How to keep your dog's health records organized (and what to track)

Keep your dog's records in one place, divided by type: vaccinations, microchip details, medications and parasite prevention, vet visit notes, weight, a symptoms log, insurance, and your dog's care team contacts, plus a one-page sheet for a pet sitter. A notebook or a simple folder works. What matters is that you can find any record in a minute when a vet, a shelter, or a sitter asks for it.

Why keep your own records if your vet already has them?

Your vet keeps a running history of your dog. The AVMA's guide to choosing a veterinarian describes it as health records that cover preventive care, such as vaccinations, heartworm test results and preventive medications, deworming, and your pet's weight, along with reactions to medications, illnesses, and surgical procedures.

Your own copy is for the times that history isn't in the room with you: a first visit at a new clinic, an emergency at night, a trip, or a week with a sitter. Each section below can be one page in a notebook.

Which vaccination records should you keep?

Keep the paperwork from every vaccine visit, with the date and which vaccine was given. Your vet sets the schedule, so you don't need to plan it yourself. Your part is keeping the proof together and easy to find.

Put the rabies paperwork at the front of this section so you can find it quickly. If you're planning to travel with your dog, ask your vet well ahead of time which vaccination records you'll need. For local licensing rules, check with your city or county.

Vaccination records also matter in a disaster. Dr. Deb Zoran of the Texas A&M College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences recommends keeping a copy of your pet's medical records showing they're up to date on vaccinations in your emergency kit, because those records may be required at an emergency shelter.

What microchip details should you write down?

Write down the microchip number and the registry it's listed with. AAHA explains that the chip stores only an ID number of 9, 10, or 15 digits, and that the number is registered in a database with your contact information. If you adopted your dog, the adoption agency or previous owner should give you the number.

The registry entry helps only if it's current. The AVMA's Check the Chip Day release notes that a scanned chip leads to a reunion only if the contact information is current. When you move or change phone numbers, update the registry and write the date in your records. If you're not sure which registry holds your dog's chip, ask your vet, or enter the number at PetMicrochipLookup.org, which the AVMA says directs you to participating registries.

Add a current photo of you and your dog together. FEMA notes that if you're separated during an emergency, a photo will help you document ownership and help others identify your pet.

How do you keep track of medications and parasite prevention?

For each medication, write down the name, the dose and schedule your vet prescribed, the start and end dates, and what it's for. The University of Missouri's small animal internal medicine service asks clients to bring all medications, or at least a list of the drug names and dosages, to appointments. A written list is easier than reading small labels in the exam room.

Give parasite prevention its own page. Note the type of product, the date of each dose, and when the next one is due. Add the dates of heartworm tests and deworming treatments here too.

If your dog has ever had a reaction to a medication, write it at the top of the medication page where you'll see it first.

What should you note after each vet visit?

After a visit, take two minutes to write down the date, the clinic, the reason for the visit, what the vet found or recommended, any new medication, and when to come back. If there were tests, ask for a copy of the results before you leave.

Weight gets its own page. Copying each reading onto one page lets you see the numbers side by side instead of one at a time. If you also weigh your dog at home, use the same scale each time and note the date.

Why keep a symptoms log?

When something seems off, your vet will want to know what you noticed and when it started. The Royal Veterinary College says the vet will also ask about any medication your dog has had in recent weeks and when the last doses were given, and suggests writing this information down before the appointment. It adds that photos (for example, of diarrhea) or videos of unusual behavior can be very helpful.

A short entry is enough: the date and time, what you saw, how long it lasted, and anything that changed around then, such as a new food. The same Missouri service also suggests thinking about how long problems have been going on, what medications or changes in diet have been tried, and whether earlier treatments helped.

Who belongs on your dog's care team contact page?

One page of phone numbers saves searching when you're stressed. Include:

• Your regular vet: clinic name, address, and phone number.
• The nearest 24-hour emergency clinic.
• An animal poison control line: ASPCA Animal Poison Control is (888) 426-4435. A consultation fee may apply.
• Insurance, if you have it: the company, policy number, and claims phone number. AAHA includes your pet's insurance information on the emergency contact card it suggests leaving for a sitter.
• A backup person: a neighbor, friend, or family member who lives nearby, as AAHA also suggests.
• Anyone else who cares for your dog, such as a groomer, trainer, or daycare.

What should a pet sitter's sheet include?

Most of a sitter sheet comes straight from the pages above. The ASPCA suggests giving your sitter your pet's age, weight, current health issues, medications, regular diet, and microchip information, plus the contact details for your regular vet, the nearest emergency clinic, and the poison control line.

For medications, the ASPCA suggests a list with each medication, the dosage, when it should be given, and how often, and going over it with your sitter in person if you can. It also suggests letting your vet know when you'll be away and who is authorized to make decisions about your dog while you're gone.

AAHA suggests leaving the emergency contact card in a highly visible spot and texting or emailing your sitter a current photo of your dog in case they get lost.

When will you need these records?

• At a new vet. The AVMA says your current vet should give you copies of your pet's medical records to take to the new practice, so the new staff has your pet's history. The Missouri internal medicine service asks clients to bring copies of medical records, lab tests, and X-rays.
• When you travel. Check the official requirements for your destination and your airline, and ask your vet well before the trip which records to bring.
• In an emergency or evacuation. Vaccination records may be required at an emergency shelter, so keep a copy in your emergency kit.
• For boarding, daycare, or grooming. Ask the business which records it wants, and bring copies rather than originals.

If you have a new puppy, ask the breeder or shelter for every health record they have, and start your binder with those.

How do you keep all of it organized?

• One place, one section per record type. The headings above make good tabs or notebook sections.
• Date every entry, and put the newest one on top.
• Keep copies in two forms. FEMA suggests keeping copies of your pet's registration information and other relevant documents in a waterproof container and available electronically. A phone photo of each vaccination record and the microchip page is a simple start.
• Update after every visit, while the details are fresh.
• Keep the contact page and the sitter sheet at the front, since those are what other people will need first.

If you'd rather start with pages ready to print, My Dog's Health Binder is our 18-page printable binder with pages for a dog profile, ID and microchip, insurance, care team, vaccinations, parasite prevention, medications, vet visits, weight, symptoms, food, grooming, a pet sitter sheet, and signs to call your vet. It comes in color or black and white. A notebook with the same sections works too.