CARE
What Records Should You Bring to a New Vet?
Transfer source records to a new veterinarian with a request-sent-received-confirmed tracker instead of rebuilding the medical history from memory.
Ask the new practice what it needs and request that your prior practice send the veterinary record before the appointment. Keep copies of recent visit summaries, test and imaging reports, vaccination records, current veterinarian-issued instructions, and relevant referral or discharge records. Track what was requested, sent, received, and confirmed rather than rebuilding your dog's medical history from memory.
Let the receiving clinic define “complete”
Different appointments and practices may need different records. A new primary care visit, referral, second opinion, travel appointment, and emergency visit are not interchangeable. Contact the receiving clinic and ask:
- Which records should the previous practice send directly?
- What date range is useful?
- Are original images or reports needed in addition to summaries?
- Which portal, email, fax, or release form should be used?
- When should the records arrive?
- What should the owner bring personally?
Cornell University Hospital for Animals asks clients to provide medical records and recent test results and vaccination records to help the team understand the animal's condition. That is one hospital's guidance, not a universal checklist for every appointment.
Use the new-vet transfer tracker
Record the transfer status without interpreting the contents.
| Record set | Requested from | Requested date | Sent by source | Received by new clinic | Owner copy checked | Open question |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Complete medical record | Prior primary clinic | |||||
| Recent visit and discharge summaries | Prior clinic or hospital | |||||
| Test reports and imaging | Issuing clinic or laboratory through the clinic | |||||
| Vaccination records | Administering clinic | |||||
| Current professional instructions | Issuing veterinarian | |||||
| Referral records | Primary or specialty team |
“Sent” and “received” are different. A portal confirmation or fax receipt may show transmission, but the receiving practice can confirm whether the file is usable and attached to the right patient.
Preserve provenance during the transfer
For every owner-supplied copy, keep:
- the clinic or professional that issued it;
- the record or visit date;
- the document type;
- the original file or complete readable scan; and
- whether the receiving clinic confirmed receipt.
Do not merge several clinic documents into a homemade “official” medical record. An owner timeline can be useful if labeled as an owner-prepared index, but it should link to source records and keep uncertainty visible.
The American Veterinary Medical Association's brochure on choosing a veterinarian says a current veterinarian should provide copies of a pet's medical records for a new practice so the medical history is available to the new staff. Rules and release processes can vary by jurisdiction and practice, so use the forms and process the clinics provide.
Bring a finding aid, not a clinical conclusion
A one-page owner index can help the new team locate source material. It may list:
- clinics and date ranges represented;
- where original test reports and imaging live;
- which current instructions have a source document;
- which requested items have not arrived; and
- questions about gaps or conflicts.
Do not select a diagnosis, omit an inconvenient record, interpret test results, or declare an old problem resolved. The new veterinarian decides what is clinically relevant and current.
AAHA's 2025 referral guidance describes agreed methods for sharing referral forms, medical records, test results, and diagnostic imaging between veterinary teams. Although changing primary practices is not always a referral, the same principle applies: source records should move through a clear channel and be available to the receiving team.
Check the transfer before the appointment
Several business days before a planned visit—or on the timeline the clinic gave you—ask whether the requested records arrived and are readable. If time is short, ask the clinic what to prioritize rather than deciding yourself.
Bring the owner copy in the format the practice accepts. Do not rely on a phone with no connection or a portal password you have not tested. The record-capture checklist can help make paper copies readable, and the dog care binder can keep the transfer index separate from source documents.
Do not delay urgent veterinary care while trying to assemble a perfect record. Tell the receiving team what is missing or uncertain. Contact the clinic rather than using an article to interpret records or decide care.
Argo Care can track request, receipt, source, and owner confirmation while keeping the original attached. It does not diagnose, decide which clinical records matter, interpret results, or replace communication between veterinarians.