Electronic health records for animals — mandatory or not, and why they matter in 2026

Electronic health records for animals are not yet mandatory by law in Bulgaria. That does not mean you can afford to go without them.

In this article we look at the legal framework, practical benefits, and why more and more veterinary clinics in Bulgaria are moving to digital records — not because they are forced to, but because it is better for the business and for patients.

The legal framework in Bulgaria

What does the law require?

Under the Veterinary Medical Activity Act, veterinarians must:

• Keep documentation of examinations and treatments performed
• Issue veterinary passports when vaccinating
• Store medical documentation for a defined period

The law does not require documentation to be in a specific format — paper or digital.

What is expected in the future?

The European trend is clear — digitization of veterinary records is a matter of time. Several EU countries already require electronic systems. Bulgaria follows this trend, albeit with some delay.

Clinics that start digitization now will be ready when requirements become mandatory.

Why electronic records are better than paper

1. They are never lost

Paper records get lost, burned, or soaked. Electronic records are archived automatically and available at any time.

How often has a client arrived with a pet and the file could not be found? With an electronic system — never.

2. Accessible from anywhere

In an after-hours emergency, the vet can check the patient history from their phone.

When consulting a specialist at another clinic — the file is shared with one click.

3. Legible and organized

Handwritten notes are sometimes illegible even to the author. Electronic entries are clear, organized, and easy to find.

4. Full history in seconds

At a new visit the vet sees the entire history — previous diagnoses, medications, allergies, chronic conditions — in seconds. No searching through folders.

5. Automatic reminders

The system knows when the next vaccination or planned check-up is due and automatically reminds the owner.

6. Sharing with the owner

The pet owner can view their animal's health history through a portal. This increases transparency and trust.

GDPR and personal data

Veterinary clinics process owners' personal data — names, addresses, phone numbers. This falls under GDPR (Regulation 2016/679).

Obligations include:

• Privacy policy
• Consent for data processing
• Secure storage of data
• The owner's right to request deletion of data

Good news: Certified cloud veterinary management systems are designed with GDPR compliance in mind — you do not have to handle the technical side alone.

What should an electronic health record include?

Basic animal information

• Species, breed, sex, date of birth
• Photo
• Microchip number
• Weight at last visit

Medical history

• All visits with date, symptoms, diagnosis
• Treatment given and dosages
• Surgical procedures
• Chronic conditions and allergies

Vaccination record

• All vaccines given with dates
• Next scheduled vaccinations
• Vaccine batch details (lot number)

Laboratory results

• Blood tests
• Urinalysis
• Histology
• Imaging (X-ray, ultrasound)

Owner communication

• Conversation history
• Reminders sent
• Recommendations and instructions

Migration from paper to digital — how to do it

Many clinics hesitate to switch to digital records because of the huge volume of paper files.

A practical approach:

Do not migrate everything at once. Start with new patients and new visits — they go directly into the system.

At the next visit of an existing patient — transfer the key information digitally. For most clinics full migration takes 6–12 months.

Scan important documents — vaccination cards, test results — and attach them to the digital record.

How PetsManager manages health records

PetsManager offers a complete electronic health record system built specifically for Bulgarian veterinary clinics:

• Structured records with all required fields
• Attach photos, X-rays, and lab results
• Vaccination calendar with automatic reminders
• Share the record with the owner via a portal
• Full GDPR compliance
• Cloud storage with automatic backup

Migration from paper: Our team helps transfer existing data.

👉 Book a free demo

Conclusion

Electronic health records are not mandatory by law — for now. But they are essential for any clinic that wants to work efficiently, reduce errors, and provide better patient care.

The European trend is clear — digitization is coming. It is better to be ready beforehand than to rush afterward.

PetsManager — electronic health records and a complete veterinary clinic management system in Bulgaria. Book a demo →