How to Get My Dog's Vaccine Records (and Your Cat's Too)
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Quick answer: How to get my dog's vaccine records: ask the clinic that gave the vaccines. Call the front desk, check the clinic's patient portal or app if they have one, or email and ask them to send a copy. If your dog came from a shelter, rescue, or breeder, look through the paperwork you got at adoption too. For your cat's vaccine records, ask your cat's clinic the same ways, and check your cat's adoption papers. Once you have the records, keep your own copy at home and a photo on your phone.
The request usually comes when you're busy: a groomer, a boarding place, daycare, or a new vet asks for your pet's vaccine records, and the papers aren't where you thought they were. Records can end up spread across a few places, especially after a move or a change of vets. Here's where to look, for dogs and for cats.
How to get my dog's vaccine records
1. Start with the clinic that gave the vaccines. Call and ask for a copy of your dog's vaccine records. Some clinics have a patient portal or app where you can see or download them. If yours doesn't, ask them to email you a copy. If a groomer, boarding place, or new vet needs the records, you can also ask your clinic whether they can send them there.
2. Check every place your dog got vaccines. If your dog has been seen at more than one place, like a previous vet, an emergency clinic, or a vaccine clinic, contact each one. Each place has the records for what it gave.
3. Look through your adoption or purchase paperwork. If your dog came from a shelter, rescue, or breeder, the paperwork they gave you may include vaccine records. Check the folder, envelope, or emails from when your dog came home.
4. Moved or switched vets? Ask your previous clinic to send your dog's records to your new clinic, and ask for a copy for yourself at the same time.
How to get my cat's vaccine records
1. Ask your cat's clinic. Call the clinic that gave your cat's vaccines, check their patient portal or app if they have one, or email and ask for a copy of your cat's vaccine records.
2. Check your cat's adoption papers. If your cat came from a shelter, rescue, or breeder, look through the paperwork from adoption day. Vaccines given before your cat came home may be listed there.
3. Contact any other clinic your cat has visited. A previous vet, an emergency clinic, or a vaccine clinic each has the records for what they gave your cat. If you've moved, ask your cat's old clinic to send the records to the new one, and request a copy for yourself.
4. Ask before a boarding stay or a new vet. If a boarding place or a new clinic is asking for your cat's shot records, ask your cat's clinic what they can send and how.
Keep your own copy (and a photo on your phone)
Once you have the records, keep them together in one place at home, and take a photo of each page so you have them on your phone too. That way you're not starting the search from scratch the next time someone asks.
It also helps in an emergency. The ASPCA lists "Photocopies and/or USB of medical records" among the items to consider keeping in a pet's emergency kit. Ready.gov, the federal government's emergency preparedness site, puts it this way: "Have copies of your pet's registration information and other relevant documents in a waterproof container and available electronically."
If you'd like a place to write it all down, the Pet Health Record Keeper is a printable for dogs and cats with a vaccine record page, a box for dates coming due, and a page to keep track of which clinic has which records and when you asked for copies. It's your own copy for keeping track of your pet's vaccines and visits. It isn't official proof. It also comes in the Pet Health Binder, along with a vet visit checklist and a medication tracker. 3% of the purchase price (excluding shipping and taxes) supports shelter and rescue pets.
Frequently asked questions
How to get my dog's vaccine records online?
If the clinic that gave the vaccines has a patient portal or app, you may be able to see or download your dog's vaccine records there. If not, call or email the clinic and ask them to email you a copy. If your dog got vaccines at a vaccine clinic or event, contact whoever ran it.
How do I get a copy of my dog's vaccination records?
Ask the clinic that gave the vaccines. Call, email, or use their patient portal if they have one, and ask for a copy of your dog's vaccination records. If your dog was seen at more than one clinic, ask each one.
How do I get my cat's vaccination records online?
Check whether your cat's clinic has a patient portal or app where you can see or download records. If it doesn't, call or email your cat's clinic and ask them to email you a copy of your cat's vaccination records.
How to get my cat's shot records?
Ask the clinic that gave your cat's vaccines for a copy, and look through your cat's adoption papers from the shelter, rescue, or breeder. If your cat has been seen at more than one clinic, contact each one.
How do I find my pet's vaccine records if I don't know which vet gave the shots?
Start with the paperwork from when your dog or cat came home, then look through old emails, receipts, and reminder cards for a clinic name. Once you find the clinic, call and ask for a copy.
Can I request my pet's medical records?
You can ask. Contact your clinic and ask how they share records. They can tell you how to request a copy of your dog's or cat's records.
Is my own copy of my pet's vaccine records official proof?
No. A record you keep yourself, like the Pet Health Record Keeper, is your own copy for keeping track of your pet's vaccines and visits. It isn't official proof. If a boarding place, groomer, or licensing office asks for proof, ask your clinic for a copy of the records from your veterinarian.
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About the Founder: Christina is the founder of Zakity and has upwards of 40 years of hands-on animal care experience. Her work includes serving as a veterinary technician at a large veterinary referral hospital, working in animal shelters and rescue, conducting animal cruelty investigations for a nonprofit animal welfare organization, and educating pet owners on proper animal care, including as an adjunct professor. Christina founded Zakity to give pet owners better tools for caring for their animals confidently at home, and to give back to the shelters and rescues she is deeply passionate about supporting. 3% of the purchase price (excluding shipping and taxes) supports shelter and rescue pets. Learn more at www.zakity.com.
This article provides general information and is not a substitute for professional veterinary advice. Always consult your veterinarian regarding specific health concerns or conditions affecting your pet.