Guide · UK
How to get your pet’s vet records
Moving house, switching vets or making an insurance claim? Here’s how to get your pet’s full clinical history from every practice that has treated them.
The short answerEmail each practice your pet has visited and ask for a copy of the full clinical history. UK vets must give you copies of relevant records when you ask. Ask them to send it to you, your new vet, or both.
It’s simple, but it’s a lot of emails. Slowblink does it for you in one click.
Your right to a copy
The Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons (RCVS) regulates vets in the UK. Its guidance on clinical records says vets must provide copies of any relevant clinical records at the request of a client (RCVS guidance, section 13.6).
Separately, the records the practice keeps about you (your name, address and contact history) are your personal data under UK GDPR. You can ask to see those with a subject access request (section 13.11).
Step by step
1. List every practice your pet has seen
It’s easy to forget one. Think about:
- Every regular vet, including ones from before a house move
- Out-of-hours and emergency clinics
- Referral or specialist hospitals (for scans, surgery or a second opinion)
- Vaccination or neutering clinics, and charity clinics
- The breeder’s or rescue’s vet, if your pet came with a history
Old invoices, vaccination cards and insurance claim letters usually name the practice.
2. Ask in writing
Email is best, because you get a record of when you asked. Include your pet’s name, date of birth or age, microchip number if you have it, and the name and address you were registered under. Ask for the full clinical history, not just a vaccination summary.
3. Say exactly what you want
A full history normally includes:
- Consultation notes from every visit
- Lab and test results
- X-ray, scan and imaging reports
- Referral and discharge letters
- Vaccination, medication and treatment records
4. Chase if you need to
The RCVS guidance doesn’t set a deadline. If you haven’t heard back within a week or two, reply to your first email so the date of your request stays in the thread.
5. Keep it all in one place
Save each history as a PDF in one folder, named by practice and date. You’ll want it again for the next vet or the next insurance claim.
That’s a lot of steps.
- 1Dig through old invoices and cards to find every practice
- 2A written request to each one, with your pet’s details
- 3A follow-up for every practice that doesn’t reply
- 4Files in different formats to rename, save and keep together
Per practice. And again every time you change vet or make a claim.
Moving to a new vet
Your new vet can ask your old practice for the history, but the old practice should get your consent first if the records include your personal details (section 13.6). Giving that consent in your first email to the old practice saves a round of back-and-forth.
If your pet is in the middle of treatment, the RCVS says relevant information should be passed promptly to the vet taking over the case (section 13.7).
If the practice has closed or changed hands
RCVS guidance says a practice that is closing should, where possible, tell clients so they can get a copy of their records (section 13.5). Some practices that seem to have closed were actually bought by another practice or a larger group, and the new owner usually still holds the records, so check for that first. Your insurer may also hold copies from past claims.
Why it matters for pet insurance
When you make a claim, insurers often ask for your pet’s clinical history to check whether the condition started before your cover did. Disputes over “pre-existing conditions” often come down to what an older vet note actually says. You can see this in published Financial Ombudsman decisions.
Having every practice’s notes before you need them means you can send the full picture quickly. You can also ask your vet to comment on any old note that an insurer is relying on.
Common questions
Does my vet have to give me my pet’s records?
Yes. The RCVS says vets must provide copies of any relevant clinical records when a client asks.
Can my new vet get the records from my old vet?
Yes, with your consent. Tell your old practice in writing that you’re happy for them to send the history.
What if my old vet practice has closed?
Check whether another practice or group bought it, because they usually hold the records. Closing practices should, where possible, tell clients so they can get copies.
Can a vet charge for copies of records?
The RCVS guidance doesn’t say either way, so ask the practice up front whether there’s a fee.
This guide is general information based on the RCVS’s published guidance. It isn’t legal or veterinary advice.
