinic is part of a multi-location group and the client is already registered at one of your sister clinics, Digitail will spot the match and let you link them to your clinic - picking exactly which of their pets to bring over. For shelters, fosters, or multi-pet households, a bulk add option lets you register up to 20 pets at once.
How This Helps Your Daily Work
Role | How it helps |
Receptionists / Front desk | Register a new client and pet while booking the appointment on the same call - no switching screens. Duplicate detection prevents creating the same client twice, including when the client is already registered at another clinic in your group. |
Vets & nurses | Add a new pet directly from a client's profile during a visit, so the record is ready before the exam starts. |
Practice managers | Keep all pets under one household linked to a single client - clean records, consolidated billing, no duplicate profiles. In multi-location groups, one client record is shared across locations instead of being re-created at each one. |
Where to find it
The right starting point depends on your situation:
Situation | Where to start |
New client, no appointment needed yet | Patients → + Add Patient |
New caller, book appointment immediately | Calendar → + Add Appointment → New Client or Patient? |
Existing client, you're on their profile | (+) button next to their pets list - fastest |
Existing client, not on their profile | Patients → + Add Patient → Add Pet to Existing Client |
Multiple new pets for one client | Patients → + Add Patient → Add More Patients at Once |
Client is registered at another clinic in your group | Start as if they were new - Digitail detects the match while you type. See Scenario F |
How to add a new client and/or patient
Scenario A - New client, no appointment needed yet
Use this when you want to register a client and their pet without booking an appointment at the same time - for example, after a walk-in you've already seen, or to set up records in advance.
Go to Patients in the main navigation.
Click + Add Patient in the top-right corner.
Fill in the client information:
Field | Required? |
First Name | Yes |
Last Name | Yes |
Phone | Yes (validated in international format) |
No, but recommended for email confirmations and Pet Parent app invites | |
Address | No, but is recommended for mobile clinics |
Accept the Terms & Conditions checkbox - required to submit.
Fill in the patient information. Required fields at this step: Name, Species, Breed, Gender, and Reproductive Status.
Optionally add patient alerts - tags that flag critical information (e.g. Aggressive, Allergies) visible across the platform. These can also be added later from the health card.
Optionally book an appointment using the Add Appointment section at the bottom of the form.
Click Save to create the records.
📌 As you type the email or phone number, Digitail checks it against your existing clients - and, if your clinic is part of a group, against the other clinics in that group. If it finds a match, a card appears under the field before anything is saved. See Scenario F.
Scenario B - New caller, book appointment immediately
Use this when a new client calls and you want to register them and book their appointment without leaving the Calendar.
Click an empty time slot or + Add Appointment to open the Add Appointment modal.
Click New Client or Patient? above the patient search field. The modal header changes to "Add Appointment for a New Client or Patient" and the left pane splits into Client and Patient sections.
Fill in the client and patient details
Complete the appointment details in the right pane.
Click Add Appointment.
What gets created: a new client record, a new patient linked to that client, and the appointment - all at once. SMS notifications follow your clinic's settings if a phone number is provided. A welcome message is sent if an email is provided.
📌 Nothing is saved until you click Add Appointment. If you close it mid-way, a confirmation will ask if you want to discard your progress.
And if you changed your mind? Click Go back to Select Patient at the top of the left pane to return to the standard patient search.
What if Digitail finds a match while you're filling in the form?
If the phone or email you enter matches someone already in the system, Digitail will warn you before anything is saved:
There are three possible outcomes:
Match | What you see and what to do |
Phone match at your clinic (orange) | "We found X clients with the same phone number. Select one of them to avoid duplicates." Click Select client to choose the correct one. |
Email match at your clinic (red) | "[Name] ([email]) is already a client at this clinic. View their pets or add a new one." Click View pets to open their pet list and continue from there. Email addresses must be unique, so you can't create a second record with the same one. |
Match at another clinic in your group (red) | "[Name] ([email or phone]) is registered at [Clinic name], another clinic in your group. Link them to this clinic and choose which pets to bring over or register a new one." Click View pets - see Scenario F. |
Once the existing client is attached, add the new pet's details and complete the appointment as normal.
Scenario C - Existing client, new pet (from their profile)
Use this when you're already viewing the client's profile - it's the fastest option since you skip the search step entirely.
Open the client's profile.
Click the (+) button next to their existing pets list.
Fill in the patient details.
Click Add Patient.
