Pet health record apps for iPhone: 7 compared

If you want an app that holds your dog's or cat's vaccination records, vet visits and certificates, the first question is whether your vet clinic uses one. PetDesk, VitusVet, Digitail and GreatPetCare are strongest when your clinic is connected: appointments, refills and records come from the practice. If it isn't, or you use more than one clinic, you need an app that keeps the records you enter yourself: PawVault, Pet Care Tracker (DogCat) or 11pets. I built PawVault, so weigh that; each section says where another app is the better pick.

The short version:

• Your clinic uses PetDesk: PetDesk.
• Your clinic is a VitusVet or Digitail partner: that app.
• Records from any clinic, certificates with expiry dates, a PDF for the vet: PawVault.
• A free care calendar with diet, weight and symptoms: Pet Care Tracker (DogCat).
• Several people looking after one pet: GreatPetCare.

How the seven apps compare

Everything here is from each app's App Store listing in November 2026. "Not stated" means the listing doesn't say.

Clinic apps and owner apps are different tools

A clinic app is the clinic's window to you. When the practice uses it, you get appointment requests, refill requests, reminders the clinic sets and, with some apps, the records from each visit, without typing anything. When it doesn't, or you see a second clinic for emergencies, those records never arrive.

An owner app is a folder you keep yourself. Nothing arrives automatically, but it holds records from every clinic, the rabies certificate from the breeder, the pet passport and the insurance policy, and it goes with you when you move.

Most of the apps below lean one way. Many owners end up using their clinic's app for bookings and an owner app for the full record.

PawVault: your own record, from any clinic

PawVault keeps one record per pet: a profile with breed, weight, microchip number, allergies and conditions; a health timeline of vaccinations, vet visits, medications, lab tests, surgeries and symptoms; and a document vault for vaccination certificates, passports, insurance, lab results and prescriptions as photos or PDFs. Each document has an issue date and, where one is printed, an expiry date; expired documents show in red.

Reminders repeat daily, weekly, monthly, yearly or every so many days, for boosters, flea and tick treatment or doses. Vet Summary turns the record into a PDF to send to a vet, a sitter or a new clinic. It works without signing up; sign in to back up and sync to another iPhone, iPad or Mac.

The free version covers the timeline, documents, reminders and the PDF for one pet. PawVault Pro ($19.99 a year on the US App Store, with a free trial) adds unlimited pets and AI features: scanning a certificate to pre-fill the form, turning typed notes into timeline entries, and describing a photo of a paw. Nothing scanned is saved until you confirm it.

Limits: it doesn't connect to clinics, so records are what you enter or scan. It doesn't give medical advice or suggest vaccine schedules, it's in English only, and data is stored in Firebase, not only on the phone.

PetDesk: if your clinic uses it

PetDesk is the most-rated app here by a wide margin: 4.9 from over 500,000 ratings. It connects you with your pet care providers (vet clinics, groomers, boarding, daycare): 24/7 appointment requests, reminders and messages synced to your calendar, medication refill requests and loyalty points at participating locations.

Pick it if your vet uses PetDesk. It's the clinic's channel, so it's strongest for bookings and refills rather than as a full record of every clinic you've used.

VitusVet: records on your phone, with partner extras

VitusVet rates 4.9 from 10,772 ratings. It tracks weight and medications, logs microchip and insurance details, notes allergies and medical alerts, and keeps medical records on your phone to show a landlord, a dog park or a groomer. Reminders cover medication, appointments and shopping. If your practice partners with VitusVet, you can also request appointments, refills and products in the app. It supports dogs, cats, rabbits, birds and reptiles.

Pick it if you want records and reminders for free and there's a chance your clinic partners with it.

Digitail: two-way chat with your vet

Digitail (4.9 from 4,052 ratings) is a digital medical record shared with your vet: you book appointments, chat with the clinic, and see health records and notes after each visit, plus day-to-day tracking that helps the vet. It's built for clinics that run on Digitail.

Pick it if your clinic uses Digitail and you want to message them.

GreatPetCare: for a pet with several carers

GreatPetCare (4.5 from 2,165 ratings) connects a pet's caretakers around one source: medical records, feeding instructions, medication reminders and photos, plus a weight tracker, product recall alerts and vet-reviewed articles.

Pick it if a partner, a walker and a sitter all need the same instructions.

Pet Care Tracker (DogCat): a free care calendar

Pet Care Tracker, also called DogCat, rates 4.8 from 959 ratings. It's a calendar-style agenda for dogs and cats: a health log with a vaccination tracker and reminders, medication schedules, diet, weight and symptom tracking, growth milestones and a photo gallery. The listing calls it free.

Pick it if daily care (feeding, weight, symptoms) matters as much as the vet paperwork.

11pets: an older all-rounder

11pets has been around since 2017: medication reminders, appointment scheduling, weight and vital signs, activities, vaccination records and documents, and sharing records with your vet. The same company sells software to vets, groomers and shelters. It rates 3.3 from 77 ratings.

Pick it if you want weight and vital signs alongside records; read recent reviews first.

Which pet health app should you use?

• Your vet uses PetDesk, VitusVet or Digitail: start with that app.
• You use more than one clinic, travel, or need certificates at a counter: PawVault, or VitusVet if you prefer free for several pets.
• You want daily care on a calendar: Pet Care Tracker (DogCat).
• Several people share the care: GreatPetCare.

What to keep, whichever app you use

1. Vaccination certificates, above all rabies, with the date given and the date your vet says the next is due.
2. The microchip number, allergies and long-term conditions.
3. Current medications with doses.
4. Recent lab results and the last few vet visit summaries.
5. Insurance and pet passport details if you travel. For the US, the USDA APHIS pet travel pages explain the rules by destination.

FAQ

What is the best app to keep my pet's health records?

If your vet clinic uses PetDesk, VitusVet or Digitail, its app brings appointments, refills and sometimes visit records to you. To keep records from any clinic yourself, PawVault stores vaccinations, vet visits, medications and certificates with expiry dates and exports a PDF for the vet; VitusVet and Pet Care Tracker (DogCat) are free alternatives.

Is there an app that reminds me when my dog's vaccines are due?

Yes. PawVault, VitusVet, Pet Care Tracker (DogCat) and 11pets all set reminders for vaccines and medication, and PetDesk syncs reminders from participating clinics. The due dates come from your vet; none of these apps should set a vaccine schedule for you.

Can I store my pet's vaccination certificate on my phone?

Yes. PawVault keeps certificates as photos or PDFs with their issue and expiry dates and marks expired ones in red; PawVault Pro can scan a certificate to fill in the details. VitusVet and 11pets also keep vaccination records on your phone.

Which pet health app works without my vet clinic?

PawVault, VitusVet, GreatPetCare, Pet Care Tracker (DogCat) and 11pets all work with records you enter yourself. PetDesk and Digitail are built around clinics that use them.

Is there a free pet health record app?

PetDesk, VitusVet, Digitail, GreatPetCare, Pet Care Tracker (DogCat) and 11pets are free to download. PawVault is free for one pet, with PawVault Pro at $19.99 a year for unlimited pets and the AI features.

How do I share my pet's records with a new vet?

Bring or send the vaccination certificates, medications, allergies, microchip number and recent lab results. PawVault's Vet Summary turns them into one PDF to send by AirDrop, Mail or Messages; VitusVet and 11pets also share records with care providers.

Does PawVault give medical advice?

No. PawVault keeps records and sends reminders; it doesn't diagnose, recommend treatment or set vaccination schedules. Your vet decides those.