Does Your Veterinary Software Have A Truly Open API?

First published in October 2022. Updated July 2026.

If you're choosing a new practice management system, "open API" is a term you'll see a lot. It sounds technical, and it's easy to skim past. But it decides something that affects your team every day: whether you get to choose the tools you run your practice with, or whether someone else chooses for you.

This article covers what an open API is, why it matters for your practice, and the questions to ask a provider before you commit.

What an open API actually is

An API (application programming interface) is the set of rules that lets two pieces of software talk to each other. In a practice management system, an API is what lets your PIMS share data with the other tools you use — client communication, payments, lab results, imaging, booking.

An open API means third-party developers can build integrations freely, without asking permission for every connection. Not all providers mean the same thing when they say it. Some use "open API" but gate it: they approve only certain partners, restrict what can connect, or route every integration request through an approval process that can stall for months.

A truly open API gives developers the freedom to build what your practice needs. That difference is the whole point.

Open vs. gated: the difference you'll feel

Here's where it gets real. When a system is gated, the provider controls who gets to connect. A small startup with a tool your team would love can be kept out. An integration you already rely on can stop working if the provider decides it's "unauthorized." And when only approved partners can connect, those partners can charge more, because you have nowhere else to go.

When a system is open, the pressure flips. Vendors compete for your business on quality and price, not on who holds the keys. You pick the client-comms tool, the payment provider, the booking platform. If your needs change, you switch.

Open isn't only a technical feature. It's who's in control of your practice's software: you, or your provider.

What an open API gives you

Freedom of choice. You're not limited to the integrations your provider happens to offer. Looking for a client communication tool? Choose from several, compare them, and pick the one that fits how your team works. You're not stuck with one option because it's the only one allowed to connect.

Fewer systems to manage. Integrations let you work from one place. Send appointment reminders straight from your PIMS instead of logging into a separate tool. Less bouncing between tabs, less to keep track of.

Less double entry. Teams double-enter patient information across tools that don't talk to each other, and every re-key is a chance for an error. An open API lets your systems share data automatically, so information is entered once.

Five questions to ask a provider

1. Do you have a genuinely open API with no approval gate? Ask directly. Then ask the follow-up: can any developer build an integration, or do partners need your sign-off first?

2. Which tools can integrate today? Name the specific integrations you want and ask whether they're live now. Specifics beat promises.

3. Does implementation include configuring these integrations? An API is only useful once it's set up. Ask whether configuration is part of onboarding.

4. Do you support integrations over time? Your needs will change. Ask what happens when you want to add or change a connection later.

5. Are there limits or extra charges? Some providers cap what developers can do or charge for API access. Ask before you sign, not after.

How Provet does open

Provet has been built on an open, documented API since 2015 — first in veterinary software, because the industry deserved a platform built on openness and choice. Documented matters: it's what lets any developer build against Provet without asking permission first. Your data is yours, you own 100% of it, and you decide what connects to it. No gatekeeping on who gets to build.

"We needed a modern PMS with an open API, good documentation, and the flexibility to scale our operations as we grew."
- Veronika Efimova, Co-founder, Every Tail Vets

Connect to every tool you use

Lab and diagnostics, client communication, online booking, inventory and ordering, payments and accounting, insurance: wherever your day runs on another tool, it can connect. And when you add something new later, it plugs in too. That's 150+ integrations plus an open API, which adds up to real freedom of choice.

"Provet being able to integrate with Cubex is a phenomenal opportunity — not only a time-saver but a factual organizer for us. Having all that utility within Provet has been phenomenal."
- Suzanna Berry, Executive Practice Director, Pets R Family Veterinary Hospital

You can also build on top of Provet. MoVET, a preventative-care practice in Denver, Colorado, is a good example. Owner Dr. Lexi Abramson used Provet's open API to connect the practice to a custom-built pet parent app, a MoVET-branded online scheduling platform, and Stripe payments. Because the API is open, she got the setup she wanted rather than the one she was allowed.

That's the practical version of freedom of choice: the system adapts to your practice, not the other way around.

The bottom line

A practice management system is a long-term decision. An open API keeps that decision yours: the freedom to choose your integrations and tools now, and to change them as your practice grows, without being locked into one provider's closed ecosystem.

If you want a PIMS built on an open API, see how Provet connects to the tools you already use. Book a demo.

FAQ

What is an open API in veterinary software?

An open API lets third-party developers build integrations with your practice management system without needing the provider's approval for each one. It gives your practice the freedom to connect the tools you choose.

Why does an open API matter when choosing a PIMS?

It decides whether you can pick your own tools or are limited to what your provider allows. It protects you from being locked into one provider's ecosystem, now and as your practice grows.

What happens if my PIMS blocks a third-party integration?

If a system restricts which third parties can connect, an integration your team relies on can stop working, and you may have no alternative. Choosing a provider with a genuinely open API reduces that risk. If you're currently on a system that limits integrations, ask your provider what their policy is, and whether it's changed recently.

Does Provet have an open API?

Yes. Provet is built on an open, documented API, with integrations across labs, client communication, booking, inventory, payments, and insurance. You keep 100% ownership of your data.

Isn't an open API less secure?

Open means documented and accessible to developers, not unprotected. Access is controlled and permissioned, and Provet is ISO 27001:2022 certified. You keep control of what connects to your data and what it can do.

Can I take my data with me if I leave?

Yes. 100% data ownership means the data is yours, so you're never locked in by losing access to your own records. That's the difference between renting your practice's data and owning it.

Will I need a developer to use it?

Usually not. Most practices use existing integrations that are already live. You'd only need a developer for something highly customized, like MoVET's custom pet parent app.