Pet vaccination record template: a simple table you can copy and keep

Sooner or later someone asks for your pet's vaccination record: a new vet, a groomer, a boarding kennel, a daycare, a landlord, an airline. If the paper booklet is in a drawer at your parents' house, or the clinic's email is buried under three years of newsletters, a simple question becomes a morning of phone calls. This guide gives you a plain template you can copy in a minute, explains what to write in each column and why, and suggests ways to keep it from getting lost. It does not tell you which vaccines your pet needs; that depends on age, lifestyle, local risk and the law, and your veterinarian decides it.

Why a written record matters

Vaccination guidelines are built around the idea that a veterinarian considers each animal individually. WSAVA's 2024 guidelines describe a conversation between vet and owner about which non-core vaccines suit a particular animal's lifestyle and local risk. AAHA says its canine guidelines help vets decide which vaccines are essential for each individual dog. For that conversation to work, the vet needs facts, and you are often the only person who has them all.

The records matter most in a few situations:

• Changing vets or moving. A new clinic can only continue a series if it knows what was given and when.
• Puppies and kittens. WSAVA's guidance is to give multiple core doses every 2 to 4 weeks, with the final dose at 16 weeks of age or older, and to revaccinate at or after 26 weeks to protect animals that still had maternal antibodies at 16 weeks. A series is only useful if each dose is dated, and a missed or late dose is easy to spot when the dates are in a table. Your vet will set the exact timing for your animal.
• Unknown history. AAHA's guidelines say that when vaccines are overdue or the history is unknown, vaccinating usually has more benefit than risk, summarised as "When in doubt, vaccinate." That is a sentence you would prefer not to need. A record you can show means your vet can make decisions on facts rather than assumptions.
• Boarding, grooming, daycare and travel. Many businesses ask for proof of certain vaccines. Requirements differ by place and by business, so check what yours needs, and keep a copy of any official certificate separately.

The template

Select the table below, copy it, and paste it into a document or spreadsheet. Make one copy per pet. The column headings are the details a vet or a front-desk team will usually need; the last rows are left empty on purpose.

What goes in each column

• Date given. The day of the injection or dose, written the same way every time (for example 2026-03-14), so it sorts properly and cannot be misread between day-month and month-day formats.
• Vaccine (name). Use the name on the clinic's paperwork, for example "rabies", "distemper-adenovirus-parvovirus" or a brand name. If the abbreviation means nothing to you, ask the vet to write it out in full once, and copy it down.
• Product / lot or batch number. Not every clinic prints this on the invoice, but it is useful if a question about a particular product ever comes up. If it is on the label or the certificate, copy it.
• Given by. The clinic and, if you like, the vet's name. This helps a new clinic ask for the original file.
• Next due. Ask the vet rather than working it out yourself. Different vaccines are repeated at different intervals, and the schedule can depend on the product and local rules.
• Notes. Anything unusual after the vaccine, such as swelling at the site, a day of tiredness, or vomiting, plus the number of any official certificate. This is the column that will help most if you ever need to discuss a reaction with the vet.

Understanding what "next due" means

"Annual vaccinations" is a phrase that makes many owners believe every shot is repeated every year. The guidelines are more nuanced. WSAVA says the duration of immunity of most modern modified-live-virus core vaccines is many years, and that core vaccines should not be given more frequently than necessary in adults. For non-core vaccines it says the duration of immunity is about 1 year for most, which is why they are typically repeated yearly if the risk persists. That is why a good record has a separate "next due" for each vaccine, not one date for the whole visit.

The annual vet visit is still worth keeping even when no shot is due, because it is also a health check, a weight check and a chance to ask questions. Have a look at our dog vaccination schedule guide and the cat and kitten vaccination schedule guide for how the guidelines describe core and non-core vaccines.

Where to get the information

1. The booklet or certificate from the clinic or breeder. Photograph every page the day you receive it, including stamps and stickers.
2. The clinic's records. You can ask a clinic for a copy of your pet's vaccination history. Many send it by email, and some have a patient portal. Ask for the full history when you change vets, not just the last visit.
3. The shelter or rescue's paperwork. Adoption papers often list the shots and deworming given before adoption. Keep them with the rest.
4. Old invoices and emails. Search your inbox for the clinic's name and the word "vaccine" or "rabies" and fill the gaps in the table.

If some history is truly unknown, do not guess. Mark it as unknown and tell your vet, who can decide what to do; as noted above, AAHA's guidance for unknown or overdue vaccines is a decision for the veterinarian.

Households with more than one pet

Keep one table per animal, and name the file or page after the pet. It sounds obvious, but a single shared table is how a cat ends up with the dog's rabies date. If you adopt a new pet, start its record on day one with whatever the shelter or breeder gave you, even if it is only a line saying "first vaccine given at breeder, date unknown". Gaps you can see are gaps your vet can fill.

For puppies and kittens, add the planned dates of the whole series as soon as the vet gives them, and tick each row off when it is done. Because WSAVA's guidance is to give the series at 2 to 4 week intervals with the last dose at 16 weeks or later, a puppy visit can easily slip by a week or two without anyone noticing; a table that shows the planned and the actual date side by side makes it visible, so you can call the clinic and ask what to do about it.

Keeping the record safe

A template is only worth something if you can find it when you need it. A few habits:

• Keep two copies in two places. For example a photo album on your phone called "Pet records" and a spreadsheet or document in cloud storage. Paper alone gets lost; a phone alone gets replaced.
• Update it at the clinic, not at home. Add the row before you leave the desk, while the vet or receptionist can answer questions about the name or date.
• Add a reminder, not just a row. A "next due" date in a table does nothing until someone looks at it. Put the date in your calendar or a reminder app. In Pawfolio you can store each pet's vaccination dates with the rest of the health record and set reminders, so the dates are on your phone when you are standing in front of the groomer's desk.
• Add the rest of the story. Weight, medicines, parasite prevention and vet visits belong in the same place. See what to keep in a pet health record for a checklist.

A short checklist before you close the document

• Pet's name, species, breed, date of birth and microchip number at the top.
• Every vaccine with a date, a name and a clinic.
• A "next due" for each, confirmed by your vet.
• Notes on any reaction.
• A photo of the original paperwork stored alongside.
• A reminder set for the next due date.

This guide and Pawfolio do not replace veterinary care. Which vaccines your pet needs, and when, is your veterinarian's decision.

Frequently asked questions

What should a pet vaccination record include?

The date, the vaccine name, the product or lot number where available, the clinic or vet, when the next dose is due, and notes about any reaction. Add the pet's name, birth date and microchip number at the top.

Can I get a copy of my pet's vaccination history from the vet?

Clinics can usually provide a copy of a pet's vaccination history; ask the front desk, or check whether they have a patient portal. Request the full history when changing vets.

Are all pet vaccines repeated every year?

No. WSAVA says the duration of immunity of most modern modified-live-virus core vaccines is many years, while most non-core vaccines last about a year. Your vet will tell you when each is due.

What if I do not know my pet's vaccination history?

Tell your vet. AAHA's guidelines say that when vaccines are overdue or unknown, vaccinating usually has more benefit than risk, but the decision belongs to your veterinarian.