How to Transfer Vet Records: Switching Vets, Moving, and Second Opinions

You've just moved, and you've found a vet near the new place. When you call to book, the front desk asks: "Can you have your previous vet send over her records? And what medications is she on right now?"

What you have is a folder of invoices in your email, a pill bottle and a rabies tag. You think her last booster was in the spring. Something came up in last year's bloodwork, but you can't remember the numbers.

"Wait, can I even get her records?" Calling the old clinic suddenly feels like a chore.

Usually you can, if you ask. The original record stays with the clinic, but the AVMA's ethics principles say vets are obligated to provide copies or summaries when the client asks, and the binding rules come from state and federal law, so they depend on where you live. Then do three things. Authorize the transfer so the old clinic sends the records to the new one before the first visit, with a copy for you. For a second opinion, say plainly that you want another view, not a new clinic. And to avoid starting from scratch at every new clinic, keep your own copy of vaccine dates, current medications and the times you give them, the weight trend, and photos of test results.

Whether it's a move, a closer clinic, a poor fit or a big decision, the hard part is the same: getting your pet's history to the next vet. This post covers switching, moving and second opinions, based on guidance from veterinary organizations rather than any one state's law.

This is a guide to keeping records, written by Memofu's developer, not a veterinarian or a lawyer. It is not veterinary or legal advice. Ask your vet about medication and treatment, and check record and licensing rules where you live.

Can you get a copy of your pet's medical records?

Usually, yes. The AVMA says vets should provide copies or summaries on request, though the binding rules come from state and federal law and depend on where you live. Ask in writing for what the next vet needs.

The American Veterinary Medical Association's Principles of Veterinary Medical Ethics say medical records are "the property of the practice and the practice owner" and confidential, released only as the law requires or allows, or with the client's consent. They also say: "A veterinarian is obligated to provide copies or summaries of medical records when requested by the client."

Those are ethics principles, not a statute: the same document says records must meet state and federal law. Outside the US, other rules apply. In Australia, the Veterinary Practitioners Registration Board of Victoria says a vet provides copies, or "a summarised clinical history," on request, but also that a vet "is not legally required" to do so "if there is a reasonable justification not to do so."

Not every piece of paper is the record, either. VCA Canada points out that invoices list the vaccines and medications your pet received, but "do not include previous physical examination findings, diagnostic test results, concerns you have raised about your pet, or discussions you have had with your veterinarian."

How do you transfer vet records to a new vet?

Authorize the transfer, give your old clinic the new clinic's details, ask them to send the records before the first appointment, and check with the new clinic that they arrived.

Because records are confidential, the old clinic needs your go-ahead. VCA Canada notes that "most U.S. states and Canadian provinces require the pet owner’s permission to share them," and says it's best to ask your previous vet to send the records before the appointment. The AVMA principles look at it from both ends: with your consent, the vet who treated your pet before "should provide the medical record to the new attending veterinarian," and a vet taking over a case "should request that the owner obtain prior medical records."

Be specific. Not just "her records," but:

• Exam notes and the vet's assessments
• Lab results and imaging reports
• Vaccine and preventive history
• Current medications: the names, how they're given, and when
• Known allergies, and any reactions to medications or vaccines

VCA Canada says this information can "prevent unnecessary duplication of laboratory tests" and "help ensure that ineffective treatments are not repeated."

We're moving to [new city] next month, and she'll be seeing [new clinic]. Could you send her full records, including test results and vaccine history, to them? I'm happy to sign a release. Could you also email me a copy, and let me know if there's a fee and when it will be ready?

If the records won't arrive in time, bring pill bottles, printouts and your own notes. VCA Canada suggests sharing records you've kept at home, such as glucose test results, as well.

Is it rude to switch vets, and what do you tell your old clinic?

No. The AVMA's ethics principles plan for clients moving to a different vet: they say the former vet should send the records once you consent. You don't owe anyone a long explanation. One sentence of fact is enough; the main reason to contact the old clinic is to get the records sent.

