Wagzy

All articles

Dog vaccination record: free printable and how to read it

Published General information, not veterinary advice: for your pet’s health, ask your vet.

A friendly mixed-breed dog sits by a table where its owner’s hand rests on a closed pet health booklet

A dog vaccination record is the list of every vaccine your dog has had: what it was, when it was given, its batch number, who gave it and when the next one is due. Groomers, kennels, daycares, trainers and border officers ask for it, and your vet uses it to plan the next shots. Download the free dog vaccination record PDF below, in US Letter or A4.

Where the record lives Always with you Reminds about the next shot Batch number and expiry kept All your pets together Easy to share
Wagzy (coming soon) Yes, on your phone Yes Yes Yes Yes, as files
Printable record below If you carry it No Batch number; expiry if the label is stuck in One per dog Photo or copy
Paper card from the vet If you carry it No Usually One per dog Photo or copy
Photos in your phone gallery Yes No If the photo is sharp Mixed with other photos Yes
Clinic app or portal If you remember the login Sometimes Sometimes Only that clinic’s pets Depends on the clinic

What a dog vaccination record shows

Whatever it looks like — a card from the vet, a booklet, a printout from the clinic or a page in a pet passport — a dog shot record has the same lines for every vaccine:

  • The date given.
  • The vaccine: its name or the combination it covers, often as letters such as DHPP.
  • The batch (lot) number from the vial. Many vets stick the label from the vial into the card instead of writing the number.
  • The next due date your vet set, or the date the protection expires.
  • The vet and the clinic, with a signature or a stamp.

At the top there are your dog’s details: name, breed, sex, date of birth, color and microchip number, and your name and phone. A puppy vaccination record starts at the breeder or the shelter and continues at your vet. Have a cat too? A pet vaccination record for a cat has the same columns and different vaccines: see the cat vaccination record.

How to read the vaccine names

Combination vaccines protect against several diseases in one shot, and the letters on the record say which:

On the record What it stands for
DHPP, DA2PP, DAPP Distemper, hepatitis (adenovirus), parvovirus and parainfluenza
DHLPP, DAPPL The same plus leptospirosis
CV, +CV Canine coronavirus, added to some combination shots
DHP, DHPPi In the UK: distemper, hepatitis and parvovirus; Pi — parainfluenza
L2, L4 Leptospirosis: two or four serogroups, depending on the product
C3, C5 In Australia: C3 — distemper, hepatitis and parvovirus; C5 — plus parainfluenza and Bordetella
Rabies Rabies, often with its own certificate and tag
Bordetella, KC, CIV, Lyme Kennel cough, canine influenza and Lyme disease

Which vaccines your dog needs, and how often, depends on its age, where you live and how it spends its days. Your vet sets the schedule; the record keeps what was actually given. The typical ages are in the puppy vaccination schedule.

Rabies vaccination certificate vs vaccination record

Where rabies vaccination is required by law, the vet usually gives you a separate rabies vaccination certificate along with the record, and often a tag for the collar; a city license office asks for it. Keep the original with your dog’s documents and a copy in the record. For travel abroad, the required document depends on the destination: it may be a pet passport or an animal health certificate in addition to the vaccination record.

How to get your dog’s vaccination records

  1. Ask your vet. The clinic keeps your dog’s history and can usually email it as a PDF or print it at the front desk.
  2. Ask every clinic your dog has visited, including emergency clinics and low-cost vaccine events.
  3. New puppy or rescue dog? Ask the breeder or the shelter for the shots given before you brought your dog home.
  4. Lost the card? The clinic that gave the shots can print the history again. If no record can be found, your vet decides what your dog needs next.

How to fill in the dog vaccination record template

  1. Fill in your dog’s details and your vet’s contacts once.
  2. After each shot, write the date and the vaccine name as it appears on the vet’s invoice or certificate.
  3. Copy the batch number or ask the vet to stick the vaccine label into the batch column. The label also shows the manufacturer and the vaccine’s expiry date; the expiry is not the next due date.
  4. Write the next due date exactly as your vet set it.
  5. Ask the vet to sign or stamp the line. Kennels and border officers usually want the vet’s own certificate, so keep it with the record.

Keep deworming and flea and tick treatments on the second page: the boarding kennel may ask about them too.

Keeping the record up to date

A record helps only if you can show it in a minute. Keep the paper copy with your dog’s documents and a photo of every page on your phone, and update both after each visit. For everything else about your dog’s health — medications, visits, weight — use a pet health record.

Wagzy will keep each dog’s vaccines with the batch number and expiry date, remind you when the next booster is due and keep the vet’s certificates ready to share as files.

Frequently asked questions

Is a dog vaccine card the same as a vaccination record?

Yes. A dog vaccine card is the paper version of the record, usually given by the clinic at the first visit. A pet passport has the same entries on its own pages.

What does a dog vaccination record look like?

A table with one line per shot: the date, the vaccine, the batch number or the label from the vial, the next due date and the vet’s signature or stamp. The printable on this page has exactly these columns.

Can I make my own dog vaccination record?

Yes, and it helps you track dates. As proof, kennels, groomers and border officers usually want the vet’s certificate or a record signed by the vet, so keep both.

Can I get my dog’s vaccination records online?

Many clinics have an app or a portal where you can download the history. If yours doesn’t, ask the clinic to email it.

Does the vet have to give me my dog’s records?

It depends on where you live. In the UK, vets must provide copies of your pet’s clinical records when you ask (RCVS). In the US, the AVMA code of ethics asks vets to provide copies or a summary, and some states require it by law: in Florida, copies of all records; in California, a summary within 5 days. In Queensland, Australia, there is no legal right to the records, so it’s up to the vet. Clinics keep records for years: in AVMA’s 2023 summary, US states commonly require 3–⁠5 years after the last exam or treatment, and Ontario requires 5 years after the last entry.

Sources