The Sims 4: Vet Clinics

Playing a Veterinarian in the Cats and Dogs Expansion

The Sims 4 Veterinarian: owning a clinic
The Sims 4 Cats and Dogs allows players to own and operate a Vet clinic, all while playing as the Veterinarian

The Sims 4's ownable vet clinic is available to players who buy the Cats and Dogs Expansion. This new feature borrows heavily from the Get to Work Doctor Career, as well as that DLC's Retail feature and Veterinarian Skill which ties in with the business ownership feature, but is not exclusively used for operating a clinic. You can learn more about the skill levels and what they unlock by visiting that guide. For now, know that you'll gain vet skill while working on patients and can also improve the skill by practicing lab work at the medicine crafting station. I suggest you get 2-3 levels before you open your clinic, so that your Sim will make less mistakes while interacting with their furry patients.

Starting a Vet Clinic

How to make a vet clinic in The Sims 4 cats and dogs
The bare minimum needed to create a vet clinic. Decorations would improve the place, but this is all you need and it can be made for less than $6000.

To start a vet clinic, use your Sim's phone and go to the Career/Household tab. There you can find the 'buy a vet clinic' option. You'll need at least $10,000 though more is recommended. The money is transferred to a separate business account. You can pay yourself from this account, though you may need to deposit more funds if your business isn't making money. Some of the initially deposited money is just to pay for a lot on which to build the clinic. You can certainly start very small, but want to purchase a lot that will leave a little room for expansion. Your clinic could be just a couple of medium sized rooms.

A few items are needed to qualify as a vet clinic. You'll need a Vet Podium (what customers use to sign in), an exam table (the minimum equipment required to treat animals), and some form of waste disposal (a trash can!). The surgery station (required to cure more advanced diseases), medicine crafting table, and vending machine are optional items.

Once you've constructed all this, you're ready to open your business for the first time.

-->

Treating Your First Patient

how to treat a pet in the Sims 4
Greet the owner, and you're off to examine and treat the pet in your examination room.

When you're ready, you can use the bottom-right business management panel to open the business. You'll have to do a little waiting for patients, but they'll show up at all hours. In order to treat a sick animal, simply greet the Sim or their pet when they come in. Your Sim and the patient will head to the exam table after you've confirmed a small dialog box that pops up with a message from the owner.

Once at the exam table, your Sim must examine the pet by taking their temperature, checking out their skin, etc. As you do this, symptoms will be revealed. I have a handy list of Pet Sicknesses that can be handy for reducing the number of tests you need to perform, allowing you to get on to other patients.

Every now and then, you'll need to calm the patient to keep their stress down. Some pets start stressed. This takes more time, but you cannot treat the pet and the owner may get upset if you stress their animal too much. An industrial strength relaxation serum can be used when the pet has 5 or so symptoms, because it means your veterinarian may need to run more tests to discover the illness. Craft these at the medicine crafting table where you can also store them - more info at the Veterinarian Skill Page. At Veterinarian skill level 5, you unlock the Soothe Pet interaction, which seems to be a better version of 'calm' in that it may prevent stress from building up so quickly from exams.

When the symptoms are all revealed, your Sim should know what sickness the pet has caught. Go to the treatments menu and pick the one with the 'thumbs up'. Treatments are ruled out as you go, so if you go to this menu before you've finished revealing symptoms you will see options with a question mark. Those are the treatments your Sim's not yet ruled out.

Explore My Mods! Color Picker for Builders, Seasons Tuner, Dine Out Reloaded and a Gameplay Overhaul! Like other modders, I've been working to make The Sims 4 a better game. Check out my many mods here!

Veterinarian keep animal stress down in the sims 4 cats and  dogs
Keep the animal's stress down for the duration of the exam in order to score extra points with the owner.

Once the exam is done, you can click the pet and 'bill owner' or 'dismiss patient' on the owner. The pet version seems more reliable. Sometimes they dismiss and pay automatically once the treatment's finished, but you may still want to dismiss them. The final star rating will be added to your business' star rating, which seems averaged based on more recent customer reviews. If you get the bug where the owner isn't paying, you may want to save, close the game, and restart it. Some people have repaired the game in origin. Someone will surely remind me to strike this from the guide when the bug is fixed!

Perk Points

Treating Patients will give you perk points, which can be spent in the business management screen to give temporary and permanent boosts to your clinic. Each boost is specific that one business only. Perk points are not accumulated when employees use interactions. You've got to be the one treating the pet. This keeps it from snowballing should you open the clinic while you're away from the lot and preserves the sense of progression.

Profits from Veterinarian

The amount of profit you get is determined by the markup. You can access this by going to business settings on the business management interface. A 100% markup is standard. Higher values will lower the star rating of your business, assuming you lack the level of service to back up such high prices. Lower prices might help increase customer satisfaction when you're just starting out. The amount you receive seems to be $100 + medicine cost times the markup. A 100% markup should be double medicine cost, but the multiplier appears to be 1. So $125 for a 100%, $137 for 150% and $150 for 200% for a standard treatment. More expensive treatments (when appropriate) therefore pay more.

