How to Transfer Your Pet's Medical Records to a New Vet

Switching veterinarians doesn’t have to mean starting your pet’s medical history from scratch.

The basic process is simple: contact your previous veterinary clinic, request your pet’s complete medical records, arrange for them to be sent to the new clinic, and keep a copy for yourself.

It’s worth doing before your first appointment whenever possible. Your pet’s history can include much more than vaccination dates, and having that information available helps the new veterinary team understand what has already happened.

Here’s exactly what to request and how to make the transfer smoother.

What Is Included in Your Pet’s Medical Record?

A pet’s medical history is usually a collection of records rather than one single document.

Depending on your pet and the clinic, it may include:

• Vaccination history - vaccine names, dates given, and relevant notes
• Examination records - findings from routine and problem-focused visits
• Medication history - medications prescribed, instructions, and treatment notes
• Laboratory results - blood work, urine tests, fecal tests, and other diagnostics
• Imaging reports - X-rays, ultrasound reports, or other diagnostic imaging
• Surgery and procedure records - including anesthesia or procedure notes when applicable
• Diagnoses and treatment plans
• Allergy or adverse-reaction information
• Specialist or referral records when they are part of your pet’s history

A vaccine card or a handful of invoices can be useful, but they may not tell the new veterinarian the complete story.

If your pet has had recurring symptoms, previous procedures, long-term medication, or a chronic condition, the detailed records can be especially helpful.

How to Transfer Your Pet’s Records to a New Vet

The process is usually straightforward.

1. Choose your new veterinary clinic

Before requesting the records, ask the new clinic how they prefer to receive them.

They may accept records through a clinic-to-clinic transfer, secure upload, email, fax, or another method.

Ask:

• Where should the records be sent?
• Does the clinic need them before the first appointment?
• Is there a preferred file format?
• Does the clinic require anything specific from you?

Getting these details first can prevent your old clinic from sending the records somewhere they cannot easily access.

2. Contact your previous vet

Call, email, or use the clinic’s records-request process.

Be specific.

Instead of simply saying:

“Can you send my pet’s records?”

Ask for your pet’s complete medical record and explain that you are transferring care to another veterinary clinic.

Include:

• Your pet’s name
• Your name
• Your contact information
• The previous clinic’s patient information, if available
• The name and contact details of the new clinic
• Your upcoming appointment date, if you have one

Some clinics may ask you to complete a records-release or authorization form.

3. Ask for the complete history

Don’t assume that the vaccination record is everything you need.

If your pet has been treated at the clinic for several years, ask for the records covering that period.

You can specifically mention:

• Visit notes
• Vaccination history
• Medication history
• Laboratory results
• Imaging reports
• Surgery or procedure records
• Diagnoses
• Specialist reports
• Relevant treatment history

If you’re especially trying to keep vaccination information organized, see our guide on how to track your dog’s vaccine schedule without losing the paper card.

The exact records available will depend on your pet’s history and the clinic’s records system.

4. Ask for a copy for yourself

If the clinic permits it, keep your own copy of the records.

You can have the old clinic send the records directly to the new veterinarian while also providing you with a copy, or follow whatever process the clinic uses for owner copies.

This gives you a personal reference if you move again, visit an emergency clinic, see a specialist, or need to provide information to another veterinary practice later.

5. Confirm that the new clinic received them

This step is easy to skip.

A clinic sending the records does not necessarily mean the new clinic has successfully received and attached everything to your pet’s file.

A few days before the appointment, contact the new clinic and ask:

“Could you confirm that you’ve received my pet’s medical records from the previous clinic?”

Pet records transfer checklist

Request:

• ☐ Complete medical record
• ☐ Vaccination history
• ☐ Current and previous medication information
• ☐ Relevant laboratory results
• ☐ Imaging reports
• ☐ Surgery and procedure records
• ☐ Diagnoses and treatment notes
• ☐ Specialist or referral information
• ☐ Relevant allergy or medication-reaction information
• ☐ Any other records related to ongoing conditions

You don’t necessarily need to interpret every document yourself.

Your goal is simply to make sure the new veterinary team has the information needed to understand your pet’s previous care.

Why Keeping Your Own Copy Matters

Your veterinary clinic is an important source of your pet’s medical history, but it shouldn’t be the only place where that history exists from your perspective.

Clinics can change software systems, practices can merge, staff can change, and you may eventually move to another city.

Having your own organized copy gives you another layer of protection against having to reconstruct years of history from memory.

