Your puppy’s first vet visit: what to bring and what to ask

What to bring

• Every paper from the breeder or shelter: vaccines given and dates, deworming, any treatments
• The microchip number, if your puppy already has one
• The food your puppy eats now, and how much
• Notes on anything you have noticed: appetite, stools, coughing, scratching
• A stool sample, only if the clinic asks for one
• Your questions, written down
• A lead and collar or a carrier, a towel and a few treats

Earlier vaccine doses count, so the dates matter. If something is missing, call the breeder or shelter before the visit.

What usually happens

Every clinic is different, but a first puppy visit often includes a full physical exam, a plan for the remaining vaccines, a talk about parasite prevention, and a check or scan for a microchip. The AVMA describes vaccinations, heartworm prevention and routine deworming as key parts of wellness care, and recommends regular wellness exams because problems found early are easier to treat.

Puppies usually get a series of vaccines from 6 to 8 weeks until 16 weeks of age or older, then one more dose later. Your vet will tell you which doses are still due and when.

Questions to ask

Vaccines. Which core vaccines will my puppy get, and which non-core ones make sense for our life: daycare, boarding, travel, ticks? WSAVA’s 2024 guidelines recommend core doses every 2 to 4 weeks until 16 weeks or older, then a dose at or after 26 weeks; some vets give that one at about a year. Ask which your clinic does.

Parasites. Which parasites matter where we live, which product do you recommend, and how often? Is a heartworm test needed before starting prevention?

Microchip. Is there a chip, does it scan, and is it registered to me? The AVMA stresses that a chip only helps if the registration is kept up to date, and suggests asking the vet to scan it at routine checkups.

Spay or neuter. For dogs there is no single right age, the AVMA says: the timing depends on breed, size, sex, health and lifestyle. Ask about the benefits and risks for your puppy, and when to decide.

Food and weight. How much should my puppy eat each day, how many meals, and what is a healthy weight as they grow?

Next steps. Where can my puppy walk and whom can they meet before the vaccine series is done? When is the next visit?

A question list to take with you

• Which vaccines are still due, and on what dates?
• Which non-core vaccines fit our lifestyle?
• Is the dose after the series at 26 weeks or about a year?
• Which parasite prevention, how often, and is a test needed first?
• Does the microchip scan, and is it registered to me?
• When should we talk about spay or neuter?
• How much food each day, and how many meals?
• Where is it safe to walk until the series is done?
• When is our next visit?

Print this page or copy the list into your notes. The printable vaccination record has space for each dose your vet gives.

How to keep track in Keepie

1. 1

   Add your puppy and the records you have

   Add the vaccinations from the breeder or shelter with their dates, and the microchip number with its registry in the medical information.

2. 2

   Plan the visit

   Add the vet visit with its date and reason, and write your questions into the visit plan, up to 10.

3. 3

   Keep the next dates

   After the visit, add the vaccines given with their next due dates, and turn on reminders so the next dose is not missed.

   How Health works
4. 4

   Set up routines

   Meals, walks and any medicine your vet prescribed go on Today as routines, with reminders if you want them.