Whether you're relocating, unhappy with your current clinic, or your vet retired, getting your pet's medical history moved to a new practice takes more effort than it should. Records don't follow your pet automatically the way they might for a person on a shared hospital network — you usually have to ask for them, and sometimes chase them down. Here's how to make it painless.
Why records don't just transfer on their own
Most veterinary clinics run independent record systems that don't talk to each other, even within the same city. Unless you request a copy, your pet's history — vaccine dates, past illnesses, surgeries, allergies, lab results — stays sitting in your old vet's file cabinet or software, and your new vet starts from a blank page.
What to actually request
Ask for the full record, not just a summary. A "summary" from the front desk sometimes leaves out lab values, imaging, or notes a new vet would want to see, especially if your pet has an ongoing condition. Specifically ask for:
- Full vaccination history with dates
- Any diagnoses, surgeries, or hospitalizations
- Recent bloodwork or lab results
- X-rays or imaging, if any were taken
- Current medications and dosages
- Known allergies or adverse reactions
How to request it
Most clinics will email or fax records directly to your new vet, or hand you a printed/PDF copy to bring yourself. A quick phone call or email works — here's a script you can copy:
Some clinics charge a small copying fee (often $10–$25), and by law they can charge for the labor of producing the records, but they can't refuse to release them because of an unpaid balance in most states — check your state's veterinary board if a clinic pushes back.
What to do while you wait
Records can take anywhere from a same-day email to a couple of weeks, depending on how busy the clinic is. In the meantime, tell your new vet what you remember — approximate vaccine dates, any ongoing medications, known conditions — so they're not starting completely blind on your first visit.
Keep your own copy so you never have to chase a clinic again
Once you have your pet's records, add them to PetFolio Health and you'll have them permanently — searchable, shareable, and yours no matter how many times you switch vets.
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