Home/Notes/A practical look at DNS TTL for a veterinary clinic
A practical look at DNS TTL for a veterinary clinic
8 Nov 2025
How a veterinary clinic deals with DNS TTL — and what usually goes wrong.
The problem: TTL of 300 seconds. This is where DNS TTL breaks for a veterinary clinic.
When we reviewed DNS TTL, the DNS panel showed TTL of 300 seconds. Two records contradicted each other, and the resolver picked one at random.
We deployed a fix for DNS TTL at 5 PM on a Friday. It worked, but if it had not, we would have had no one available. We no longer push to production after Thursday noon.
Automate DNS TTL if you can. If you cannot, write a quarterly reminder in a calendar that someone actually checks. TTL of 300 seconds is what happens when nobody does either.
A form that collects data for a veterinary clinic should say where the message goes. Nine fields and a captcha on a quiet Tuesday will cost you the person who actually wanted to pay.
When we onboard a veterinary clinic, the first thing we check is DNS TTL. It tells us more about the previous provider than any sales call.
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