Digital dog health records: what to save and share with your vet

A digital dog health record is useful when it helps answer a concrete question: when was the last vaccination, which medicine is current, or what did the practice recommend after a visit? Start with reliable documents and a few accurate entries, rather than trying to reconstruct every detail from memory.

“Digital health passport” sometimes describes this collection of records. An app profile or PDF is not an official pet passport, however. Keeping that distinction clear helps you prepare both everyday care and travel.

Build a useful record from documents you already have

In PetsyPlanet, you can record vaccinations, vet visits, medicines and weight measurements, add photos of documents, share a pet profile and export health history to PDF. The digital pet health records page explains these functions.

Before entering information, put the latest practice documents beside you and select the correct dog profile. Work through these items:

• Vaccinations: copy the administration date and any next date recorded by the vet. Ask the practice about unclear handwriting or conflicting dates.
• Visits: record when the consultation happened and keep the document with the findings and recommendations.
• Medicines: use the current veterinary instructions. Check that an old prescription has not been mistaken for an ongoing treatment.
• Weight: record the measurement and its date. A dated result is more useful than an approximate recollection.
• Documents: photograph the whole page in good light, including dates and the practice details. Check that the image is readable before putting the original away.

If something is unknown, leave it uncertain and ask the practice. Do not invent a vaccination date to complete the history. An entry typed by an owner cannot confirm that a vaccine is valid for travel.

Prepare the history before a consultation

For example, if your dog has visited two practices, the latest prescription may be on paper while an earlier result is in an email. Gather both before the appointment. Check the chronology and write down which questions remain unanswered.

Bring the current medicine information and relevant original reports. Tell the new practice which clinic holds earlier records and ask how to arrange their transfer. Your own summary helps explain the sequence of events, but it may not contain everything the vet needs. Our guide to choosing a vet covers questions to ask a new practice.

Review a PDF before sharing it

Export the history, then read the resulting file as if you were receiving it for the first time. Check the dog's identity, dates, current medicines and missing information. A PDF reflects your entries; it does not certify them.

Send it to the intended vet or trusted carer and explain what you want them to review. A temporary carer also needs clear current instructions and a way to contact you and the practice. Sharing a profile can help family members access the same history, but agree who will update it after each visit.

Keep official travel documents separately

An EU pet passport is issued by an authorised veterinarian and contains official identification and health entries. A personal record does not issue or replace it. For entry into Great Britain, GOV.UK requires original pet documents, rather than photocopies.

Keep those originals even when you store photos for reference. Before a trip, use the separate dog travel document checklist to check the route, departure country and required documents.

Official sources

• Your Europe: pet passports and travel documents
• GOV.UK: travelling with a pet passport