When you change vet practices, is it common for your old vet to forward all notes/history on your dogs to your new vet?

Or do you have to specifically request this?

Is it at the discretion of your old vet, or do you own the right to these notes?

Can you be registered with 2 practices, neither practice being aware that you're registered with the other?  (Ie if you prefer to have vax done at one practice, but treatment for health issues at another.)

Thx

It's usual for your new vet practice to request the histories to be forwarded, so that they know what treatment the animal's had before, what reactions there have been etc. It's very important for your animal's safety, and good for your pocket because you won't need tests to be repeated - the results are there to see.

You have a right to a copy of these notes, but each practice must by law retain histories for several years.

You can of course be registered with several practices; one near your home, one where you've been on holiday if your dog's needed treatment, one for vaccinations, etc. But it's polite to tell your vet if your pet's receiving treatment with anyone else, and also safer so that they don't prescribe medication that's contra-indicated with something prescribed by the other practice. Having vaccinations done elsewhere is quite common, so there's no need to keep it hush-hush.

I used to use one vet for treatment and one vet for vaccinations. I moved house and out of a sense of loyalty to my old vets I kept contact with the vaccinations. Then for some reason I forget, I had to vaccinate at the new vets and found out that my old vets had been over vaccinating my dogs for years. Now I just go to the new one for the lot.

Ok, thanks that's helpful.

It is a similar thing with the vaccination issue, rocknrose.  Our vet gives a FULL booster every year.  We have been using another vet who gives a full booster every 3 yrs and half boosters the intervening years.  We now are cutting back even further and will titre test every couple of years and only vaccinate if necessary.

PS:  I guess also, I'm not sure WHEN to change vets.  It goes like this:  I want to change, but whenever there is something wrong with the dogs, I naturally want to go back to the vet I know rather than go somewhere I've never been.  So I end up going back to where I've been before.  Should I do something now, when they are well, should I register them with the new vet or something?  I guess I just need a kick up the bum to make the switch instead of going back to the usual place 'one last time'.

we have a similar situation.

We had a practise (Vet 1)we had always used and were happy with 2 of the vets there- both very good,one of them with wonderful 'bed side manor' and one good at what he does - but not a great talker.
When our bitch was in whelp my vets could not check her blood levels - only offer a vaginoscopy ( which turned out to be right and bloods wrong - but thats another thread!) so we registered with another practise (vet 2)close to us to have the bloods done.We got a feel for it and were happy with one of the vets there.
Before this incident we have had 2 emergency occasions where we have required out of hours surgery on GDV cases,both times the two vets at Vet 1 saved our dogs and did a wonderful job,during our bitches whelping we were told the practice were no longer offering their own emergency cover.We spoke to the vet with the good bed side manor and got his mobile number incase we should need him with a whelping emergency - all the time mindful that should he not be available we could go to vet2.
Then - when our bitch had the pups our favourite vet from vet1 left the surgery! thankfully,having his number we found out he has opened his own practice and now does house calls - so we have joined vet3 ! its a bit further from our house,about 15 mins - but we trust him 100%.For day to day things he will do house calls so the journey dosent matter,and then we have vet1 as second back up and lastly vet 3 !

the way I see it we are PAYING for their service - and should therefore get what we want,if we get a better service elsewhere we should be under no obligation of loyalty.
These are my fur children,so loyalty does not come into it - I go where its best for my kids!!!