First vet visit checklist for a new puppy or kitten

The first vet visit is less about treatment and more about starting well: a baseline exam, a vaccination plan, and records you will rely on for years.

Book within the first few days

Even if your new puppy or kitten looks perfectly healthy, schedule a checkup within the first week after arrival. The visit confirms age, checks for common early problems, and gives you a professional plan for vaccines and parasite prevention. If you adopted from a shelter, bring whatever paperwork you received so your vet can build on it instead of starting from zero.

What to bring

• Adoption or purchase documents, plus any existing medical papers.
• A fresh stool sample if the clinic asked for one.
• The food label or a photo of it, so diet changes stay gradual.
• Your questions, written down before the appointment.
• A carrier or harness so the trip itself stays calm and safe.

Questions worth asking

First appointments go fast. Ask about the vaccination schedule and when the next doses are due, parasite prevention for your area, the expected adult weight, diet portions for the current age, and which symptoms genuinely count as urgent. Write the answers down: details fade quickly once you are home with a new pet.

Start the records habit on day one

The single most useful habit from visit one is keeping everything in one place: clinic contacts, vaccine due dates, weight measurements, and prescriptions. Paper folders get lost; photos live in endless galleries. A dedicated record gives every future visit a starting point.

If the visit is stressful

Many young animals find clinics overwhelming. For dogs, gentle handling practice at home makes a real difference — the settling practice guide from our sister app GoodBoy explains how to teach calm vet handling, and learning to read early stress signals with the dog body language basics guide helps you notice tension before it escalates.

Use PetCare Offline on Android to keep the vaccination plan, reminders and visit notes from day one in one private place.