Your dog’s vaccinations are an essential part of keeping your pooch healthy. How do you know when your dog’s next vaccinations should be? And do you know exactly what your dog is vaccinated for? A dog vaccination record book allows you to access all of this information at a glance.
A vaccination record book can also be used to record your dog’s general medical information, as well as your own contact information. This is important for emergency veterinary treatment. It can also help to give you peace of mind when a pet-sitter needs to watch over your fur baby. Ready to find out more about dog vaccination record books? Read on with us!
What is a Dog Vaccination Record Book
A vaccination record is any book that you use to record your pet’s vaccinations, surgeries, and other vet visits. While you can buy specially-made books for this purpose, it is also possible to create your own with a simple notebook. The best vaccination record books will have columns for the date, location, and type of vaccination your pet has been given. While your vet will keep their own records of your dog’s vaccinations, it is helpful to have an at-a-glance overview of what your pet is vaccinated against. This might be useful when planning to board your dog in kennels, for example.
Why Do Dogs Need a Vaccination Record Book
Keeping up-to-date records of your pup’s vaccinations has several benefits. As a whole, keeping a dog vaccination record book allows you to get an all-in-one overview of your dog’s medical history. It is easily accessible, meaning that you do not have to contact your vet to ask about your dog’s vaccinations. Lastly, keeping records can help you to avoid confusion about any health concerns that your pet has. This might be helpful when somebody else has to care for your pet – it allows a quick overview of your dog’s medical history, which can give both you and your pet’s carer peace of mind.
What Should Be in a Dog Vaccination Record Book
In general, you can use a dog vaccination record book to record not only your pet’s vaccines but weight, flea and worming treatment, heartworm treatment, and emergency vet contacts.
Pet’s vaccinations
Vaccinations are essential for any dog. As a responsible owner, it is up to you to ensure that your pooch has protection against diseases that can seriously affect them. You must get your puppy vaccinated against canine parvovirus, distemper, canine hepatitis, and rabies. These vaccines are known as “core” vaccines in the USA. Not only this, but the rabies vaccine is a legal requirement for all dogs. Keeping your puppy up to date with their shots can be daunting without keeping records – your puppy needs a minimum of three vaccinations to gain full immunity! Generally speaking, core vaccines are given in three-to-four week intervals, with the final dose given at 16 weeks old. Be sure that you don’t miss your puppy’s shots by keeping up-to-date records and booking them in as soon as possible.
Later on, your dog will need booster vaccines to keep their immunity. Keeping track of when your dog will need their booster is essential to keep them protected. Most vets recommend a booster vaccine one year after their initial series. Then, all dogs need another core booster every three years, and a rabies booster every year.
Weight
There is not a specific number of times that you should weigh your dog. However, any owner should keep track of their dog’s weight. Your vet will weigh your dog during their annual check-up, but you may choose to weigh them more often at home. This is especially important if your dog is growing, has a medical condition, or appears underweight or overweight. Your dog’s weight is a strong indicator of their general health – if you notice something amiss with your pet, be sure to weigh them to check that they’re in a healthy weight range.
In contrast to an adult dog, a newborn puppy should be weighed every day. Newborn puppies must gain weight from the day of birth. As a general rule, they should gain between 10 to 15% of their birth weight every day. If your newborn puppy fails to gain weight in the first weeks of their life, you must get them to the vet right away. Failure to gain weight can indicate fading puppy syndrome or disease affecting their ability to absorb nutrition.
Flea & Tick Treatments
Your dog needs flea and tick treatment ideally every month, but every three months may suffice for less active dogs. Depending on your pet’s lifestyle, they may require more frequent treatment as recommended by your vet. If you de-flea your dog less than once a month, it may be difficult to remember when you last treated them. So, a record book is a priceless tool for planning your pet’s next treatments. Tracking your dog’s treatment is also a great way to monitor if the treatment works for your dog.
Heartworm Treatments
All dogs need year-round heartworm preventative medication. However, your dog’s treatment schedule may be different from another dog’s schedule. You must speak with your vet about heartworm preventatives as early as possible. This will help you to find the best schedule for your pup. For example, your vet may recommend monthly heartworm preventative chews like Heartgard® Plus for Dogs. Other dogs benefit from topical treatments like Revolution® for Dogs which are typically given once a month. Finally, some dogs benefit best from injections given every six months using ProHeart® 6.
No matter the treatment, you must keep records of when your pet was last treated. Missing multiple doses can leave your pet vulnerable to a nasty heartworm infestation. So, always stay up-to-date with your dog’s medication.
Progress Photos
No pet parent can resist taking pictures of their fur babies, and you’re probably no exception. Taking pictures of your pup as they grow can help you to track their growth, recovery from illness, and weight gain or loss. It can be helpful to compare side-by-side pictures of your dog if they are on a weight loss program, too.