Star Rating

The number of customers and difficulty of patients are based entirely off your clinic's star rating. The factors that influence star rating are listed here:

  • Wait Times - Lower wait times are better for customers. This is largely determined by having an appropriate amount of employees relative to your star rating, and your ability to juggle many customers. Always serve those who got their first because this rating is based on a timer that counts down.
  • Environment - Having 'beautifully' decorated is a huge boost vs having a messy or ugly place with unfinished walls. Additionally a separate boost is provided by having quality music playing in the waiting area. Get a good reliable stereo and let it play.
  • Bedside Manner - Being kind with your greeting and being friendly with owners and their pets in general is advised. Use a friendly social on each before you dismiss them if it won't have a huge impact on wait time for multiple customers. This is mainly an issue with employees - angry employees who are mean to customers can mess up your star rating. See the Employees section.
  • Pet Stress - Don't let the animal get a full red bar, and even better keep it below half if you can. The owners appreciate if it's not a scary experience for their cat or dog.
  • Quality of Treatment - Every now and then your vet will mess up and toss a cone of shame on a pet, but you should in general be able to get the treatment correct on the first try. Again, a bigger issue with an unskilled employee.
  • Value of Service - Base your prices upon your strengths in all the areas above to also get a decent value of service. Charging 200% on a low ranking business may get you a boost on one patient, but you'll be waiting more time for new patients to show up. If you have every single one of these categories checked off, it's safe to charge 200%.

Employees

The Vet Clinic will eventually need an employee to help out if you hope to serve a large number of customers. The employees are veterinarians, who can handle some of the customers for you and will work when the clinic is open but your vet is at home. Hire a veterinarian by going to the bottom-right menu where you manage your business. Find the 'manage employees' button. You only start with one slot, but you won't need more at a one-star place. People will be afraid you'll kill their pet and you've got to prove yourself first. Pick any employee, as low skill levels just means cheaper pay. I'd put more emphasis on the vet and charisma skills than maintenance/handiness.

Employees can be trained for a fee, but they'll gain skills naturally as they work. As they level up in the three skills, they'll start to demand more pay. A satisfied employee is a happy employee, and you don't want them being snippy with customers. Besides that, they are earning money for the owner (you) and can treat more patients with a higher vet skill level. Use the promote button on the employee management screen to give an employee. Praise them occasionally when they do a good job, and this will also raise their job satisfaction. It allows you to be cheap but nice for a time until you can afford to give them a raise. The hourly pay is based on the promotion level - each bump up to level 5 is a $10 raise (max $50).

How You Can Support The Site and Channel

If you like my sites and Youtube Channel, consider supporting me on Patreon to help me to continue.

Back to The Top


Check Out My Youtube Channel!

We now have a Youtube Channel with over 50 guides in video format to go along with the huge site I've already created. Check it out and consider subscribing if you like my style.


Add Comment

* Required information
2000

Comments (38)

Gravatar
New
Armando Burlettasays...
hi, i tryed too many mode to get 5 stars of valuation on clinic, but never pass 4. tryed anything and at last, for be annoyed, also a mod to make patient givin 5 but also this don't grown the valutation over 4. i'd like also a 4.1. looking on some forum noted this is very difficult, is phrps the 5 bugged?
Gravatar
Admin
Playalotsays...
I've just finished playing a vet clinic sim and made it to 5 stars so it is possible. The journey from 4 to 5 stars is a slog though. Fire any extra staff your sim may have hired and close your clinic once you have 2 patients waiting, deal with those pets then reopen for new customers: so basically work 2 shifts in one day. After doing this for a while you should get a 5 star rating as long as your sim has maxed the vet skill and has a good environment score in the vet clinic building. Some perks are really a must to getting that 5 star such as the one to make patients wait patiently, excellent quality vet supplies and low stressed pets.
Gravatar
New
Abigailsays...

Where is the tab I checked in the job and the household tab on my sims phone this is dumb I really want a clinic.

Gravatar
Admin
Playalotsays...

You can use the Household tab on your sims phone to buy retail or a vet clinic or use the bubble icon on the lower right hand side of your screen.

Gravatar
New
Sydneysays...

I was playing it just fine but when my sim got married she lost the clinic. When I repurchased it I can no longer transfer money over. The option to do it is there but once I click confirm nothing happens. I've tried selling and rebuying and nothing works. Please help!

Gravatar
Admin
Playalotsays...

Sadly when your Sim marries and adds another Sim to the household the game thinks you have made a new household...and so loses all rights to any retail lots or vet clinics. There isn't anything you can do in this save apart from buy a new one and start again. Or roll back to a previous time stamp before you married.

Gravatar
New
Taylorsays...

I know this was made two years ago but I'm hoping someone can help. My own dogs need to get spayed but I can't seem to do it while I'm working.

