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The Dana Blog

Practical writing on shared pet care — schedules that hold, handoffs that work, and records your vet will actually thank you for.

More from the blog — page 5

An EU pet passport booklet, a folded veterinary certificate and a printed form laid side by side on a wooden table, next to a carrier strap and a set of keysPet health records, organized for real lifePet passport vs health certificate: it depends where you goBritain, the EU and the US each want a different travel document. Which one your dog needs, who issues it, and how long each one stays valid.7 min readFour ruled record cards laid out in a row on a wooden table under warm afternoon light, three of them filled in with columns of handwriting and a pen resting across the middle one, the fourth left blank with a single house key sitting on itThe complete guide to sharing pet careDog sitter vs boarding vs daycare: who has to record whatIn England, boarding for dogs is three licensed activities, each keeping a legal register. A sitter in your home needs no licence, so the record stays yours.6 min readA tabby cat sitting on a low garden wall at dusk wearing a printed paper collar, with a lit back door on either side of the fence behind herPet health records, organized for real lifeSomeone else feeding your cat? How to tell, and is it legal?A roaming cat looks like a stray to a neighbour. How to find out who feeds her, and why feeding her is not an offence under England's microchipping rules.6 min readA printed prescription form on a wooden clinic counter beside a pen and a small folded paper pharmacy bag in morning lightPet health records, organized for real lifeDoes your vet have to give you a written prescription?In Ontario, yes, by regulation. In the US, yes with two conditions. What the document must contain, what it can cost, and who tracks the refill at home.6 min readA folded legal document, a worn vaccination booklet and a dog collar with its ID tag laid side by side on a wooden table in low afternoon lightPet health records, organized for real lifeWho takes care of your dog when you die, and what they inheritWho takes care of your dog when you die depends on the arrangement. What they inherit is the harder question: the animal, and none of its records.7 min readTwo filing drawers in a sunlit clinic office, the upper one packed with orange and cream folders, the lower one pulled open and empty apart from the dust outline where folders used to standPet health records, organized for real lifeHow long does your vet keep your pet's records?Three to seven years after your last visit, depending on the province or state; the UK sets no period. The rule for 26 places, each linked to its source.8 min readDana the mascot dog lying by the front door of a shared flat with two sets of keys and two coats on hooks above, a feeding bowl by the kitchen doorwayThe complete guide to sharing pet careSharing a pet with a roommate: what to agree on firstOne person owns the animal and everyone lives with it. Who may authorise treatment, who pays for what, and what happens when somebody moves out.5 min readDana the mascot dog sitting on a pale wooden clinic bench beside a document folder and an envelope with an X-ray film showing, two closed consulting room doors on the wall behindPet health records, organized for real lifeHow to get a second opinion from another vetYou are allowed to ask, the second vet needs less of the file than you expect, and telling your current clinic is the part that protects your pet.6 min readA cardboard document wallet on a veterinary reception counter with two X-ray films half out of it, a vaccination booklet and a pen beside itPet health records, organized for real lifeHow to switch vets and transfer your pet's recordsThe new clinic usually asks the old one for the history. In Ontario an unpaid bill can't hold it back, and a previous owner must consent to release their part.5 min readDana the mascot dog sitting upright on a doormat outside a cream apartment door, beside a slim document folder and a set of keysPet health records, organized for real lifeHow to write a pet resume for a landlordA pet resume answers the only question a landlord has about your animal: will it cost me money or complaints? What to put on the page, and what to prove.5 min read

Reading about it is the easy half

Dana keeps feeding, walks, meds and vet visits on one shared record, so every caregiver sees what is done and who did it. The advice above works better when the whole household is looking at the same screen.

Free to start. iPhone, Android and tablets.