Veterinarian Contacts
Any responsible dog owner should keep the number of their vet handy. You must have your closest emergency veterinarian’s address and contact information written down in case of an emergency. You never know when you might be without internet and you may not be able to search for your vet’s contact information in an emergency, so play it safe. Owners may also benefit from recording the contact information of any previous vets that your pooch has been to. This is just in case if you need to inquire about something from the past. It’s also best to keep the number and address of your vet on one of the first few pages of your record book for easy access.
Calendar or Important Dates
Another useful addition to your dog vaccination record book is a list of important dates. First and foremost, you should write down your dog’s birth date. And, as a breeder, you may wish to record when you plan to breed your dogs. Other important dates might include when your dog’s heat began and records of when she last gave birth.
5 Best Dog Vaccination Record Books
Looking for the best book to record your pooch’s vaccinations? Here, we discuss some of the top dog vaccination record books on the market, and why each one is a hit with happy pet parents.
1. Dog Vaccination Record Book by Aubrey Stephenson
This record book is packed with helpful pages. First, it contains an “owner information” page, where you can note your name, address, and number for emergencies. Beyond this, the book contains pages for detailing any vet visits, what medications your pet is on, and what vaccines they have had. It even has pages for pet sitter instructions! This 89-page book is 6 x 0.21 x 9 inches and 6.7 ounces, making it well worth the price.
2. Moito Publishing Dog Vaccination Record Book
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This vaccination record book is packed with handy pages that are sure to give you peace of mind. Among the most useful pages are the pet information page, vet visit logs, and a page to place a photo of you and your pet. This book is useful and convenient, great for emergencies and daily use alike. In total, this record book contains 116 pages, measures 6 x 0.27 x 9 inches and weighs 5.8 ounces. Buyers love the thoroughness of this book and recommend it for owners of multiple dogs. On the other hand, other buyers dislike how many pages there are and suggest that this book is best for breeders.
3. Canine Health Record Book by Dog Notebook
This vaccination record book contains all the sheets you need to keep up-to-date with your dog’s care. You can write up a pet profile, as well as record your vets’ details, your vet visits, vaccinations, and general notes. This book is well worth the price, with 101 pages to record all of your pet’s information in great detail. This book is 6 x 0.23 x 9 inches and weighs 5.6 ounces. Overall, buyers enjoy this book’s quality and the number of pages.
4. I Love Pets My Pet Passport
My Pet Passport provides plenty of ways for you to keep up-to-date with your pet’s care. Not only does it provide pages for you and your pets’ personal information, but a page for important contacts like your vet, pet sitter, and groomer makes it more resourceful. There is also a page for physical observations, where you can record your dog’s weight, height, and any other physical attributes. With 101 pages and dimensions of 6 x 0.23 x 9 inches, this book offers plenty of space to write any extra notes you need for your dog. While buyers generally enjoy how helpful the book is, others are dissatisfied with the lack of custom pages in the book as well as its large size.
5. My Dog’s Medical Records Book
My Dog’s Medical Records book provides a table to record your dog’s vaccines, as well as vet visit notes, and your dog’s information. This book is made with 96 pages and its dimensions are 6 x 0.22 x 9 inches. Overall, pet parents enjoy the simplicity of the book, as well as how many pages are dedicated to recording vaccinations. Less satisfied buyers mention the paperback quality of the book.
Dog Vaccination Record Books: FAQ
Have any more questions about your dog vaccination record book? Feel free to refer to our Frequently Asked Questions section for more details. If in doubt about your pet’s vaccinations, always ask your vet for advice!
If you lose your dog’s medical records, your best option is to contact your vet as soon as possible. In some states, your vet can give you a copy of their records. In others, however, there may be laws prohibiting them from giving you a copy of your dog’s files. Check the laws in your state when you request your dog’s files to avoid disappointment. It’s best to check the laws before this happens, though, in case of emergency. You don’t want to be stuck without your pet’s medical records when you need them most.
Just like people, it’s important to keep track of your pet’s medical history. It pays to keep track of when your dog is due for their next vaccination, so that you can prepare yourself and your pooch for the big day.
Tell your vet about your situation as soon as possible. If you are unsure about your pet’s vaccinations, it’s always best to check in with a vet to see what your options are. Be sure to tell your vet what age your dog was when you got them, and anything you know about their medical history. From here, a vet can carry out a titer test to identify what antibodies your pet already has, if any. This test can help to identify what vaccinations your dog might need. In some cases, your vet may skip the titer test and re-vaccinate your dog with each of the core vaccines to ensure their immunity.
There is no uniform format for a dog vaccination record book! Your dog’s records may be as simple as a notebook that you jot notes in by yourself, or as detailed as a specially-made record book bought in store or online. Some vets will even provide you with a vaccination record sheet upon your first trip to them.
After your dog gets their vaccinations, there are several things for you to note down. These include the date that the vaccines were given, the name of the vaccine, when to follow it up, and the name of the veterinary practice or veterinarian. With all of these pieces of information, you can piece together what your pet is vaccinated against and when their next vaccine should be.
A dog vaccination record is an essential tool for any pet parent. With everything recorded in one place, it’s easy to find what illnesses your pet is vaccinated against and when their booster vaccination should be given.