Even if the switch is about a poor fit, asking for records doesn't require a reason:

• Moving: "We're moving, so we'll be switching to a clinic near the new place. Could you send her records over?"
• A closer clinic: "We've decided to go somewhere closer to home. Could you send her records and test results to them?"
• Rather not say: "We're moving to a different clinic. Could you send a copy of her records, including test results?"

If your pet is on ongoing medication, ask in the same call whether the supply will last until the new clinic sees them. If the old clinic sends vaccine or checkup reminders, you can ask them to stop those too.

How do you ask for a second opinion without making it awkward?

Tell your vet you'd like another opinion before you decide, not that you're leaving, and ask them to send the records. Feeling awkward is normal, but VCA Animal Hospitals says that in most cases vets "will not feel threatened or offended." Afterwards, take what you heard back to your regular vet.

A second opinion isn't a referral. VCA describes it as another equally credentialed vet's opinion on a case, while a referral, in VCA's words, "is the transfer of a patient from a general practitioner to a specialist veterinarian." It doesn't mean changing clinics, either:

Texas A&M's Pet Talk quotes Dr. Andrew Bugbee, the veterinary college's chief medical officer: "Second opinions are not something pet parents should be embarrassed about pursuing." He adds that "sometimes your current vet can even recommend someone they trust, whether it’s another doctor in their clinic, another local clinic, or a specialist."

The worry is that your vet will hear "I'm leaving." The UK's Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons, as one example of guidance for vets, says vets "should facilitate a client’s request for a referral or second opinion," and that a second-opinion vet should never seek to take over the case unless the client chooses to change practices. So say the purpose out loud:

This is a big decision, and I'd like to hear one more opinion before we choose. I'm not planning to switch clinics. Could you send her records and test results to the other vet, or give me copies to bring?

In a 2016 PetMD article, Dr. Ann Hohenhaus, then a staff veterinarian at the Animal Medical Center in New York City, recommends keeping it impersonal, with openers like "The diagnosis doesn’t make sense to me. How can we confirm that this is the right answer?" The line to avoid, she says, is "I think you’re wrong."

When you book, say it's a second opinion and ask about the cost. For a specialist, ask your vet for a referral; the AVMA principles say attending vets should honor clients' requests for one.

Then go back to your regular vet and decide together. Texas A&M's Pet Talk notes that another opinion "can sometimes confirm that the original recommendations were the best or only option."

What to bring to a second opinion

1. The records, or copies of test results. PetMD, citing Dr. Heather Loenser (then of AAHA), advises bringing "any diagnostic tests, X-rays and notes to the second vet you see" so tests don't have to be redone.
2. Current medications, in their bottles or with the labels. The names, and the times you give them.
3. Photos or videos of the symptoms, with dates.
4. The weight trend. Not one number, but the readings over time.
5. The last dates for vaccines and preventives.
6. Your questions, written down. Note the answers before you leave.

For a short way to write down symptoms (since when, how often, what changed), see how to describe your pet's symptoms to the vet.

What do you need to do when you move and change vets?

Ask for the records before you go, book the new clinic before any medication runs out, update your pet's microchip registration, and check what your new city or county asks of dog owners.

Medication. Count what's left before the move, and book the new clinic so the first visit comes before it runs out (see the box at the top).

Microchip. AAHA, the American Animal Hospital Association, notes that a microchip is "registered with an individual microchip company’s registry, not with their veterinarian or a single central database," and that the details need updating when you move. Update it with the registry yourself.

Licensing. If your dog is licensed or registered where you live now, check what your new city, county or council requires, and by when.

Lost paperwork. Rabies certificates and vaccine records tend to disappear into moving boxes. For who can reissue each one, see what to do if you lose your dog's vaccination certificate.

What should you keep yourself when you switch vets?

Vaccine dates, current medications and dose times, the weight trend, and photos of results and symptoms. The record stays with the clinic, so unless you keep these yourself, there's nothing to carry to the next vet.

That's why every new vet begins with "please send the records." Until the records arrive, the new vet has only what you tell them and what you bring.