It can also help when:

• Your pet needs emergency care
• You visit a veterinary specialist
• You move to another city
• You switch clinics again
• Your pet needs boarding or travel documentation
• You need to remember an old medication or procedure
• You are asked about previous vaccinations or treatments

If you’re keeping records because you’re preparing for travel or boarding, our guide to the pet health documents you’ll actually need can help you prepare.

Zoetis Petcare similarly recommends providing a new veterinary practice with your pet’s complete medical history when transferring care, while VCA notes that complete records can help the new veterinarian understand previous illnesses, treatments, reactions, and diagnostic history.

A simple system is better than a perfect one

You don’t need a complicated filing cabinet.

A practical personal record system can contain:

1. Your pet’s basic information
2. Vaccination history
3. Vet visit history
4. Medication history
5. Test results and reports
6. Surgery/procedure history
7. Important allergies or reactions
8. A short timeline of major health events

The important part is being able to find the information when you need it.

What If Your Old Vet Has Closed?

This situation can be more frustrating, but don’t assume that your pet’s history is automatically gone.

Start by:

1. Checking whether the clinic was acquired or merged with another practice.
2. Searching for the clinic’s current contact information.
3. Contacting the organization that took over the practice, if there is one.
4. Asking your new veterinarian whether they can help identify where records were transferred.
5. Checking any old emails, invoices, portals, or documents you already have.

If you cannot recover everything, give your new veterinarian whatever records you do have.

That might include:

• Vaccine certificates
• Medication labels
• Previous invoices
• Lab reports
• Discharge instructions
• Specialist reports
• Photos or digital copies of old documents

Don’t try to recreate medical information from memory as if it were an official record. Instead, tell the new veterinarian what you know and clearly identify information you are uncertain about.

What If Some Records Are Missing?

Don’t panic if the transfer isn’t perfect.

First, identify exactly what’s missing.

For example, you may have:

• Complete visit notes but no imaging reports
• Vaccine records but no older laboratory results
• Medication information but no original prescription instructions

Ask the previous clinic whether the missing material can be sent separately.

If it cannot be recovered, tell the new veterinarian.

This is one reason keeping your own records over time is useful: every transfer doesn’t have to depend entirely on a single clinic’s system.

What to Bring to the First Appointment With Your New Vet

Even if the records have already been transferred, arrive prepared.

Bring or have access to:

• Current medications
• Medication or supplement labels
• Vaccination certificates if you have them
• Recent test results
• Specialist reports
• A list of questions
• Notes about anything that has changed since the previous visit

If your pet has a current health concern, write down when you first noticed it and what has changed since then.

A short timeline can be surprisingly useful.

For example:

“Started scratching ears about three weeks ago. Improved after treatment but returned five days later.”

That gives your veterinarian context that may not appear in an older medical record.

For a broader appointment checklist, see our guide to what to bring and what to ask at a vet visit.

A Vet Records Request You Can Copy

If you aren’t sure what to say to your previous clinic, keep it simple.

You can adapt this:

Subject: Request for [Pet Name]‘s Complete Medical Records

Hello,

I am transferring [Pet Name]‘s care to a new veterinary clinic and would like to request a copy of their complete medical records.

Please let me know if you need any authorization or additional information from me.

My new veterinary clinic is:

Clinic:

[New Clinic Name]

Phone:

[Phone Number]

Email:

[Email Address]

If possible, please send the records to the new clinic and provide me with a copy for my personal records.

Thank you, [Your Name]

The clinic may have its own required form or preferred wording, so use its instructions if they differ.

Keep Your Pet’s Health History Organized With PawCare AI

Getting the original veterinary records is only one part of the process.

The bigger challenge is keeping important health information organized after you receive it.

PawCare AI is designed to help pet owners keep their pet’s health information in one place, including vet visits, medications, vaccinations, weight history, and other important health records.

You can also export a clean PDF health report when you need to share organized information with a veterinarian.

That means the next time you switch clinics, you aren’t starting from a blank page.

Keep Your Pet’s Health Records Ready for the Next Vet Visit Track vet visits, medications, vaccines, weight history, and important health information in one organized place.

Try PawCare AI Free

The Bottom Line

Switching vets doesn’t have to mean losing your pet’s medical history.

Request the complete record, make sure it reaches the new clinic, confirm that nothing important is missing, and keep your own organized copy.

The goal isn’t to become your pet’s medical-record manager. It’s simply to make sure important information is available when your veterinarian needs it.

And once you have that information, keeping it organized going forward makes every future vet visit easier.