The new patient is immediately linked to the client and ready for appointments.
Scenario D - Existing client, new pet (from the Patients page)
Use this when you need to add a pet for an existing client but aren't currently on their profile.
Go to Patients in the main navigation.
Click + Add Patient in the top-right corner.
Click Add Pet to Existing Client.
Type the client's name, email, or phone in the search field and select them.
Click Proceed to the Next Step: Patient Information.
Fill in the patient details.
Click Add Patient.
Scenario E - Multiple new pets for one client (bulk add)
Use this for shelters, foster families, or any client registering more than one pet at a time.
Go to Patients → + Add Patient.
Click Add More Patients at Once.
Set the number of patients to add (up to 20).
Fill in each row - a simplified form with the most important fields. Full details can be edited later from each patient's health card.
Use the Duplicate button to copy an existing row and adjust the differences. Duplicating a row that includes an appointment also copies the appointment details (date, staff, visit type, status).
Optionally add appointments for all patients directly from this screen.
Click Add - all patients and appointments are created at once.
Scenario F - Client already registered at another clinic in your group
Use this when your clinic belongs to a multi-location group and the person in front of you is already a client at one of your sister clinics. You don't need to do anything differently - start registering them as a new client and Digitail will spot the match while you type.
📌 Only for multi-location groups. This applies to clinics that belong to the same group in Digitail. Clients at unrelated clinics are never visible or searchable.
Step 1 - Link the client and choose their pets
Start in either flow - Patients → + Add Patient or Calendar → + Add Appointment → New Client or Patient?
Type the client's email or phone number. If they exist at another clinic in your group, a card appears: "[Name] is registered at [Clinic name], another clinic in your group. Link them to this clinic and choose which pets to bring over or register a new one."
Click View pets. The Review [Name]'s pets window opens, listing every pet they have across your group with the subtitle "Select which pets to link to the current clinic."
Tick the pets you want to bring into your clinic. Use Select All to take them all, or leave everything unticked if you only want the client. A search box appears when the list is long.
Click Next to link. If you didn't select any pets, click Add a new pet instead - the client is still added to your clinic and you go straight to registering a new pet.
Step 2 - Confirm and continue
A confirmation appears: "[N] pets linked successfully. Register a new pet?" From here you can:
Add a new pet - continue to the patient details step and register a pet that isn't in the list yet.
Skip - finish here and go to the Patients page. The client and the pets you selected are now at your clinic.
Back - return to the pet list with your selection still ticked, in case you want to adjust it.
Linking more pets later, or removing one (coming soon)
You don't have to decide everything at once. When you open the pets window for a client who is already at your clinic and belongs to a group, you'll see two tabs:
At this clinic (N) - the pets already registered with you. Read-only.
Registered at group clinics (N) - their pets at your sister clinics, with the hint "Select which pets to link to the current clinic." Tick any of them and click Next to bring them over.
If you untick a pet you previously linked, Digitail asks you to confirm: "Remove [N] pet(s) from this clinic? They stay active at their other clinics and you can re-link anytime." Removing a pet only removes it from your location - the pet's records at the other clinic are untouched.
Other things you can do
Full patient field reference
Identity
Required: Name, Species, Breed, Gender, Reproductive status.
Select Species and Breed from the dropdown - breed options update based on the selected species. Toggle Crossbreed to select a second breed for mixed breeds. Reproductive status options change based on the selected gender (e.g. Neutered / Spayed / Intact / Unknown).
Optional: Birthday, Profile photo, Color, Distinctive marks.
For birthday, toggle between an exact Date of birth or an Age (years/months/days). Check Estimated birthdate if the date is approximate.
Profile photo should be up to 10 MB.
Medical
Optional: Blood type, Allergies, Microchip ID, Health card / RECS number.
Administrative
Optional: Passport number, Insurance number, Wellness plan / Mandatory scheme.
Internal
Optional: Description / Internal Notes, Patient alerts.
Description is general information that may be visible in various contexts.
Internal Notes are private to your clinic staff and never shown to the client.
Patient alerts are tags that flag critical information (e.g. Aggressive, Escape risk, Requires sedation) and appear on every appointment card.
Tips & best practices
If you're already on the Health Card, you have the Client's Profile on the right side, use the (+) button next to their pets - it's the fastest way to add a new pet, no search needed.
Always add an email address when you have it - even though it's optional, it unlocks email confirmations, reminders, and the Pet Parent app invite. It's also the field that lets Digitail recognise a client who already exists elsewhere in your group.