But much of what a new vet wants to know is something you can keep at home:

• Vaccine and preventive dates. What, when and where. A switch is exactly when the next due date gets lost. If a booster is already late, see what to do about a missed dog vaccine booster.
• Current medications, and the times you give them. Copy the names from the label, and photograph the label.
• The weight trend. VCA Canada notes that trends in measurements such as weight can give clues about your pet's health.
• Photos of prescriptions and test results. Take them the day you get them. Paper gets lost in moves.
• Videos and photos of symptoms, with dates. A ten-second clip shows what's hard to describe in the exam room.
• Reactions to medications or vaccines, and allergies. Ask the old clinic to include these in what they send, and keep them in your own record too.

For what to record and how often, see our guide to pet health records. A clinic's record mostly holds what happened at the visit. The dose times at home, the weigh-ins between visits and the video of last Tuesday's cough exist only if you keep them.

What to do when switching vets, before the first visit

Once you've decided to switch, work through this in order:

1. Ask the old clinic. Records sent to the new clinic, a copy for you, test results included.
2. Count the medication. Book the new clinic before it runs out.
3. Call the new clinic. Mention any ongoing condition, current medications, and whether records are on the way.
4. Update the microchip registry, and after a move, check the local dog licensing rules.
5. Pack what you'll bring. Records, medications or their labels, symptom videos, your questions.
6. Photograph anything you're handed, that day, and keep it with your own record.

Where Memofu fits

Here's what Memofu can and can't do when you change vets.

• Vet visits hold what the vet said, plus photos. Log the date, clinic, reason, what the vet said, and up to 10 photos of prescriptions or test results. Add the next visit, and owners and co-owners are reminded 7 days before, the day before and on the day. The photos are visible only to your circle, never on the timeline or the grandparent page.
• A free, read-only health link for the new vet. It opens in any browser, with no app or account, and stops working after 1 day, 1 week or 1 month. It shows the profile, allergies and care notes, current medications (the name and plan, such as the times you give it), vaccines and preventives (done in the last 3 years, and what's due), the last 24 weigh-ins, and the last 20 vet visits (date, clinic, reason). Owners and co-owners can create one and stop sharing at any time.
• Some things stay out of the link. Photos, vet-visit and weigh-in notes, and your family's names are never shared, and medications show the plan, not each dose given. To show photos of results, open the vet visit in the app at the appointment.
• It doesn't replace the clinic's records. The link's page says "Recorded by the owner in the Memofu app — not a veterinary certificate."
• Medications, reminders and weight. Owners and co-owners are notified when each dose is due, and everyone in your circle sees who gave it and when. Vaccine and preventive reminders repeat, and weigh-ins are charted.
• A full export is free on every plan, for good: every photo and video, a JSON file of every record, and a readable health section covering allergies and care notes, recent weights, medications with 30-day dose counts, vet visits, completed care and the last 30 days of the care log.
• The vet report PDF is Premium. It puts the weight trend, medications and doses, vaccines, care and vet visits into one PDF. Premium is $34.99 a year or $3.99 a month, and one subscription from an owner or co-owner covers the whole circle.

Every health record, including the full history, is free on every plan, and so are health links. See vet visits and health links on our features page, and what is and isn't paid on our pricing page.

A paper folder works too: vaccine dates, current medications and their times, the weight trend and copies of test results, kept in one place you can take with you.

One last reminder: this is a guide to keeping records, not veterinary or legal advice.

Sources

• Principles of veterinary medical ethics of the AVMA, American Veterinary Medical Association
• The Importance of Sharing Medical Records, VCA Canada Animal Hospitals
• Obtaining a Veterinary Second Opinion for Your Dog, VCA Animal Hospitals
• Purr-spectives Matter: Seeking A Second Opinion For Your Pet, Texas A&M College of Veterinary Medicine & Biomedical Sciences, June 2025
• Getting a Second Opinion: How to Do It Without Breaking the Bank (or Offending Your Vet), PetMD, October 2016
• Guideline 07 - Veterinary medical records, Veterinary Practitioners Registration Board of Victoria
• 1. Referrals and second opinions, Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons, updated November 2024
• How to Update Microchip Details: The First Step in Lost Pet Prevention, American Animal Hospital Association