Gravatar
Admin
Playalotsays...

tbh I haven't tried spaying my Sims own pets but try closing the vet clinic to paying customers and see if your Sim can do it then.

Gravatar
New
Shanasays...

This might be a long shot but when the owner of the clinic dies can we pass it on to a son or daughter in the house hold?

Gravatar
Admin
Playalotsays...

Vet clinics are owned by a Household not really an individual sim. So when one Sim in that household dies the vet clinic remains theirs.

Gravatar
New
reynard.4705says...

is there a cheat for more perk points? not like getting the traits but the actual points

Gravatar
Admin
Playalotsays...

Not that I know of

Gravatar
New
Asays...

Love your guides and YT vids, so helping out by pointing out the following:

"Always serve those who got THEIR first"

I hate when sick pets throw up or drip in my clinic and then the customer complains that it's dirty

Gravatar
New
Whysays...

I know it's years later but I can't find the answer anywhere, I own a vet clinic, my dog is sick but I can't treat it, I can start the examination and the bar to the upper left appear but nothing happens, my sim just stands there doing nothing. How can I go about getting my dog treated?

Gravatar
New
Nameu Parksays...

It is really good article. it would be great help. I am very interesting with this blog. Thank you for sharing your expertise.

Gravatar
New
Anymousesays...

Thanks! This article was very helpful. Kind of weird question but if I made a maze outside the door so they had to walk really far to get inside lower my rating?

Gravatar
Admin
Playalotsays...

Probably as time is a factor in the rating so if your sims are having to spend ages walking around then I guess that would be a negative

Gravatar
New
bsays...

Thanks so much for the info

Gravatar
New
Lilysays...

This website was so helpful! Thank you!

Gravatar
New
Michellesays...

How do you make the employees use the serum on stressed out pets? I tried to put out on the shelf but when they clean they put it in the craft table.



Make Seasons Better!

Sims 4 Seasons CheatsThe Sims 4 Seasons expansion now has options! Want to disable weather or make plants in season year-round? You can do so with my new Seasons Tuner Mod

  • Disable Seasons individually
  • Always Sunny! Set to Base Game Weather
  • Grow Year Round - Make Plants Always in Season!
  • Healthy Year Round - No more Winter twigs
  • Disable Color Changes - on ALL Plants & Trees
  • Disable Fall Leaves
  • Disable Ground Snow
  • Keep the Stuff You Paid For!

A Deeper Game

The past month, I've spent every day tinkering The Sims 4, making quality of life improvements, gameplay changes, and new difficulty settings for the game. If you'd like to learn more about my project, visit the post on Patreon where you can download it now.

Cottage living

The Sims 4 Cottage LivingCottage Living Guide! Here is my guide to new features in the Sims 4 Cottage Living Expansion

You can also find handy Cottage Living Cheats

I have much more to come, since you can actually write a few guides about this pack!

Calling all Blender Users

Blender has been incredibly useful in video production, so I made my own Physics and Simulation Improvement Addon that lumps a ton of unique tools into one compact interface.

Sims 4 Snowy Escape

The Sims 4 Snowy Escape launches November 13, 2020 and my coverage has started. Until I get my review ready, you can learn about the following:

Snowy Escape Cheats
Lifestyles in Snowy Escape
Climb Mt. Komorebi
Sentiments in Snowy Escape
Rock Climbing
Skiing Skill
Snowboarding Skill

Sentiments & Platforms (Free Patch!)

I've released a guide to Sentiments in The Sims 4 & Snowy Escape.

There is a new platform tool in The Sims 4. There's also a new Sentiments system, but it'll take some time to create a guide to that. Players can also use rental lots in any world now by changing lot types of builds in manage worlds.

Best Mods in Sims 4

I've created a massive List of The Best Mods in The Sims 4 that should be very helpful to new players and those who have not yet explored modding and how much it can do for your gameplay.

Search my Sims 4 Site

Support Us

Readers who use adblock or those who'd like to thank me for my efforts can now pledge $1/$5 monthly via Patreon. This helps a lot with server costs and provides some stability for my business.

Super Sim Checklist + Other News

Super Sim Text + Checklist and Video Guide! Here is my Super Sim Challenge Guide and Checklist to accompany my video guide to making Super Sims in The Sims 4 that you can view on Youtube.

This is inspired by a new series in which I start at toddler and gradually take on the major bonuses. Here's a link to the full playlist!

I now have a guide page to Tiny Living Stuff where you can learn about Murphy Beds, the new death, as well as the lot bonuses you'll receive if you manage to keep the size of your lot down with this new pack's Tiny Home Lot Type.

Let's Play Playlist

Super Sim Gameplay in The Sims 4

New I now have a guide to Making Super Sims in The Sims 4. Look for a text version within the next 72h. It won't have THAT much more info but it will help out as a checklist.

This was inspired by a series, "Let's Play a Super Sim" in which I start at toddler and gradually take on the major bonuses. Here's a link to each part for people who are interested. You can also see the Let's Play as a Playlist on Youtube.