- Check vaccine dates — look for anything expired or expiring before year-end. Rabies and bordetella gaps can block boarding, travel, and grooming.
- Verify you have this year's lab work and exam notes — if your vet ran bloodwork at the last wellness visit, confirm you actually have the results filed, not just the memory of the visit.
- Update your emergency contacts and sharing — make sure a pet sitter, family member, or co-owner can access the record if you can't.
Most pet owners have some version of their pet's records — a vaccine card in a drawer, a portal login they've forgotten, a PDF buried in email. The problem isn't that the records don't exist. The problem is that nobody looks at them until something goes wrong: a boarding facility asks for proof of bordetella, an ER vet needs the medication list, or an insurance claim requires visit dates you can't find.
An annual record audit prevents those scrambles. It takes about 15 minutes if your records are in one place, and it's worth every second. Here's what to check.
1. Are all vaccines current?
Pull up your pet's vaccination history and check each date against when the next dose is due. The vaccines that most commonly lapse:
| Vaccine | Typical schedule | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| Rabies | Every 1–3 years (varies by state law) | Required by law in most states; expired = unlicensed pet in many jurisdictions |
| DHPP / FVRCP | Every 1–3 years after puppy/kitten series | Core protection against distemper, parvo (dogs) or calicivirus, panleukopenia (cats) |
| Bordetella | Every 6–12 months | Required by most boarding, daycare, and grooming facilities |
| Leptospirosis | Annual | Recommended for dogs exposed to wildlife, standing water, or hiking trails |
| Canine influenza | Annual | Increasingly required by boarding and daycare facilities |
If anything expires between now and the end of the year, schedule the booster now — veterinary appointment availability tightens during the holidays. For state-specific requirements, see our state vaccination and licensing guides.
2. Do you actually have this year's lab work?
Your vet probably ran bloodwork at the last wellness exam. The question is: do you have it?
Many pet owners leave the vet thinking "everything looked fine" but never receive or file the actual lab report. That report contains baseline values — kidney function, liver enzymes, thyroid levels, blood cell counts — that become critical reference points if your pet gets sick later. A vet treating your pet for the first time needs those numbers, not just your recollection that "the vet said it was fine."
Check for:
- Complete blood count (CBC) — the basics of overall health
- Chemistry panel — liver, kidney, glucose, electrolytes
- Thyroid panel — especially for cats over 7 and dogs over 5
- Urinalysis — if your vet ran one, it should be in the record
- Heartworm / tick-borne disease test — annual for dogs in most regions
If any of these are missing from your file, call your vet's office and ask them to email the results. Most clinics are happy to send records — they just need to know where. If your pet has a private Voocie address, give it to them and the records file themselves.
3. Is your medication list accurate?
Medications change more often than people realize. Your pet might have finished a course of antibiotics, switched flea-and-tick preventives, or had a dosage adjustment at the last visit. Check that your record reflects:
- Current medications (name, dose, frequency)
- Medications that were stopped and when
- Any supplements your vet recommended
- The date of the last heartworm/flea-tick preventive dose
This list is the first thing an ER vet asks for at midnight. If it's accurate and accessible, you save precious minutes.
4. Are your emergency contacts and sharing up to date?
Ask yourself: if you were hospitalized tonight, could someone else access your pet's health record and get them care?
Check these:
- Emergency contact — is a trusted person listed who knows how to reach your vet?
- Record access — does your pet sitter, partner, or family member have a way to see the record? In Voocie, the sitter card gives them everything they need on one link — no app, no account.
- Your vet's current info — if your clinic moved, changed phone numbers, or merged with another practice, update it.
- After-hours ER clinic — know which emergency vet you'd use and confirm they're still operating at that location
For a deeper look at protecting your pet's records and access, see our guide on pet estate planning.
5. Do you have records from every vet your pet has seen?
This is the gap most people don't notice. If your pet saw a specialist, visited an ER, or had records from a previous vet before you adopted them, those documents might not be in your current file. A complete record should include:
- Records from your current primary vet
- Any specialist visits (dermatology, cardiology, orthopedics, ophthalmology)
- ER or urgent care visit records
- Records from your pet's previous vet (if you've switched)
- Shelter or breeder records from before adoption
If anything is missing, this is the week to request it. Most vet offices respond to records requests within a few business days. For tips on consolidating records from multiple sources, see our post on building a complete record from partial records.
6. Is your pet's weight documented?
Weight trends are one of the most important health signals for pets — and one of the least consistently tracked. A 10% weight change in a cat or small dog can indicate thyroid disease, diabetes, kidney issues, or early cancer.
Check that your record includes at least two weight measurements from the past year. If you only have one, weigh your pet this week and log it. A bathroom scale works: weigh yourself, then weigh yourself holding your pet, and subtract.
7. Review and file any loose documents
The last step: check your email, your kitchen counter, and your car's glove compartment for any vet paperwork you haven't filed yet. Invoices, post-op instructions, dental procedure notes, prescription refill confirmations — anything that documents what happened to your pet's health belongs in the record.
In Voocie, you upload a document and the AI extracts the relevant data — diagnoses, medications, vaccine dates, lab values — and adds them to the timeline automatically. No manual data entry.
The 15-minute checklist at a glance
| Check | What to look for | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Vaccines | Any expired or expiring before year-end? | 3 min |
| Lab work | Do you have this year's CBC, chemistry, heartworm test? | 2 min |
| Medications | Current list accurate? Stopped meds noted? | 2 min |
| Emergency contacts | Someone else can access the record? | 2 min |
| Multi-vet records | Specialist, ER, and prior-vet records filed? | 3 min |
| Weight | At least two measurements in the past year? | 1 min |
| Loose documents | Anything unfiled in email or on the counter? | 2 min |
Make next year's audit even easier
When your pet has a private Voocie address, records file themselves as your vet sends them. No scanning, no uploading, no chasing down paperwork. Start the record today — 60-day free trial, no card required.
Give your pet a voiceFAQ
How often should I review my pet's health records?
Once a year is the minimum — ideally timed to your pet's annual wellness exam so you can address any gaps with your vet. For senior pets (over 7), a twice-yearly review aligned with their biannual checkups catches issues faster. The key is making it a habit, not a crisis response.
What's the most commonly missing record?
Lab results from wellness exams. Pet owners often remember the visit but never receive or file the actual bloodwork report. Those baseline numbers become critically important if your pet develops kidney disease, liver issues, or thyroid problems later — your new vet needs to see the "before" to understand the "after."
How do I get records from a vet I no longer use?
Call or email the clinic and request a records transfer. Most states require vet practices to maintain records for several years (typically 3–7, depending on the state) and provide copies on request. Some clinics charge a small fee for paper copies; digital transfers are usually free. Give them your pet's Voocie address and they can email records directly. For more details, see our guide on how to get your pet's records from any vet.
What if I can't find my pet's records at all?
Start fresh with a baseline wellness exam. Your current vet can run a CBC, chemistry panel, and update vaccines — creating a new starting point for your pet's health story. For adopted or rescue pets with unknown history, see our post on rebuilding a health record from scratch.
Does an annual audit replace the annual wellness exam?
No — the record audit reviews your paperwork; the wellness exam reviews your pet. They complement each other. The ideal approach: do the record audit before the wellness exam so you can bring any gaps or questions to the appointment. Your vet can fill in what's missing during the visit.