After moving house with a West Highland White Terrier, update every record that still names the old address: the microchip registry, the veterinary file, local registration where it applies, insurance, and the contact and care sheets held by a groomer, walker, or boarding service. A Westie's file tends to carry detailed skin, ear, and coat notes built up over years, and those observations are as important to transfer as the address is to change, because a new team working without them will repeat steps your old team already ruled in or out.
Skin, ear and coat history a Westie should not lose
A West Highland White Terrier's skin and ear history is the part of the paperwork most often lost in a house move. Ask the previous vet to include consultation notes about itching, redness, ear flare-ups, and what helped or did not help, not only the vaccination summary. Give the new groomer the same picture: which shampoos have been used on this dog, how the coat is trimmed, and any areas the old groomer was watching. Write down the pattern you have noticed at home, such as seasons when the skin seems worse, in plain observation language for the new vet to assess. That continuity matters more for a Westie than a generic handover because the next flare-up will be judged against this history.
Address changes across chip, vet and insurance
The address changes after moving house with a West Highland White Terrier follow the same chain as any dog, but each link needs its own contact. Change the microchip registry first and request confirmation, then register with a vet near the new home and have the full history sent across, then update insurance and any local registration in writing. Check that a new phone number, if you have one, replaces the old on every record, including the groomer's booking system and the sitter's emergency sheet. A Westie is small enough to be picked up by a finder, so the chip pointing to the new house and a reachable mobile number are what bring her home.
New home notes for sitters and groomers
Paperwork for a West Highland White Terrier after a move should describe the new home, not just the new address. Tell a sitter where the dog's food and grooming supplies are kept, which garden gate latches properly, and whether the new house has steps or flooring that change how she moves around. Update the emergency contact to someone who can reach the new house quickly, and give the new vet's number to everyone who cares for her. If a new groomer is taking over, book a short first appointment and hand over the coat and skin notes in person, so questions can be asked while the history is in front of you both.
Checking the transfer is complete
Checking the transfer after moving house with a West Highland White Terrier means reading what arrived, not just hearing that it was sent. Ask the new vet to confirm the file includes the skin and ear notes as well as vaccinations, and ask the chip registry for written confirmation of the new address. Confirm the insurer has the new property on the policy and that the groomer has replaced the old contact number. Keep one folder, paper or digital, holding each confirmation with the date you received it, so a gap is visible at a glance. Filing that folder's contents into KinsLe's Pet Passport gives a Westie one portable packet where address, history and skin notes travel together.