What data to export from your veterinary software before the contract ends

Why ask for more than the migration needs?

Because your new system may only import part of the old data, while your obligations cover all of it. The CVO's medical records standard asks clinics to keep records for five years after the last entry and to be able to transfer a complete record within two business days when a client or another vet asks. If a piece of the old record doesn't come across, you still have to be able to produce it.

The Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada's guide for small businesses using cloud services says to make sure you can retrieve your data and that it'll be securely deleted when the contract ends. Check both terms before you give notice, not after.

Export for your obligations, not just for your import. The two lists are rarely the same.

What data to export from your veterinary software: the checklist

Here's the full list, grouped the way most practice systems store it. Print it and tick it off against the vendor's export.

Medical records

Ontario's Regulation 1093 lists what a companion animal record contains, from history and weight to assessments, diagnostic results, advice given and treatments with drug name, strength, dose and quantity. Ask for all of it:

• Every SOAP or visit note, with author and date.
• Addenda and corrections, with the original content.
• The audit trail, since the regulation requires electronic systems to keep the date, time and changes with the original preserved.
• Lab results, imaging reports, radiographs and other attachments, in their original files where possible.
• Consent forms, estimates and signed documents.
• Anesthesia and surgery records.

Ask for a PDF of each patient's full chart as well as the structured data files. If a field doesn't map cleanly, that PDF is your safety net.

Clients and patients

• Client names, addresses, phones, emails and emergency contacts.
• Communication consents, such as permission to text.
• Patient species, breed, sex, colour, date of birth, microchip and status, including deceased.
• Allergies, alerts and behaviour notes.

Reminders and appointments

• Vaccine history with dates, products and next due dates.
• Recall and reminder rules, with each pet's due dates.
• Every future appointment, with patient, vet, visit type and notes.
• Waitlists, if your system keeps one.

Invoices and balances

• Invoice and payment history, with tax details.
• Open client balances, credits and deposits at the cutover date.
• Estimates in progress and payment plans.
• End-of-period reports your accountant will want.

Stock and prescriptions

• Item list with prices, suppliers, lots and expiry dates.
• Stock counts on the cutover date.
• Prescription and dispensing history, including refills remaining.
• Controlled drug logs, kept as your regulator requires.

Which formats should you ask for?

Ask for more than one format, because each does a different job:

And ask the vendor for a data dictionary that explains each field and code. Without one, a column called STAT2 can cost your migration team a whole day of guessing.

When should you request the export?

Request a test export early and the final one as close to cutover as you can. Start by reading the contract for notice periods, export fees and how long access lasts after the end date. Those three details set your whole timeline.

The test export lets you check the data against a handful of real charts while there's still time to ask for fixes. Then agree on a final export date. When it arrives, compare record counts for clients, patients, visits and open balances against the old system.

If the vendor allows it, keep read-only access to the old system for a while afterwards. Only once you're sure you have everything should you confirm secure deletion, in writing.

What gets left behind most often?

The data that gets left behind is usually the stuff that lives in odd corners a standard export skips. Before you sign off, make sure these came across or are saved somewhere safe:

• Scanned documents attached to a client rather than a patient.
• Free-text alerts, like a pet that bites or a client who prefers email.
• Deceased and inactive patients, which still fall under the retention rules.
• Notes on future appointments, which often hold the reason for the visit.
• Records for the clinic's own animals, such as a resident cat or blood donors.

Moving to PetGrid

PetGrid's import and export brings your clients, pets, visits and vaccines in from the old system. Your data stays yours on the way out too: every report is a CSV and the whole clinic downloads as one ZIP.

The switching page explains how a move works, and our post on switching veterinary software without losing data covers the full plan.

Perguntas frequentes

Leia as perguntas e respostas para clínicas

Em resumo

A good export is complete, readable and checked. That means full charts with attachments and audit history, the data your new system will import, and the money and stock figures that let you open on day one. Ask early, test it against real charts, and don't confirm deletion until you've got everything.

Planning a move and want to see how PetGrid brings your data in? Book a short demo with the PetGrid team.