How to Prepare Pet Health Records When Changing Vets

Changing vets is easier when the important information travels with your pet instead of remaining scattered across old emails, paper cards and a clinic’s portal.

Before the first appointment, prepare a compact record that gives the new practice a reliable starting point. The goal is not to recreate every detail of your pet’s history from memory. It is to collect the facts that affect care now and identify anything the new vet should request from the previous clinic.

Start with the identity details

Write down your pet’s full name, date of birth or approximate age, breed, sex, colour and microchip number. Add your own current phone number and the contact details for anyone else authorised to make decisions or collect the pet.

If the name used at home differs from the name on older records, include both. Small differences can make a search appear incomplete when the clinic is trying to find the right file.

Collect the current medical picture

Make a short current summary before sorting older documents:

• current weight, if known;
• active medications and dose instructions;
• known allergies or previous reactions;
• ongoing conditions or recent symptoms;
• recent surgery, dental work or hospital visits;
• diet or restrictions that matter to treatment.

Put the date next to anything that can change. “Medication” without a date is much less useful than “medication, started June 2026, twice daily.”

Include vaccine and parasite records

Ask the previous vet for the official vaccine history, not only a photo of the last reminder. Include the date given, product if recorded, next due date and any notes about reactions. Add flea, tick and worming treatments if those are part of the routine.

If a vaccine is overdue or the record is uncertain, mark it as uncertain instead of guessing. The new vet can decide whether a test, a repeat dose or a request for the old record is appropriate.

Bring the useful documents, not every document

The new practice may need laboratory results, imaging reports, discharge notes and prescriptions. Organise them by date and label each file clearly. A simple filename such as 2026-05-bloodwork.pdf is easier to use than IMG_4382.pdf.

Keep the original records available, but make a one-page summary for the appointment. A vet can read the summary first and then open the supporting document when needed.

Keep the record available on your phone

Your pet’s health record is most useful when it is available outside the house: at a new clinic, a boarding facility, during travel or in an emergency. PawKeep keeps pet health details, vaccine records, medications and useful contacts together on iPhone so the information does not depend on remembering which email contains the attachment.

It is still sensible to keep official documents and backups. The app is a practical access layer, not a replacement for the clinic’s legal medical record.

For a wider checklist, see what to keep in a pet health record before a vet visit, or learn more about PawKeep.