Questions pet parents ask us.

How do I get my pet's records from my old veterinarian?

Ask the practice directly, and they will normally send them by email within a few business days. Call or email the clinic, ask for your pet's complete medical history, and give them the email address you want it sent to.

One thing worth knowing: the original record is the property of the veterinary practice, not yours. What you are entitled to is a copy. The AVMA's Principles of Veterinary Medical Ethics say a veterinarian should provide copies or summaries of records when the client requests them, and most states also set rules through their veterinary practice act. So this is normally routine, but it is a request rather than a demand, and the specifics vary by state.

Two things make this go faster. Ask for the complete record rather than a summary, because a summary often leaves out the vaccine dates and lab results you actually need later. And ask for it as a PDF, because scanned paper arrives sideways, skips pages, and is harder for anyone to read.

If you would rather not chase it yourself, PawChart's Records Concierge will contact the clinic on your behalf. You tell us which practice has the records, we send the request, and when the clinic replies you review what came back before it goes into your pet's chart.

Source: AVMA, Principles of Veterinary Medical Ethics

How do I transfer veterinarian records when I move?

Request your pet's complete records from your current veterinarian before you leave, keep your own copy, and hand that copy to the new practice at the first visit. Clinics are not connected to each other, so nothing transfers automatically when you move. If you do not carry the history with you, it is gone.

This is the single most common way pet history gets lost. Each move drops a few records, and after two or three moves the new veterinarian is working from a vaccine card and your memory. Owners who move often, military families especially, tend to end up with a thick folder of paper spanning years and no way to search it.

Keeping the records in an app rather than a folder means the history moves with you rather than with the clinic. When you arrive somewhere new you send a vet packet instead of rebuilding the story from scratch.

What records do I need to board my dog?

Most boarding facilities, daycares and groomers ask for proof of current Rabies, DHPP (distemper, hepatitis, parainfluenza, parvovirus) and Bordetella, and many now ask for canine influenza as well. Requirements vary by facility and by state, so confirm with yours before the stay.

Leptospirosis is worth asking about too. It moved from optional to core for most dogs in 2024, and the ACVIM has recommended that facilities require it for boarding and daycare, so more of them are starting to.

What they want is documentation from the veterinary practice showing the vaccine name and the date it was given, not a handwritten note. A vaccination certificate or a printout from the clinic both work.

In PawChart you generate a vet packet and send it, which includes vaccine names, dates and status on the first page. The facility opens a PDF, so it works whether or not they have ever heard of us.

Source: AAHA Canine Vaccination Guidelines · AAHA: leptospirosis vaccine designated core

What kinds of records can I upload?

Veterinarian notes, vaccination certificates, lab results, invoices, discharge summaries and imaging like x-rays. If your veterinarian gave it to you, it belongs in the chart.

PawChart reads each document and pulls out the vaccines, medications, conditions and allergies it finds, then files them in the right part of your pet’s chart. Every entry links back to the page it came from, so you can check the source of anything.

Does my veterinarian need to use PawChart?

No. Your vet packet is an ordinary PDF that any clinic, boarding facility or groomer can open, so nothing about your care changes if your practice has never heard of us.

That is deliberate. A pet health record that only works when both sides have the same app is not much of a record. The packet leads with a summary page, so whoever opens it sees allergies, medications, vaccine status and active problems first.

Is my pet's data private?

Your pet's chart is private to you and to the people you choose to invite. Sharing is per person and per pet, you decide each time, and access can be revoked whenever you want.

Veterinary records are not covered by HIPAA, which applies to human health information, so no pet records app can honestly claim HIPAA compliance. We treat the records as private regardless, because they are yours.

Practically: nothing is shared until you share it, invited caregivers see only the pets you grant them, and a revoked grant stops working immediately.

Source: AAHA/AVMA Telehealth Guidelines: security and confidentiality

Can my partner or pet sitter see the records too?

Yes. You can invite caregivers to a pet, which is how most households use it, with one person uploading records and everyone else able to see them.

The free plan includes one caregiver per pet, and PawChart Premium raises that to five. A caregiver sees the pets you invited them to and nothing else.