Confidentiality of Pet Medical Records

You expect your doctor and dentist to keep your personal medical records private. But what about your pet’s veterinary record? Your pet’s medical records belong to the veterinarian caring for the animal. As the owner of the animal, you are entitled to receive a copy of those records upon request.

But what happens when you take your pet for grooming, or you sell your horse, or you would like another veterinarian to view the records? According to Wisconsin law, the veterinary clinic must have a signed release by the owner of the pet clearly stating which records can be released and to whom. Unless it is a matter of life or death, or where the public health is concerned, without authorization we must keep your pet’s records private. You should consider having a signed release on file in order to expedite record release in the event of a veterinary emergency.

We are happy to send records to groomers, boarding facilities, and other veterinarians upon your request. However, if you find yourself needing records outside of our office hours, don’t forget that you can retrieve your pet’s vaccination history at your Petly account. Establishing your Petly account is easy. Simply log in using the email address that we have on file for you.