These release notes cover the updates to Instinct EMR released in June 2026. Each section explains what changed and what it means for your practice.
Email an estimate and collect a signature remotely
You can email an estimate directly from Instinct EMR and let a pet owner review and sign it from any device. The pet owner does not need to be in the building.
Instinct EMR saves the signed estimate back to the patient chart automatically, so your team has documentation without a separate filing step.
This is available to all Instinct EMR practices as of June 2026.
Set your own preventive care reminder schedule
Preventive care reminders in Instinct EMR are fully configurable. You set the schedule, the message content, and the delivery channel.
Reminders also support multi-step cadences, so you can send one message for upcoming care and a different message for overdue care.
Before this release, preventive care reminders ran on a fixed schedule that practices could not change.
Note: Your existing preventive care reminder configuration transfers automatically. No action is required to keep your current reminders running as they are.
Send different appointment reminders by appointment type
Appointment reminders in Instinct EMR now support multiple rules. Each appointment type can send its own pre-visit instructions.
This means a procedure that requires fasting can send fasting instructions, while a routine wellness visit sends a standard confirmation. Your front desk no longer has to fill those gaps by phone.
Note: Your existing appointment reminder configuration transfers automatically. No action is required.
Let pet owners book their own appointments
Direct Booking lets pet owners book an appointment through the Pet Owner Portal without calling your front desk. It is available to single-location Instinct EMR practices as of June 2026.
Your practice decides which providers and which appointment types are available for online booking. Booked appointments land on your schedule the same way any other appointment does.
Note: Direct Booking is available to single-location practices in this release. If your practice has more than one location, contact [email protected] for current availability.
Search patients, clients, and appointments from one bar
Universal Search puts patients, clients, and appointments in a single search bar, available from anywhere in Instinct EMR.
Before this release, finding each record type meant going to a different place in the application. Universal Search replaces that with one place to look.
To learn more, see Universal Search.
New integration partner: VetSnap
Instinct EMR now integrates with VetSnap for controlled substance compliance. The integration pulls Instinct EMR data directly into VetSnap, which reduces manual entry and helps keep your controlled substance records audit-ready.
For the full list of current partners, see Instinct EMR Integration Partners.
Other improvements in June 2026
These smaller changes also shipped to Instinct EMR in June 2026.
Patient Medication List. View a patient's full active medication picture from Patient Snapshot, including Instinct EMR prescriptions, medications prescribed elsewhere, over-the-counter products, and supplements.
Weight chart. A visual weight history chart appears on Patient Snapshot, which makes weight trends easier to spot over time.
Integration Services page. Administrators can view and manage all lab and radiology product mappings in one place, so mismapped or unlinked products get caught before they cause ordering errors.
Automation enhancements. New triggers, new workflow variables including visit provider and product name, and an expanded template library cover more clinical workflows.
Transaction Summary Report: Total Settled Amount. A new column shows how much actually settled to your bank account per transaction type, which makes end-of-day reconciliation easier.
Pet Owner Portal: clinic information. Pet owners can find your practice contact information in the portal and view details about upcoming appointments without calling the front desk.
Pet Owner Portal access by client. Practice staff can turn Pet Owner Portal access on or off for a specific client account directly from that client's record in Instinct EMR.
Products page loads without a search. Admin → Products shows a full paginated list by default. You no longer need to run a search first to see your products.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need to rebuild my reminders after this release?
No. Both your preventive care reminder configuration and your appointment reminder configuration transfer automatically in Instinct EMR. Your current reminders keep running as they are.
Can a multi-location practice use Direct Booking?
Direct Booking is available to single-location Instinct EMR practices in the June 2026 release. If your practice has more than one location, contact support for current availability.
Where does a signed estimate go after the pet owner signs it?
Instinct EMR saves the signed estimate back to the patient chart automatically. Your team does not need to upload or file it separately.
Still need help?
Contact the Instinct support team via live chat in the app or by email at [email protected].