The first vet visit is a big day for a new puppy, and honestly for the new owner too. Most families we talk to are nervous about it. They don’t know what the vet will do or what they should bring. Here’s what to expect.
Before You Go
Pack a small folder with your puppy’s health records. Your breeder should have given you paperwork with the first vaccines and deworming dates. Bring it. Also bring a fresh stool sample in a clean baggie, since most vets check for worms on the first visit. Grab a handful of soft treats and a towel or blanket from home so your puppy has something that smells familiar.
Skip the big meal right before. A puppy with a full belly and a car ride ahead is a recipe for a mess in the waiting room.
What the Vet Will Do
It’s mostly a head-to-toe check. They’ll weigh your puppy, listen to the heart and lungs, look at the eyes, ears and teeth, feel the belly, and check the skin and coat. They’ll also look over the joints and the way your puppy walks. This takes just a few minutes and most puppies handle it great, especially when treats are involved.
Depending on your puppy’s age, a round of vaccines may be due. Your vet will tell you which ones and when the next set should be. They’ll also talk about flea, tick and heartworm prevention, and when to schedule spay or neuter talks later on. Write down the dates so you don’t have to guess.
Our Best Tips
Keep the carrier or your lap as the home base in the waiting room. Other dogs might be there, and a young puppy shouldn’t be meeting everyone on the floor before the vaccines are done. Hold your puppy or keep them close.
Make it a happy trip. Treat at the door, treat on the scale, treat after the exam. We want the vet’s office to mean good things. Puppies that learn this early are so much easier to take back for check-ups later.
Ask questions. There are no silly ones. How much should my puppy eat? When can we start walks around the neighborhood? What should I watch for at home over the next day or two? A good vet is happy to answer all of it.
A little tiredness afterward is normal, so plan a quiet evening. If your puppy seems really off, has swelling, keeps vomiting or won’t eat, call your vet right away.
Nervous at the first visit is fine. Most of our puppy families tell us the second visit was way easier than the first.
Puppy Pals Team