How to keep your pet's health records in one place

To keep your pet's health records in one place, ask each vet you have used for a copy of your pet's history, save the invoices in your email, photograph paper certificates, and add every new visit, vaccination and weight with its date. It does not need to be complete to be useful, and you can start in an afternoon.

What should be in my pet's health record?

Your pet's health record should hold the small set of facts a vet reaches for: vaccinations and certificates, vet visit notes and invoices, medicines, allergies and conditions a vet has named, weights with dates, the microchip number, and insurance details. Most of it you probably already have, spread across a drawer, an inbox and your camera roll.

• Vaccinations and certificates. What your pet has had, and the date the next one is due, so a gap of years is visible rather than guessed at.
• Vet visit notes and invoices. The date of the visit, what it was for, and anything that was suggested or given.
• Medicines. Anything your pet takes, and the dates it started and stopped.
• Allergies and conditions a vet has named. Only what a vet has actually told you, in the words they used.
• Weights. A number and a date, every time you weigh them. Two readings begin a trend.
• The microchip number. The number itself, and the registry it sits on.
• Insurance details. Your policy and your pet's details, so a claim is not a hunt.
• Photos. Anything that changed and shows up better in a picture than in a sentence.

You do not need every item to start. A vaccination date here, a weight there, and the picture begins to build.

Where pet health records usually hide

Many of us already have a pet health record. It is just in five places at once.

• At the vet. The clinic has a file, often at more than one clinic if you have moved or changed practice.
• In your email inbox. Booking confirmations, invoices and lab results, all under a clinic name you have not searched for in years.
• In a paper folder. A vaccination card, a discharge sheet, a microchip certificate.
• On your phone. Photos of a rash, a limp, a swollen paw, or a card you meant to file properly.
• With someone else. If your pet came from a breeder, a rescue or a previous owner, they may still hold the earliest records.

None of this is a failure. It is simply what happens when the paperwork arrives at the worst moments, and there is no obvious place to put it.

How to gather them in an afternoon

You can do this in one sitting, or in a few short bursts. Set aside an hour to start.

1. List your vets, past and present. Think back through moves and changed clinics. Write the names down.
2. Ask each clinic for a copy of your pet's history. A short message or a call is enough. Ask for the vaccination dates and the dates of any visits or procedures.
3. Search your email for clinic names and invoices. Search the practice name, the word invoice, and your pet's name. Save what you find.
4. Photograph the paper. A vaccination card, a certificate, a microchip letter. A clear photo is a fine copy.
5. Put everything in one place. Keep the record somewhere you will actually open, and give every entry a date.
6. Write down what is still missing. A blank is easier to fill than a mess. If one clinic never replies, note it and come back to it.

Do it once and you have a baseline. From there, the job is small.

How to keep it up to date

A record earns its keep when it is current, and staying current takes less effort than starting.

Add an entry after each vet visit, while the details are still fresh, and add a weight whenever you happen to weigh your pet. The date is the part that matters most. The PDSA's advice for a home check is a useful habit to borrow: it says it is important to know what is normal for your pet, so you can spot when something is wrong or has changed, and it suggests a regular health check at home can help you notice problems early on. If you notice anything concerning, or you are worried about your pet in any way, it says to contact your vet for advice.

One detail is easy to set and easy to forget. RSPCA Australia says a pet's microchip number is recorded on a microchip database registry, with details about the animal and the owner, and that owners need to make sure their contact details are recorded against that number. It adds that it is very important to keep those details up to date, so that if you move house or change your phone number you can still be contacted if your pet becomes lost. RSPCA Australia also notes that in most states and territories, microchipping is mandatory for cats and dogs. That makes the registry one more record worth keeping tidy, even though it is not a health record strictly speaking.

What to note for your vet

When you hand your record over, or talk it through, a few details help most:

• Dates, on everything. When a vaccination was given, when a symptom started, when a weight was taken.
• What changed, and when it started.
• Medicines, with the dates they started and stopped.
• Which vet saw your pet, and where, so a new vet can follow up.

You do not need to work out what any of it means. That is your vet's job. Your part is the noticing.

How My Furly helps you keep track

My Furly is a place to keep your pet's health story, so the details are there when you need them.

Vaccinations with their next due date. Each vaccination sits on your pet's record with the date the next one is due, so the next one is a date you can see, on the record you already have.

Dated entries on one timeline. Vet visits, medicines, symptoms, allergies, conditions and notes all sit on one timeline, each with a date, so a scattered history becomes a single story you can read from the top.

Photos and documents on the record. Keep a photo of a certificate, or a vet report as a PDF, on the record alongside everything else.

A weight chart over time. Add your pet's weight whenever you weigh them. Once there are two readings, My Furly shows them on a chart, with a simple label for the last two: Increasing, Decreasing or Stable. The label describes your own readings. It is not a judgement about what your pet should weigh.

A private link for your vet. When you choose to, you can create a private link with an access code and send it to your vet. They see your pet's timeline, vaccinations, weight and documents, so the conversation starts from the full picture. You stay in control, and you can replace the link at any time.

What Furly knows about your pet. A page of the facts Furly has about your pet, which you can check and confirm.

We don't train AI on your data. What you share is used to help you, not to train AI, and never shared with other users. Your pet's profile is private by default. Nobody sees it unless you choose to share it.

None of this replaces your vet. It means that when you do need to explain something, the details are already in one place.

Frequently asked questions

What should I keep in my pet's health record?

Vaccination dates and the date the next one is due, vet visit notes and invoices, medicines, any allergies or conditions a vet has named, weights with dates, the microchip number and its registry, insurance details, and photos of anything that changed.

Where do I start if my pet's records are scattered everywhere?

Start with your vets. List every clinic you have used, ask each one for a copy of your pet's history, then search your email for invoices and save them. After that, photograph any paper certificates and put everything in one place with dates.

How do I get a copy of my pet's history from my vet?

Ask the clinic. A short call or message is usually enough. Ask for the vaccination dates and the dates of any visits, procedures or medicines, so you have a complete baseline to build on.

How often should I update my pet's record?

Add an entry after each vet visit, and a weight whenever you weigh your pet. The important part is the date on each entry, so the record shows when something started and how often it has happened.

What should I do if my pet's microchip details change?

Keep the registry up to date. RSPCA Australia says the microchip number is recorded on a database registry, and that owners need to make sure their contact details are recorded against it, so they can still be contacted if the pet becomes lost.

Do I need to keep every single document?

Not to start. Begin with the facts a vet reaches for, and add the rest as you go. A dated record of what happened, and when, does the heavy lifting.

Sources

• RSPCA Australia Knowledgebase. Why is it important to ensure my pet is microchipped? Updated 24 November 2025. kb.rspca.org.au/categories/companion-animals/pet-ownership/why-is-it-important-to-ensure-my-pet-is-microchipped. Accessed 19 October 2026.
• PDSA. Giving your pet a health check at home. www.pdsa.org.uk/pet-help-and-advice/looking-after-your-pet/all-pets/how-to-give-your-pet-a-health-check-at-home. Accessed 19 October 2026.

More on keeping your pet's records

For what a whole health record looks like, see Everything about your pet, in one calm place. For how the record changes a vet visit, see Your vet, already up to speed before you sit down. For what happens with your pet's data, see Your pet's private life stays private.

Start keeping your pet's health records in one place at myfurly.ai.

A gentle note

Furly helps you organise and understand your pet's history, and prepares you for the vet. It is not a diagnosis tool and does not replace professional care. If something worries you, or your pet seems unwell, speak to a licensed vet.