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Just like humans, dogs must be vaccinated to avoid several serious diseases. When you have children in your home, it is important to keep their vaccination records for future reference. The same goes for your dog.
All dogs should be vaccinated against the core vaccines for distemper, canine hepatitis, canine parvovirus, and rabies. In contrast, non-core vaccines are not mandatory. A veterinarian may recommend them based on your dog’s medical history and lifestyle.
What if you lose or misplace your dog’s vaccination records? You may be hitting the panic button. correct? I assure you that you may have lost your record, but that doesn’t mean it’s impossible to get it back.
Read on to learn about the importance of your dog’s vaccination records and how to recover lost files.
What happens if you don’t have your dog’s vaccination records? 3 possible problems
Your dog’s vaccination records are one of the most important things you must keep with extreme care. If you don’t have them, you could be in trouble, especially if your dog has a medical emergency. So, let’s look at the consequences you may face when you lose your dog’s vaccination records.
Another possibility is that you adopted a dog from a shelter and have no record of acquiring it. What happens if you don’t have your dog’s vaccination records?
1. When Your Dog Has a Medical Problem, You Might Have Problems
When your dog is sick and you need supporting records to confirm to the veterinarian that your dog has been vaccinated, it can be a hassle. It will be easier for your veterinarian if he knows if your dog is vaccinated against the diseases it suffers from. In this case, however, your veterinarian will initiate treatment. After recovery, your dog will be vaccinated against that specific disease.
2. Unvaccinated dogs may be at risk of infection
As mentioned earlier, SDBS (Distemper, Hepatitis, Leptospirosis, Parvovirus, Parainfluenza) Vaccines can protect your dog from serious diseases. Besides that, rabies vaccine is also a must for your dog. If your dog has any of these diseases and you’re not sure if it’s vaccinated because you don’t have records, that can be troublesome. Consult a veterinarian when unsure whether your dog has been vaccinated against any core diseases. He will decide what is best for your dog based on your dog’s age.
3. You may be required by law to submit vaccination records
Rabies is thought to be contagious to dogs, and many countries have legalized rabies vaccination for dogs. If a rabies-infected dog bites a person, it can have serious consequences, even death, if left untreated.
Eight states require imported animals to be vaccinated against rabies in the United States. In most other states, dogs should be vaccinated against rabies at a certain age. So if your dog is not vaccinated against rabies or any other infectious disease or you have no evidence to verify the same. Then the problem arises when you plan to move with your family and pets to those particular states that require dogs to be vaccinated against rabies.
Significance of Dog Vaccination Records
As mentioned earlier, your dog’s vaccination records are crucial for a number of reasons. In short, let’s take a look at all of them.
- It helps pet owners, and even veterinarians, keep track of all the vaccinations their dogs have received. This is even more helpful when the dog is sick and has a dangerous disease that requires vaccination. When documented, it will help the veterinarian decide whether to give the dog booster shots after recovery. Lack of proper documentation can make treatment difficult.
- There are also legal security issues. When you have your dog’s vaccination records, you will have no trouble traveling to the United States with him. The reason is that the state has regulations that state-owned dogs must be vaccinated against rabies.
- You’ll even need to provide your dog’s vaccination records and other details if you need to give your pet up for adoption or keep him in a kennel for an extended period of time.
2 steps to take when you lose your vaccination records
You may experience anxiety and worry when you realize you have lost your dog’s vaccination records. Well, there are ways to get it back too. Follow the steps below and you can get back your lost records.
1. Get in touch with a veterinarian
When you cannot find your dog’s vaccination details, you must contact the veterinarian’s office. We need to provide them with accurate information such as your dog’s name, date of birth and your name.
Make sure you haven’t made any spelling mistakes, otherwise it might be difficult to retrieve the records.
In most cases, they will have the details in their system and can help you with the same. You can ask them to email or fax the records to you. Most offices have websites and you may be asked to log into their portal and enter your dog’s details. The records will then be retrieved.
Another possibility could be that you moved from state to state and lost your dog’s vaccination records in the process. You can contact your previous veterinary clinic and ask them to mail your dog’s details to you.
It is common for one veterinary office to mail medical records to another veterinary office at the owner’s request. So when you move to a new state and a new veterinarian is appointed for your dog, you can request the transfer of records.
2. Get in touch with the shelter or previous owner
This applies if you adopt your dog from a shelter or any acquaintance. During the adoption process it is always necessary to request all the dog’s medical details as well as vaccination records from the previous owner.
You can also ask the shelter for vaccinations and other medical details if records were not handed over at the time, or in case you lose them.
Reconstructing Your Dog’s Vaccination History
Once vaccination records are retrieved, they can be reconstructed. Please save them with extra care so they don’t get lost again. Here are some steps to follow:
- You can print your vaccination details and save them in hardcover. Label it carefully to know what your dog’s shot details are all about. Keep photocopies of some documents, as well as laminated copies. Many owners often keep their child’s and dog’s vaccination records in the same file to prevent them from being lost.
- In addition to paper copies, electronic copies of vaccination records are essential. This way, the chances of losing documents are reduced. You can save it on cloud, Google Drive or One Drive.
No Pet Shots Recorded in an Emergency?
This can be a crisis when your pet has a particular disease and there are no records to verify that your dog has been vaccinated against that disease. In this case, your dog will still be treated.
The veterinarian will examine your dog and recommend blood tests to identify the disease. Once diagnosed, he will start treatment. Once your dog recovers, your veterinarian may recommend vaccinations for your dog.
2 Tips for Keeping Dog Shooting Records Safe
Are you constantly losing your dog’s shooting records? Here are some valuable tips to help you keep your dog’s shooting log safe. Be sure to check them out.
- Keep an electronic and paper copy of your dog’s shooting records. When you have both, if you lose one, you may turn to the other.
- Stay in touch with your veterinarian’s office. If your dog was vaccinated there, it will be easier to get the records back if you lose them.
Frequently Asked Questions
If you don’t have your dog’s vaccination records handy, it can be difficult to determine if it has been vaccinated. Your veterinarian can perform a titer test. This is not done to confirm that your dog has been vaccinated.
Instead, potency testing helps to know whether a particular vaccine will ensure full protection for your dog. When the result is positive, your dog is immunized against a disease. A negative test result means he has not yet developed immunity.
When your dog is unvaccinated, the titer test will be negative. Sometimes, however, a fully vaccinated dog may test negative and not develop immunity.
You may wonder if your dog has been vaccinated against a certain disease when you have no records. However, check with your veterinarian before giving him a second vaccination.
If your dog is over-vaccinated, it could develop serious health complications. Can be fatal in extreme cases. Therefore, when you are unable to track your dog’s vaccination records, you should speak to your veterinarian, who will determine the following actions.
in conclusion
If you have pets in your home, extra care must be taken in maintaining their health records, including vaccination details.
If you lose your records, there is always a way to get them back. But that doesn’t mean you’re going to be lax when it comes to keeping your dog’s vaccination records. After all, your dog is like your child. You must not be indifferent to their well-being.
Dr. Lillian is a DVM with a passion for raising awareness about dogs. She shares her expertise through her blog at canineweekly.com and provides animal care services including internal medicine, dermatology, and urgent care. Dr. Lillian is dedicated to contributing to animal welfare.
