15 veterinary marketing ideas for October

Boost your October marketing strategy using these veterinary marketing ideas and social media graphics! With Adopt a Dog Month, World Animal Day, Halloween, and many other occasions to celebrate throughout the month, October offers plenty of opportunities to engage with pet parents.

Veterinary marketing ideas and social media graphics for October

1. Adopt a Dog Month: October is for promoting shelter adoptions as opposed to purchasing dogs through breeders or pet stores. Your veterinary team can support the cause by sharing adoption success stories on social media, and partnering with local shelters and rescue organizations to encourage responsible pet adoption and ownership. Offer your clients a discount on initial wellness exams and vaccines when they adopt from the adoption agency you partner with and book an appointment online.

2. National Animal Safety and Protection Month: October also focuses on the importance of protecting both pets and wildlife. You can engage with animal lovers on social media by sharing pet safety tips as well as best practices for protecting and staying safe from wildlife. You could even offer a discount for pet parents who book an appointment online in October, such as 20% off wellness exams.

3. National Pet Wellness Month: Every October is dedicated to maintaining the well-being of pets. Share preventative care tips on social media and your custom veterinary website, and be sure to highlight the importance of early detection in effectively treating and managing pet health conditions.

4. Canadian RVT Month: October recognizes the critical role Registered Veterinary Techs (RVTs) play in animal healthcare. Highlight your vet tech colleagues on social media and invite your followers to show their support—and remember to use our free veterinary technician appreciation cards pack to give some extra vet tech love in October!

5. National Walk Your Dog Week: The first week of October (the 1st through the 7th) is for promoting regular exercise for dogs and dog parents. Use our social media post to share helpful facts and tips with your online community, and invite them to reply with photos of their own canine companions. If your clinic sells collars or leashes, consider giving them to clients for free if they directly book appointments online during the week.

6. World Animal Day: Saturday, October 4th is for raising awareness about animal rights and welfare. Use social media and your custom website to share a few key ways your followers can best support their pet’s well-being, and show extra love by offering pet parents complimentary World Animal Day dental checkups or vaccinations when they book online appointments.

7. National Pet Obesity Awareness Day: October 8th aims to raise awareness about the negative impacts of obesity on pets’ health. You can help encourage pet parents to prioritize their pets’ well-being by highlighting the need to regularly check and maintain their pet’s weight, as well as ensuring proper nutrition, exercise, and routine veterinary checkups. Take your support up a level by offering 25% off for all online bookings.

8. World Octopus Day: October 8th is for our intelligent and tentacle-y Octopus friends! Share interesting octopus facts on social media, and ask your followers to reply with photos of any octopus pals in their lives. Consider holding an Octopus photo contest where the winner receives a special discount for their next online booking!

9. World Mental Health Day: October 10th is a time for mental health education, awareness, and advocacy worldwide. Remind your community about the mental benefits pets bring into our lives, such as how the simple act of petting can significantly lower stress levels. Highlight the importance of prioritizing one’s mental health, and use this day to link local and national mental health resources on your social media or custom website.

10. Indigenous Peoples’ Day: Monday, October 13th celebrates and honors Indigenous American peoples, and is a time to show respect to their histories and cultures. Be sure to wish your followers a Happy Indigenous Peoples’ Day on Facebook, Instagram, X, and your clinic’s website, and invite your social media followers to reply with any of their own historical and cultural Indigenous American facts or stories.

11. National Boss’s Day: October 16th is for the hard-working bosses who keep businesses running smoothly. Your team can show support to your owners, DVMs, and practice managers letting them know how much you value their leadership, professionalism, and kindness. Add a team photo to your custom website and social media profiles so your followers can cheer them on, too!

12. National Fetch Day: Encourage your community of pet lovers to get some extra play time on the third Saturday of October (the 18th this year) with a game of fetch! Invite your followers to reply to your social media post with their goofiest fetch photos and videos, and throw the winner a veterinary discount on their next online appointment booking!

13. National Veterinary Technician Week: The third week of October (the 12th through 18th this year) is for celebrating every hard-working vet tech! Tell your social media followers how much you value your vet techs’ dedication to pet healthcare, and make it personal by sharing a group photo of your technicians. Remember to use our free veterinary technician appreciation cards to celebrate your vet techs in October!

14. National Cat Day: Wednesday, October 29th is all about our feline friends. Share cat safety and health tips on social media, and partner with a local cat shelter to encourage responsible cat adoption and ownership. Don’t forget to wish your community a Happy National Cat Day on social media and your veterinary website!

15. Halloween: BOO! Halloween is October 31st, which means it’s time for your veterinary marketing to get spooky. Hold a social media custom contest to see all the funny and scary costumes of pets and their parents, and offer a not-so-scary online booking discount to the participant with the best photo!

We hope you’ll enjoy our free marketing ideas and graphics for October! Need more veterinary marketing inspiration? Download the 2025 Pet Holiday Calendar to keep up with every occasion throughout the year.

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