Use the age input (years/months/days) instead of guessing a birthdate for rescue animals, and always check Estimated birthdate - it's a small detail that makes a real difference when a vet is reading the health card.
Always enter the microchip number if the client has it - it's the most reliable way to identify a pet, and the system prevents duplicates within your clinic.
Add patient alerts at registration for anything critical - aggressive behavior, escape risk, drug sensitivities. They appear on every appointment card so the whole team sees them immediately.
Use Internal observations for notes that shouldn't be visible to the client, such as handling preferences or clinical context the owner hasn't shared.
When a phone number matches an existing record in the Calendar flow, always use the duplicate detection suggestion rather than creating a new profile. Duplicate clients cause split histories that are hard to clean up later.
Only link the pets you'll actually treat. When a client comes over from a sister clinic, tick the pet they're bringing in rather than selecting all - you can always link the rest later from the client's pets window, and a shorter patient list is easier for your team to work with.
For shelters and fosters, bulk add with duplicated appointment details means all animals can be registered and booked in one sitting.
If a client is likely to use the Pet Parent app, ask them to request their appointment through the app first rather than creating their record manually. This links their account automatically and avoids duplicate profiles.
Common Questions
Do I have to fill in all patient fields at registration?
No. In the Calendar flow, Name, Species, and Breed are the only required fields. From the Patients page, Gender and Reproductive Status are also required. Everything else can be added later from the patient's health card.
Can I create a client without booking an appointment?
Yes - use Scenario A (Patients page, new client flow). The Calendar flow always creates an appointment alongside the client and patient.
What happens if I close the Calendar modal halfway through?
If you've entered any data, a confirmation pop-up will warn you that closing will discard all progress. Click Close anyway to abandon, or Cancel to keep editing. Nothing is saved until you click Add Appointment.
Will reminders be sent if I don't have the client's email?
Yes - as long as a valid phone number is provided and your clinic has SMS reminders configured, SMS notifications will go out. Email confirmations and the Pet Parent app invitation require an email address.
Can I go back to searching for an existing patient after clicking "New Client or Patient?"
Yes - click Go back to Select Patient at the top of the left pane to return to the standard patient search.
I can't find the client when searching - what should I do?
Try searching by phone number or email instead of name. If the client genuinely doesn't exist yet, use Scenario A or Scenario B to create them from scratch. Note that the search only covers your own clinic - a client who exists only at a sister clinic is surfaced when you type their email or phone into the new client form, not through the search field.
The client is at another clinic in our group. Do I have to create them again?
No. Start creating them as a new client and type their email or phone - Digitail recognises the match and offers to link the existing record to your clinic instead of creating a duplicate. See Scenario F.
What can I see about a client from another clinic before I link them?
Only their name and the email or phone number that matched what you typed. No medical history, no financial information. Once you link them, you see the pets you chose to bring over.
Do all of their pets come over when I link a client?
Only the ones you tick. You choose pet by pet in the Review [Name]'s pets window, and you can link the remaining ones later from the client's pets window.
I linked a pet by mistake. Can I undo it?
Yes. Open the client's pets window, untick the pet and confirm - it's removed from your clinic. The pet stays active at its other clinics and you can re-link it at any time.
Can I link a client from a clinic outside our group?
No. This only works between clinics that belong to the same group in Digitail. Clients at unrelated clinics are never visible or searchable.
I accidentally created a duplicate client. What do I do?
Contact your clinic administrator - duplicate client records need to be merged manually. To avoid this in future, always resolve the orange or red duplicate warnings before saving.
What's the difference between Description / Internal Notes?
Description is general information about the pet that may be visible in various contexts. Internal Notes are private to your clinic staff and never shown to the client - use this for sensitive notes.
What happens if I enter a microchip number that's already in the system?
Digitail will warn you that the number is already associated with another patient in your clinic. Check whether the pet already has a record before creating a new one.
Can I add more than one pet per client during registration?
In the Calendar flow, one patient at a time. For multiple pets, use Scenario E (bulk add), or complete one registration and start a second.
Is there a limit to how many pets I can add to one client?
No hard limit on pets per client profile. The bulk add option allows up to 20 pets in a single session.
When should I not manually add a new client?
If the client will use the Pet Parent app, have them request their first appointment through the app instead. Their record will arrive already linked to their account. Creating them manually first can result in two separate profiles.